Binghamton University Athletics

Spring 1947
Baseball becomes an intercollegiate sport at Triple Cities College. Director of Athletics Bob Redman also assumes the role of head coach. The team goes 2-1 in its inaugural season.

The program’s first win was a 4-1 victory over Utica College in a game played at Recreation Park in Binghamton. Binghamton native Pete Macon pitched a five-hitter with 14 strikeouts to earn the win. Macon also was credited with the win in TCC’s other victory that season.

1948
Gene Welborn succeeds Redman as both Athletics Director and baseball coach and begins a three-year tenure as head coach.

1951
Andy Cook takes over as head coach of now Harpur College.

1952
Dick Hoover, football coach at nearby Vestal High School, takes over as head coach. But after a 1-6 season and with numerous obstacles, such as a lack of home field and hampering the program, the sport is discontinued for nine years.  

1962
Baseball is reinstated as an intercollegiate sport with Athletics Director Dave Henderson serving as head coach.

1964
Twenty-three-year-old John Affleck takes over the coaching reigns and begins a nine-year tenure.

1965
The team records its first winning record, ending the season with a 5-3-1 mark.

1968
Catcher Robert Negron finishes the season with a school-record .455 batting average – eighth-highest in the nation for small colleges (NCAA Division II-III). It remained the program record heading into its NCAA Division I era.

1970
Shortstop Glen Abbott steals 26 bases in 13 games to lead the nation. Abbott becomes the first Binghamton athlete to earn All-America honors. He was a NCAA Division III second-team selection.

1973
Soccer coach Tim Schum adds to his coaching duties when he takes over as baseball coach.

1974
Binghamton joins the State University of New York Athletic Conference in baseball.

1975
Right-handed pitcher Jerry Gaube becomes the first Binghamton player to sign a professional contract. He signs as a free agent with the New York Yankees after amassing 266 career strikeouts for Binghamton.

The Colonials reach the postseason for the first time when they play in the ECAC Tournament – the first of three straight seasons reaching the postseason.

1979
Former pitcher Dave Van Woert coaches team.

1980
Former teammates Jerry Bracken and Greg Partigianoni take over the coaching reigns for two seasons.

1981
Campus grant writer and director of Upward Bound program Dan McCormack  takes over and begins an 11-year run as head coach.

Right-handed pitcher Mike Bucko signs a free agent contract with the Cleveland Indians.  

1985
Led by the pitching tandem of senior Dan Tauken (5 wins, 2.46 ERA) and freshman Tim Sinicki (6 wins, 2.28 ERA) and fellow all-conference selection Neil Shapiro (.367, 18 RBI), Binghamton captures the SUNYAC East Division title with an 8-4 record and is conference runnerup.

Right-handed pitcher Tauken signs a free agent contract with the Chicago White Sox.

1988
Binghamton wins school-record 19 games and captures the program’s first-ever postseason title. The team takes home the ECAC Championship after lopsided wins over Oswego (12-2) and Hobart (19-2). Freshman catcher Dan Gray hits .444 and is named MVP of the ECAC tournament. Senior 3B Jim McCormack hits .438 with 22 RBI to join Gray on the All-SUNYAC team.

1990
Junior catcher Dan Gray (7^th round) and fellow senior Dirk Gorman (48^th round) are both drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers and become the program’s first MLB draft picks.

1992
Right-handed pitcher/DH Mitch Roy tosses a seven-inning no-hitter in game one of a doubleheader at Oneonta. In addition, Roy goes 5-for-5 at the plate on the day.

1993
Former Binghamton player and Pittsburgh Pirates draft pick Tim Sinicki takes over as head coach and begins a long tenure that takes the program from the Division III to NCAA Division I ranks.

1995
Binghamton wins school-record 20 games and returns to postseason with berth to ECAC tournament.

1996
Binghamton University announces that it will elevate its athletic program to the NCAA Division II level in the fall of 1998.

1997
The team sets program records for wins (26) and win percentage (26-10-1, 72%) and receives strong consideration for NCAA tournament berth before capturing the ECAC Tournament with wins over Union (9-6) and Oswego (16-8). Junior first baseman Andy Fiedler is named championship MVP after going 4-for-5 with a home run and 6 RBI in title game. Junior 3B Matt Robinson hits .445 with 42 RBI and is named all-conference for the second straight season.

Former catcher Dan Gray ’94 is inducted into the Binghamton Athletics Hall of Fame.

1998
Former RHP Dan Tauken ’85 is inducted into the Binghamton Athletics Hall of Fame.
 
 
1999
Binghamton University makes the decision to begin NCAA Division I compliance. The decision sets the stage for Binghamton to become a Division I member in September 2001.

The University unveils its new nickname and logo. Known as the Colonials since 1946, the university teams become known as the Bearcats.
 
2000
The Bearcats tie the school record with 26 wins and capture the ECAC Division II Championship with three postseason wins, including back-to-back victories over host Dowling for the title. Junior 3B Tim Macko is named championship MVP and is also a first team all-conference selection in the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC), Binghamton’s Division II conference for two seasons.
 
