VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton kicks off America East play and plays its first home game at the new Bearcats Baseball Stadium Friday afternoon when the Bearcats (3-10) host Maine (3-11) at 3 p.m. Friday to begin a three-game weekend series. The teams will also scheduled to play single games on Saturday and Sunday. 

Friday's opening game will be the first home game for BU in 1,029 days spanning three seasons as the new stadium complex was being built. The stadium seats 2,500, including more than 1,000 chairback seats and room for 600 on the unique left field berm. The University is planning an official grand opening for the expansive facility on April 29.    

The Bearcats welcome the start of conference play after enduring a four-game gauntlet against SEC members Alabama and No. 23 Mississippi State in the last week. On Monday, BU had defending NCAA champion MSU on the ropes, leading three different times before the host Bulldogs pulled away in the eighth inning. The Bearcats captured one game in each of their first three series', including a 4-1 victory over then-No. 23 Old Dominion on Feb. 25.

Junior No. 1 Thomas Babalis (1-2, 4.64 ERA) has struck out 18 in 21.1 innings. Junior second baseman Cavan Tully is hitting .343 with a team-best .425 on-base percentage. Junior catcher Connor Aoki has two home runs and freshman DH Evin Sullivan is hitting .308 with four doubles and a .378 OBP.   

Maine was picked to finish fifth in the Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Black Bears graduated two first team all-conference selections from their 2021 team that went 22-22 and earned a postseason berth after finishing second in Division "A." Maine beat Stony Brook in the tournament's opening round behind MLB draft pick Nick Sinacola (7th round) but then lost two straight to end its season.

Graduate student and fifth-year first baseman Joe Bramanti leads the team with four home runs and 15 RBI. Senior outfielder Jeff Mejia is batting a team-high .341. The Black Bears have started seven different pitchers this spring but will lean on UC Davis graduate transfer Brett Erwin (0-2, 3.75 ERA), who was an All-Big West selection.

The team has wins over Penn State, GW and North Dakota State. They arrive in Binghamton after going 1-4 on a Florida trip that concluded Tuesday night with a 12-1 loss at Stetson.  

The all-time series between the two programs is deadlocked at 39-39. Binghamton has won five of the last six games, however. Last spring in Orono, BU took three of four games. The last time they met in Vestal was on March 24, 2019, when they split a doubleheader. At home, BU is 17-12 all-time against Maine. 

Projected Weekend Matchups
Friday, March 18 - 3 p.m. 
LHP Thomas Babalis (BU) (1-2, 4.64 ERA) vs. RHP Trevor LaBonte (0-2, 5.25 ERA) | ESPN3 | Live Stats

Saturday, March 19 - 1 p.m. 
RHP John Lumpinski (BU) (0-4, 16.46 ERA) vs. LHP Caleb Leys (1-0, 2.89 ERA) | ESPN3 | Live Stats

Sunday, March 20 - noon
RHP Ryan Bryggman (BU) (1-1, 4.26 ERA) vs. TBA | ESPN3 | Live Stats