ORONO, Maine – Binghamton baseball begins its quest for a fifth America East tournament title when the No. 2 Bearcats face No. 3 NJIT at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Maine's Mahaney Diamond.

The Highlanders advanced with a 3-2 win over No. 6 Hartford on Wednesday. Fourth-seeded UMass Lowell also was a winner on Wednesday with its 7-6 victory over No. 5 UMBC and the River Hawks will meet top-seed and host Maine in the 11 a.m. game Thursday. The six-team, double-elimination tournament continues with three games each on Thursday and Friday before the final two teams play for the title and its accompanying NCAA tournament bid on Saturday.     

The Bearcats (19-28) earned the No. 2 seed by winning three of their final four regular season games. Binghamton finished in a three-way tie with NJIT and UMass Lowell but BU came out ahead in the tiebreak, due primarily to four wins in six head-to-head games against NJIT. It's the program's highest seed since playing as the top seed in 2017.

Binghamton had six players honored in the America East regular season awards, announced on Tuesday. Freshman catcher and designated hitter Evin Sullivan was named America East Rookie of the Year and first team all-conference. He was the lone freshman on the 15-player first team and became BU's first-ever freshman to be named to the top all-conference team. He also becomes the fifth Bearcat to earn Rookie of the Year honors. Sullivan hit .337 with seven home runs, 20 extra-base hits and a team-high 34 RBI during the regular season.

Joining Sullivan on the first team was junior closer Jack Collins (2.33 ERA, 7 saves), who also was recognized on the All-Academic Team for the third straight year. Junior pitcher Thomas Babalis (76K, 4.98 ERA) and junior first baseman Connor Aoki (8 HR, 27 RBI) were named second team all-conference and freshman second baseman Nick Roselli (5 HR, 17 RBI) and freshman center fielder Logan Haskell (.294, 14 RBI) joined Sullivan on the All-Rookie Team, giving BU its highest number of freshman selections in 17 years.  

The hottest Bearcat is senior shortstop Jake Evans (.369), who carries a 20-game hit streak into postseason – one shy of tying the school record. Since March, Evans is hitting a sizzling .430 (27 games) and teaming that with exceptional play at short.  Against America East pitching, Evans is hitting .471 – 36 points higher than any player in the league.

Babalis, now a three-time all-conference selection, will take the ball against NJIT.  

The defending conference champion Highlanders (24-25) put three players on the all-conference teams, highlighted by Pitcher of the Year Ryan Fischer, who pitched in the team's opening win on Wednesday. Junior outfielder Albert Choi (6 HR, 31 RBI) joined Fischer on the first team.  

During the regular season, BU went 4-2 against NJIT. The Bearcats swept a three-game set in New Jersey in late April before the Highlanders took two of three in Vestal on May 7-8. All six games were decided by three or fewer runs. Binghamton leads the all-time series 23-8, though most of those wins came before NJIT joined the America East. The teams split eight games last season.