VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton baseball (23-22, 11-10 America East) welcomes its oldest rival, UAlbany (19-28, 9-12 AE) for a crucial three-game series to close out the regular season this week. With both teams jockeying for tournament seeds and working through graduation overlap, they will play Thursday and Friday nights and Saturday afternoon at the Bearcats Baseball Complex. 

Stakes are high for both teams as Binghamton can earn a No. 2 tournament seed but can also finish seventh and miss the postseason. UAlbany can finish anywhere from No. 3 to No. 7. Only two of the six playoff spots have been secured (Bryant, Maine). The Bearcats hold key tiebreaks with Maine and NJIT and therefore can grab the coveted No. 2 spot (and its accompanying first-round bye) with two wins — as long as NJIT doesn't sweep UMass Lowell.

Several Bearcats are heating up of late. Senior catcher/OF Zach Rogacki is riding an 11-game hit streak and is batting .410 with 30 RBI over his last 29 games. Graduate first baseman Freddy Forgione is hitting .396 with nine home runs and 25 RBI in his last 26 games and has reached base in 29 straight games. The team will honor its eight seniors before Saturday's game: Devan Bade, Freddy Forgione, Logan Haskell, Ryan Packard, Zach Rogacki, Caden Rothbaum, Chris Sleeper and Evin Sullivan.  

UAlbany has won six straight conference games to make a final playoff push. The Great Danes were mired in last place two weeks ago before sweeping UML and UMBC to move into contention for a postseason berth.

This is the second series between Binghamton and UAlbany. At the end of March, the visiting Bearcats won two of three. On Tuesday, UAlbany lost at Le Moyne 16-6. The team is hitting .249 (7th in AE), has a 7.10 ERA (6th) and a .966 fielding percentage (5th). Since both programs elevated to NCAA Division I and joined the America East in 2002, Binghamton holds a 54-41 lead. The Bearcats have won seven of the last eight. The series began in 1950 and the Great Danes hold a 66-63 edge all-time.

UHS Sports Medicine is the presenting sponsor of Bearcats' baseball.
 
Probable Pitching Matchups
Thursday, May 15 - 6 p.m.
RHP Hayden Tarsia (3-2, 4.75 ERA) vs. RHP Dylan Banner (5-4, 3.24 ERA) | Watch on AETV | Live Stats
 
Friday, May 16 – 6 p.m.
RHP Ryan Packard (3-5, 6.75 ERA) vs. LHP Aidan Gelbsman (0-1, 2.37 ERA) | Watch on AETV | Live Stats
 
Saturday, May 17 - 2 p.m.
LHP Vincent Luther (0-1, 4.83 ERA) vs. RHP Ethan Nardacci (1-3, 6.75 ERA) | Watch on AETV | Live Stats