2001
Jeff Montani of the baseball team tosses a seven-inning no-hitter against Lehigh – the first no-hitter in nine years. In June, Montani is selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 37^th round of the MLB Amateur Draft.

Binghamton joins the Division I New York State Baseball Conference and finishes as runnerup in its lone season of membership.

Binghamton University is formally admitted into the America East Conference and begins its NCAA Division I era.

Former RHP Matt Rufrano ’73 is inducted into the Binghamton Athletics Hall of Fame.
 
2002
Binghamton competes in its first season in the America East Conference and places fifth. Sophomore 1B Jamie Boyer becomes the first Bearcat named all-conference.
Freshman RHP Tom Gaube pitches seven no-hit innings of relief against Northeastern on April 21. The Bearcats lose the DH nightcap 9-7 in 14 innings.
 
2003
Baseball sweeps doubleheader from ACC member Maryland, winning 8-6 and 4-2 for its first victories over a Power 5 program.

2004
Senior 3B Jay Balback is named ABCA first team All-Region.
 
2005
Mathieu Bergeron is named the America East Player of the Year after setting school records with 16 home runs (19^th in nation) and 55 RBI.

Binghamton advances to the America East tournament for the first time after a fourth-place regular season finish.

Freshman LHP Scott Diamond is named America East Rookie of the Year.
 
Former catcher Robert Negron ’72 is inducted into the Binghamton Athletics Hall of Fame.
 
2006
Zach Groh leads the nation in ERA for much of the season and is named the America East Pitcher of the Year. Groh amasses 71 strikeouts in 63 innings with a 1.85 ERA (11^th in NCAA).
 
Former RHP Jerry Gaube ’76 is inducted into the Binghamton Athletics Hall of Fame.
 
2007
The baseball team clinches the first of four consecutive America East Conference regular-season championships with a 3-1 win at Maine.

Senior 1B Brendon Hitchcock is named America East Player of the Year after hitting .366 with an on-base percentage of .468.

Junior LHP Scott Diamond signs a free agent contract with the Atlanta Braves.

Freshman OF Henry Dunn is named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America Team

Senior 2B Matt Simek is named ABCA first team All-Region.
 
2008
The baseball team wins its second straight America East regular-season title with a 17-5 conference record. The team wins two tournament games to finish runnerup.

Junior LHP Jeff Dennis is selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 40^th round of the MLB Amateur Draft.

Freshman OF Peter Bregartner is named America East Rookie of the Year.
 
Former CF Stephen Markman ’79 is inducted into the Binghamton Athletics Hall of Fame.
 
2009
Binghamton wins a school-record 30 games, captures its third straight America East regular season crown and hosts the four-team tournament at nearby Endicott High School.
In a game that lasted until 3 a.m. due to several weather-related delays, the Bearcats defeat Albany 16-6 to win the program’s first-ever America East title and advance to the NCAA Division I tournament for the first time.

The Bearcats defeat No. 30 George Mason 11-6 in a NCAA Tournament elimination game. It marked the program’s first-ever NCAA win and came against the team that entered the NCAA tournament with the nation’s highest win percentage (42-12, 78%).

Junior RHP Murphy Smith is selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 13^th round of the MLB Amateur Draft. Smith is both the America East and ECAC Pitcher of the Year and is a first team ABCA All-Region choice.

Freshman 1B Dave Ciocchi is named America East Rookie of the Year and a Louisville Slugger Freshman Al-American.
 
2010
BU clinches its fourth straight America East regular-season title with a dominating 21-3 conference record. Binghamton hosts the four-team America East tournament for the first time on campus.

Binghamton is ranked No. 6 in the final Northeast Region Poll of the season and increases its win total (31) for the seventh consecutive season – an NCAA record.

Junior CF Corey Taylor is named America East Player of the Year after hitting .370 with 14 home runs and 66 RBI.

Junior LHP James Giulietti is named America East Pitcher of the Year after going 8-2 with 74 strikeouts and a 2.15 ERA.

Head coach Tim Sinicki is named America East Coach of the Year for the fourth time in six years.

Binghamton lands a program-record eight players on the all-conference team.

Junior OF Henry Dunn is selected by the Cleveland Indians in the 50^th round of the MLB Amateur Draft.

Freshman 3B Mike Thompson is named to Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America Team.
 
2011
Former baseball pitcher Scott Diamond becomes the first Binghamton player to appear in a Major League Game. He starts for the Minnesota Twins in a game against the Cleveland Indians.

Freshman CF Billy Bereszniewicz is named to Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America Team.

Former LHP Scott Diamond makes his Major League Baseball debut with the Minnesota Twins on July 18. He pitches 6.1 innings against Cleveland in front of 40,000 fans at Target Field and becomes the first BU baseball player to reach the pinnacle of professional baseball.
 
