VESTAL, N.Y. - Reigning America East champion Binghamton baseball opens its 2023 season with a strong test against ACC member Clemson this weekend. The Bearcats and Tigers will play a three-game set at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, where Clemson went 26-8 last season.

The Bearcats were picked first in the America East after winning the program's fifth conference title last spring. Thirty-one-year head coach Tim Sinicki returns 24 lettermen and seven position starters from that championship squad. Senior No. 1 Thomas Babalis leads a trio of weekend starters returning to the mound. He will make his fourth straight Opening Day start - the first Bearcat to achieve that distinction in program history. 

Clemson won 35 games last spring before bowing out of the ACC tournament. They were ranked as high as No. 15 in the country during the season and return five starting position players and three starting pitchers. The Clemson program has made 44 NCAA appearances (5th most of any program in the country), 11 trips to the College World Series (11th most) and have captured 10 ACC crowns. 

This will be the first meeting between the two programs. Binghamton is 6-5 all-time against current members of the ACC - thanks primarily to a four-game sweep of then 19th-ranked Virginia Tech back in 2017. The Bearcats also have wins over Duke (2014) and Boston College (2014).   

Projected Weekend Matchups
Friday, Feb. 17 - 4 p.m. 
LHP Thomas Babalis (BU) (4-7, 6.04 ERA last season) vs. LHP Ryan Ammons (1-2, 4.61 ERA last season) | ACCNX | Live Audio | Live Stats

Saturday, Feb. 18 - 2 p.m. 
RHP Gabe Driscoll (BU) (3-1, 5.01 ERA last season) vs. RHP Austin Gordon (1-0, 5.14 ERA last season) | ACCNX | Live Audio | Live Stats

Sunday, Feb. 19 - noon
RHP Ryan Bryggman (BU) (7-6, 5.71 ERA last season) vs. RHP Jay Dill (2-2, 5.45 ERA last season) | ACCNX | Live Audio | Live Stats