VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton baseball will showcase a revamped lineup in 2025 after turning over half the roster from last spring. Heavy graduation losses include five position starters, four all-conference selections, the first three hitters in the lineup and the program's pitching ace and most frequent bullpen option. But America East coaches still believe the Bearcats will be formidable, based on the team's spot at No. 2 in the Preseason Poll.

The one thing 33^rd-year head coach Tim Sinicki hopes he DOES lose from 2024 is the unprecedented volume of injuries that hampered his team throughout the spring. Sinicki, six-time America East Coach of the Year, was forced to use 48 different starting lineups in 50 games and that played a role in the team's uncharacteristic sixth place finish and early playoff exit.

The Bearcats have fortified their roster with 16 newcomers, several of whom will be in the mix for starting roles.     

"We have lots of new faces, but things have come together pretty quickly for us with good internal leadership and team chemistry," Sinicki says. "Overall I really like the talent on the ballcub … now it's just finding what lineup and roles will serve us best early on and into America East play."

All-Conference 3B Bade back to anchor infield
Senior tri-captain Devan Bade returns for his final collegiate season having logged 139 starts over three years. He was an all-conference selection last spring after leading the Bearcats in average (.326), multi-hit and RBI games, and producing 19 extra-base hits and 34 RBI. In conference play, Bade hit .374.

To his left, junior shortstop Mike Stellrecht is back for his third season as a starter. Stellrecht made just three errors in 169 chances last spring and chipped in a team-high three triples, 16 extra-base hits and 17 RBI.

The right side of the infield will be new after second baseman Nick Roselli was drafted by the New York Mets and the first-base platoon of Andrew Tan and Sam Haney graduated. Roselli's big bat in the 3-hole will be tough to replace. He walloped America East pitchers to the tune of a .391 average, seven home runs and 17 RBI in 18 conference games.    

Junior Zack Kent, a transfer from Wagner, has the edge to start at second after two strong seasons with the Seahawks. He Hit .350 with seven extra-base hits, a .457 on-base percentage and 15 RBI before his season was cut short by injury. Kent played third base and hit second in Wagner's lineup.

Graduate transfer Freddy Forgione is ready to step in at first base and in the middle of the lineup after a stellar career at Division III SUNY Maritime. Forgione was a first team All-American third baseman and ECAC Player of the Year after hitting .385 with 21 home runs, 15 doubles and 62 RBI in 39 games last spring. He was a three-time ABCA All-Region selection and compiled 44 home runs and 154 RBI in his Maritime career.

"Both Zack and Freddy bring valuable experience and a good level of success to the team," Sinicki says.

Other players in the infield mix are sophomores Jake Dally, Tim Hennig and Todd Abraham, along with freshmen Sean Sweeney and Steven Kraus.

Rogacki, Sullivan will tag-team catcher, DH duties
Seniors Zach Rogacki and Evin Sullivan bring veteran leadership and all-conference talent to the roles of catcher and DH. Sullivan, a tri-captain, is a two-time first team all-conference selection who has amassed 83 RBI in 115 collegiate starts. He had 49 hits in 40 starts last spring and carries a career .398 on-base percentage. Rogacki excelled in his first season as a Bearcat in 2024. After losing five weeks of the season with an injury, he hit .404 in conference play and nearly averaged an RBI per game against America East opponents. Rogacki was the preseason all-conference selection at catcher by conference coaches.

Freshmen Tommy Popoff and Chris Cancel begin their collegiate careers. Popoff was a first team all-state backstop at Kingsway High in New Jersey. 

Haskell leads a revamped outfield trio
Senior tri-captain Logan Haskell is the lone returning outfield starter from 2024. That unit has to replace leadoff hitter Tommy Reifler and top slugger Mike Gunning – both all-conference selections in their Bearcat careers. Haskell returns to his spot in left field and near the top of the order. He hit .277 with 11 extra-base hits and 20 RBI last spring. Haskell has started 93 games in his career and is a superb athlete and all-conference candidate.

Looking to solidify roles in center and right, respectively, are freshmen Sam Miller and Matt Bolton. Miller was the No. 2 ranked player in New York State last year when he finished his career at Rochester-area Fairport High. He was an All-American and Section V and Greater Rochester Player of the Year after steering Fairport to a state championship.

