ATHENS, Ga. – The Binghamton baseball team's 2025 season came to an end Saturday as the Bearcats fell to Oklahoma State 13-5 in an elimination game of the Athens Regional Saturday at Foley Field.
 
Devan Bade hit two home runs for the Bearcats and finished the game 4-for-5, while Freddy Forgione added a two-run homer of his own. It was not enough to overcome Oklahoma State's seven home runs throughout the afternoon, including two from Kollin Ritchie.
 
"It's always tough to see the season come to an end," said Binghamton Head Baseball Coach Tim Sinicki. "But to have an opportunity to come here and play against Georgia and Oklahoma State in all of these P4 conferences, I thought we were better today than we were yesterday, which is something we always talked to our guys about."
 
Oklahoma State took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first thanks to RBI doubles from Avery Ortiz and Ritchie. Binghamton got one of those runs back in the top of the second. With two outs and Zack Kent on first base, Mike Stellrecht hit a fly ball to left field. Alex Conover was unable to make the catch, allowing Kent to score on the error. Binghamton found itself within striking distance trailing 2-1.
 
The Cowboys responded with three consecutive solo home runs in the bottom of the third from Ritchie, Colin Brueggemann and Ian Daugherty to extend their lead to 5-1 and knock Binghamton starting pitcher Hayden Tarsia out of the game. Ortiz then connected on a two-run homer off Ryan Packard in the fourth to bring the Cowboys' lead up to 7-1, while Nolan Schubart added a solo home run that inning to make it 8-1.
 
Binghamton showed some of its power in the fifth inning. First, Bade launched a solo home run to left field, his 12th homer of the season. Then with Evin Sullivan on second, Forgione drove a pitch to right field for a two-run opposite field home run, closing Binghamton's gap to 8-4. The homer was Forgione's team-leading 15th of the season.
 
Oklahoma State countered with two runs in the bottom half of the fifth to bring its lead to 10-4. Bade then carried his momentum into his next at-bat when he took the first pitch of the top of the seventh to the trees past the fence in left field for his second home run of the day. That was the last run the Bearcats would get, as the Cowboys added three runs of their own in the bottom of the eighth and closed out the victory.
 
After Binghamton completed its team meeting on the field following the final out, the players embraced each other knowing that it was last time they would compete on the diamond together in a Bearcat uniform. Bade reflected on his collegiate journey, which ended with cheers from the Binghamton fans after he was taken out of the game for a pinch runner following his fourth hit of the day in the top of the ninth.
 
"I couldn't be more thankful for this university for allowing me to be here for four years sticking with me," said Bade. "To coach Sinicki, one of the best coaches I have ever had, through the ups and downs, we've had a great relationship. He's stuck with me through the good times and the bad, so I thank him for it. For coach [Ryan] Hurba, coach Mike [Folli], coach Mark [Ryan], and everyone at the university that has given me the opportunity. So, coming off that field today, it meant a lot to me. Looking at the fans too who have been with us the whole time, I couldn't ask for a better four years. I love everyone here, love the university and it was a great moment in my career."
 
"They have meant a lot to this program in a lot of different ways," Sinicki said regarding the group of veteran position players on the team. "I'll be forever grateful to the young men that are leaving this program."
 
NOTES
This is the third time this season that Bade has hit two home runs in one game. The infielder previously accomplished this feat against East Tennessee State on March 1 and NJIT on April 19…With his RBI single during Friday's game against No. 7 Georgia, Matt Bolton set the new Binghamton baseball record for hits in a single season with 78. He passes Bill Bereszniewicz's original record of 77, which he set in 2014…Binghamton finishes the year with 29 wins for the second time in the last three seasons, also reaching that mark in 2023. The Bearcats have won a combined 79 games in their last three seasons. The last time they won that many games in that stretch was from 2016-18, when they were victorious in 78 games. That span included back-to-back 30-win seasons in 2016 and 2017, which culminated with the Bearcats winning the America East regular season championship both years and reaching the NCAA tournament in 2016.