VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton baseball faces the stiffest test of its non-conference slate when the Bearcats (3-6) head into SEC country to meet Alabama and Mississippi State for four games in five days. The trip begins with a three-game weekend set against the Crimson Tide (9-5) in Tuscaloosa and concludes with a Tuesday game against the reigning NCAA champion Bulldogs in Starkville, Miss. Binghamton and Alabama open their series at 3 p.m. Friday. The start time was moved up four hours due to inclement weather expected in the evening. Saturday (3 p.m.) and Sunday (2 p.m.) start times remain the same.

The Bearcats will face Alabama for the first time in program history. The Crimson Tide are 9-2 this season at Sewell-Thomas Stadium ("The Joe"). The team is hitting .299 and has a 3.29 pitching ERA. The offense has generated 16 home runs already this spring and the pitching staff averages more than 13 strikeouts per game. Alabama is coming off a 32-win season that culminated in the program's 25th NCAA Regional bid.   

Binghamton has taken one of three games in each of its first three weekend series' of the spring. Last weekend, BU used a late rally to pull out an 8-7 win at VMI in the series finale. Freshman DH Evin Sullivan leads the team with a .400 average (10-for-25) and junior second baseman Cavan Tully is hitting .391 with three doubles and five RBI. Graduate center fielder Garrett Matheny leads the team with five extra-base hits and seven RBI. 

Junior ace Thomas Babalis (1-1, 2.40 ERA) has 15 strikeouts in 15 innings and junior closer Jack Collins (3.86 ERA, 9K in 7 IP) has two saves. 

Binghamton is 2-11 all-time against SEC members with the most recent matchup occurring at the 2016 NCAA Regional, when BU played No. 1 seed Texas A&M near-even in a 4-2 opening-round loss. The Bearcats' lone wins against the conference were victories over Tennessee (7-4 in 2010) and Auburn (11-5 in 2015).  

Projected Weekend Matchups
Friday, March 11 - 3 p.m. (ET) (time change due to weather forecast) 
LHP Thomas Babalis (BU) (1-1, 2.40 ERA) vs. RHP Garrett McMillan (1-0, 2.00 ERA) | Watch on SEC Network | Live Stats | Listen

Saturday, March 12 - 3 p.m. (ET)
RHP John Lumpinski (BU) (0-3, 13.50 ERA) vs. LHP Antoine Jean (0-1, 3.18 ERA) |  Watch on SEC Network | Live Stats | Listen

Sunday, March 13 - 2 p.m. (ET)
RHP Ryan Bryggman (BU) (1-0, 3.68 ERA) vs. LHP Grayson Hitt (1-0, 1.74 ERA) |  Watch on SEC Network | Live Stats | Listen