Bolton was a two-time conference player of the year and three-time All-Nassau County outfielder for Division High. He racked up 130 career hits and 15 home runs.

Redshirt freshman Ian Kaiser is set to begin his collegiate career in earnest after an injury cost him 2024. Speedy freshman Braylen Gonzalez joins Kaiser as a lefty option in the lineup. 

Bates back to anchor new-look pitching rotation
Redshirt sophomore right-hander Ryan Bates headlines a group of potential starters. That unit must replace two-time all-conference ace Gabe Driscoll and lefty starter Nelson Berkwich. Bates, slotted as the Bearcats' No. 2 starter last spring, is looking to complete a healthy season after his 2024 campaign was cut short after just seven starts (1-1, 5.88 ERA). He is a former MAAC All-Rookie selection at Siena.

Junior right-hander Colin Rhein, a transfer from Stony Brook, brings a polished arsenal. He made 13 appearances (four starts) for the Seawolves and posted a 4.50 ERA. Opponents hit just .237 off him and he had second-lowest ERA among Stony Brook starters.

University of Dayton transfer Ryan Packard is a veteran collegiate pitcher who will be in the mix. He appeared in 30 games over two seasons with the Atlantic-10-member Flyers, mostly as a right-handed arm out of the bullpen, where opponents hit just .196 off him. Packard is an Oneonta native who began his career as a first team All-American at Herkimer CCC.

Freshman right-hander Brady Bouchard, a first team all-state selection for Penn Yan High, begins his promising collegiate career. Last spring he was named Section V Class B Player of Year after going 7-0 with 139 strikeouts (2.5 Ks per inning) and just 13 walks. Bouchard posted a paltry 0.25 ERA after only allowing two earned runs in 54.2 IP.

Sophomore righty Hayden Tarsia is another option after a solid first season as a Bearcat. Tarsia made 12 appearances with five starts and held down a 4.94 ERA.

First-year right-hander Aiden Milburn returns to Central New York and brings a strong scholastic resume from the Syracuse area. He was a three-time All Central New York pitcher for C.W. Baker and had a 1.57 career ERA with 97 strikeouts and 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Preseason All-Conference Mitchell among best bullpen options
Sophomore Jackson Mitchell had such a strong freshman season that conference coaches selected him as the lone reliever on the preseason all-conference team. Mitchell appeared in 14 games and fanned 30 in 21.2 innings. Hard-throwing classmate Conner Griffin also has shown development after winning two games last spring.

Senior closer Chris Sleeper is back after making 12 appearances in his first season as a Bearcat after transferring from West Virginia. Sleeper notched two wins and a save and posted a 4.15 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 13.0 innings.

Junior Dan McAliney and sophomore Jake Dally are viable options out of the pen. McAliney has made 27 appearances in his first two collegiate seasons, while Dally is a dual threat who can play second or pitch.

Senior Caden Rothbaum produced a 3.86 ERA in five outings last spring. Rothbaum, redshirt freshman Ben Griffith and freshmen John Ryder, Brady Lesiak, Vincent Luther and Steven Kraus round out Sinicki's pitching unit.

Season starts again in Texas
The Bearcats begin their season in Texas for the second straight season. The opening three-game series at Texas State is Feb. 14-16 in San Marcos. The weekend set against the Sun Belt Conference power begins a four-month, 51-game slate for the Bearcats. Binghamton will play its first 12 games on the road.  

The 24-game America East schedule begins with a weekend set against Maine on March 21-23 at the Bearcats Baseball Complex. The conference schedule consists of eight weekend series' - four home and four away. The Bearcats will play a home-and-home series against Maine and UAlbany and single weekend sets against UMBC, Bryant, UMass Lowell and NJIT. The six-team America East Championship will be hosted by Maine on May 22-25.    

Keys to season
"I think the biggest key to eventual success for this team is going to be what happens with our pitching staff," Sinicki says. "We need to get good quality starts and the rest of the staff needs to embrace their roles to get us through nine innings. The lineup is very balanced with a good mix of potential power and speed, and I think we have a chance to defend at a very high level. If we stay healthy and play to our potential, I think we can be right in the mix come May to compete for an America East championship."