VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton plays the first of four home games this week when the Bearcats (8-9) host longtime in-state opponent Siena (3-13) on Tuesday. The teams meet for the second time this season and 28th time overall at 3 p.m. at Bearcats Baseball Complex in a game broadcast on ESPN+. Admission to all regular season home games is free, compliments of UHS Sports Medicine
The Bearcats are coming off a 3-1 week that included taking two of three from Holy Cross over the weekend. After a 7-6 win over St. Bonaventure last Tuesday, Binghamton defeated Holy Cross 16-5 and 6-0, with a 10-7 loss sandwiched in-between. In the four games, senior 3B
Devan Bade led the team offensively with a .667 average (10-of-15) and seven RBI. Freshman right fielder
Sam Miller hit .462 with four runs and three stolen bases and classmate
Matt Bolton hit .438 with four RBI. Junior righty
Colin Rhein was sharp in Saturday's 6-0 shutout, tossing 7.0 scoreless innings and allowing just two hits.
Redshirt junior
Caden Rothbaum (0-1, 4.15 ERA) makes his fourth appearance of the season and first start of the season against Siena.
The Bearcats rank No. 7 in the country in fielding percentage (.985), just behind Vanderbilt.
The Saints have picked up some momentum of late after dropping nine of 10 to start the season. In the last week, Siena took one of three against Manhattan to begin conference play in the MAAC. The Saints then grabbed the series finale at CAA member Delaware in their last game on Saturday.
Siena is hitting .229 as a team and has a 8.93 pitching ERA — a number inflated by lopsided games against Central Florida and East Tennessee in February. Sophomore 3B Jake Sparks leads with a .350 average, three home runs and 11 RBI. Sophomore Ryan Taffe is set to make his season debut — the first of several Saints expected to throw.
This is the second meeting against Siena this season. On February 28 at East Tennessee State, the Bearcats and Saints played a neutral game with Binghamton prevailing 3-2. Binghamton leads the all-time series 17-10 and has won six of the last seven meetings.
UHS Sports Medicine is the presenting sponsor of Bearcats' baseball.