Diamond earns his first Major League Baseball win with 6.0 innings on August 31 on the road at the Chicago White Sox. He strikes out five and allows just three hits. Diamond goes on to record 19 MLB wins over four seasons with the Twins. 
  
2012
Mike Augliera of the baseball team is drafted in the fifth round (181st pick) by the Boston Red Sox. Augliera becomes the highest draft pick in program history.
 
Binghamton formally opens its new baseball complex after playing 80 straight games on the road spanning three seasons.
 
Former LHP Scott Diamond is named Minnesota Twins Pitcher of the Year for 2012 and also its Most Outstanding Rookie after winning 12 games and posting a 3.54 ERA in 27 MLB starts. Diamond becomes just the eighth pitcher in Twins' history to win 12 games in his rookie season.   

2013
The baseball team wins its second America East title in five years, blanking top-seeded Maine 4-0 in the title game. In a wild, rain-soaked five-day tournament, Senior RHP Jake Lambert pitches 17 shutout innings spanning two starts to earn Most Outstanding Player honors.
 
Sophomore LF Jake Thomas leads the conference in hitting (.371) and slugging (.522) and ranks second in the entire nation in on-base percentage (.517). He is named to both the first team all-conference and ABCA All-Region teams.  

Former LHP Scott Diamond ’11 is inducted into the Binghamton Athletics Hall of Fame.
 
2014
The baseball team wins its second consecutive America East championship with an 8-7, 12-inning victory over top-seeded Stony Brook in the title game. The Bearcats win four straight elimination games – only the second team in conference history to achieve the feat – and advance to the NCAA Regionals for the third time in six years. Senior 1B Shaun McGraw is named Most Outstanding Player after hitting .450 with five RBI in the tournament. Freshman catcher Eddie Posavec’s bases-loaded walk-off single clinches the championship.
 
Bill Bereszniewicz is drafted in the 28th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
 
2015
Jake Thomas is drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 27th round.
 
Former RHP Zach Groh ’08 is inducted into the Binghamton Athletics Hall of Fame.
 
2016
The regular-season champion Bearcats defeat Stony Brook 6-3 to win their third America East title in four years. One day earlier, BU pulls off one of the most dramatic comebacks in NCAA baseball history. In the tournament’s semifinal round, BU completes a stunning victory over Hartford with a nine-run ninth inning. Junior catcher Jason Agresti’s walk-off grand slam at Le Lacheur Park in Lowell, Mass. gives the Bearcats an improbable 9-6 win.

Mike Bunal of the baseball team is named the America East Pitcher of the Year, third-time all-region and is drafted in the 17th round of the MLB draft by the Colorado Rockies organization.

Reed Gamache of the baseball team is named both ABCA first-team All-Region and all-conference and signs a free agent contract with the New York Mets.
 
2017
The Bearcats play its first-ever night game at the Bearcats Sports Complex, a 10-2 loss to Cornell. 

Baseball repeats as regular-season champions. The Bearcats compiled a stellar 30-13 record, including a four-game sweep over No. 19 Virginia Tech, and finished with a RPI of No. 58 (out of 299 teams).

Nick Gallagher is both the America East and ECAC Baseball Pitcher of the Year. He is also a second-team all-region selection and a semifinalist for the Gregg Olson Award as the National Breakout Player of the Year.

Freshman 3B Justin Drpich is named to the Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-America Team.

Former 1B Brendon Hitchcock ’07 is inducted into the Binghamton Athletics Hall of Fame.
 
2018
Nick Wegmann is drafted in the 34th round by the Seattle Mariners, marking the fifth straight season the baseball team has posted at least one pick in the MLB draft.
 
Former RHP Murphy Smith makes his Major League Baseball debut with the Toronto Blue Jays on August 27. He enters in the seventh inning at Baltimore and retires all four of the batters he faces. Smith becomes the oldest player (31 yrs old) in Toronto history to make his MLB debut after working 10 seasons in the minor leagues.
 
Former OF Corey Taylor ’11 is inducted into the Binghamton Athletics Hall of Fame.
 
2019
The baseball team hosts the America East Tournament and records a runner-up finish after three postseason wins.
Junior baseball pitcher Ben Anderson records the highest strikeout rate in the 30-year history of the America East, is named conference Pitcher of the Year, and second team all-region, and is picked in the 13th round of the MLB Amateur Draft by the Texas Rangers
Sophomore center fielder Shane Marshall sets an America East record by homering in four consecutive postseason tournament games. Marshall bats above .400 over the final three months of the season and finishes with the third-highest average in program history (.376).
 
Freshman baseball pitcher Thomas Babalis is the unanimous choice for America East Rookie of the Year after holding conference hitters to a .189 average.
 
2020
The University makes an historic announcement on February 11 that an anonymous alumni family has donated $60 million to build an 84,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art baseball stadium complex. It’s the largest gift in Binghamton University history.
 
As the COVID pandemic grips the world, the baseball season is curtailed in early March after 12 games. The Bearcats were picked to win the America East Championship in the preseason poll and win five of their final six games before the season is abruptly halted.