With the Binghamton area being hit with heavy snow, it seems like an odd time to be thinking about freshly cut infield grass and the crack of baseballs off bats, as outfielders take fly balls while fighting the sun. For the Binghamton University baseball team, though, defending an America East title means that it’s time to think about spring once again.

The Bearcats enter the year with a target on their backs as defending AE tournament champions and winners of an NCAA regional game. But at the same time, the team faces many doubts and questions as it faces major turnover in its pitching staff. The AE will also look a little different this year, as the University of Vermont, who finished 14-10 in conference last year and had one of the league’s top offenses, decided to drop its baseball program for budgetary reasons.

All of this adds up to disagreement over how three-time defending regular season champion Binghamton will perform this year. The America East Preseason Coaches’ Poll has the team projected to finish third this year, while CollegeBaseballInsider.com has said that the University of Maine is the team to beat this year. Meanwhile, CollegeBaseballToday.com considers the Bearcats to be the favorites.

After hearing various predictions for his Bearcat teams for the last 18 years, Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki has learned not to put much stock into any of these projections. Junior catcher C.J. Lukaszewski, though, cares a little more about the perceived disrespect toward his team.

“We love it, we want them to pick everybody else,” he said. “We just want to go out there and compete and we’ll show them what we can really do.”

Sinicki says that the returning players are “tremendously confident” about this year, and there is certainly reason to feel that way. Other than graduated third baseman Kyle Klee, the entire Bearcat offense will be returning this season. Last year’s squad hit .319 as a team, finishing second in the conference in home runs and first in triples. Five different players had at least 30 RBI, and six regulars hit .319 or better.

The offense is led by junior outfielder Corey Taylor, one of last year’s breakout stars. He had a slugging percentage of .681, finishing second in the conference with 56 RBI and first with 16 home runs. Sinicki is aware of what his offensive star will have to deal with this year.

“Corey understands now that … he’ll be pitched differently, because of scouting reports and because of his success last year,” he said. “[He] knows he might see a few more breaking pitches than fastballs, and he might have to be a little more patient this year.”

Teaming with Taylor to lead the Bearcat attack will be first baseman and America East Rookie of the Year Dave Ciocchi. In just his first year in college baseball, Ciocchi batted .381 with 41 RBI while leading his team in on-base percentage. This season, Binghamton hopes to also benefit from a full year of play from junior outfielder Henry Dunn, who dealt with injuries to his knee and hamstring. All-in-all, the Bearcats realize that their offense has a chance to be special this year.

“I think offensively this year should be our best year in a long time,” Taylor said. “I mean one through nine we’re very strong … There’s not one weak spot in the order. The opposing pitchers can’t look at the lineup and say, ‘Alright, these are easy outs.’ We don’t have any easy outs.”

The major questions for Binghamton come on the pitching end. Last year the Bearcats were fortunate to have co-aces in graduated Jeff Dennis and America East Pitcher of the Year and Oakland Athletics’ draft pick Murphy Smith. Smith, in particular, was a key member of the pitching staff, serving as the indisputable No. 1 pitcher. He led America East with a 3.12 ERA and 84 strikeouts with a 7-3 overall record. The Bearcats also lost closer Greg Lane to graduation. Lane was a reliable force at the end of the bullpen, leading the conference with seven saves last year and holding the all-time saves lead in team history.

The Bearcats will need to find pitchers to reliably fill these roles before the start of conference play in April. Sophomore Mike Augliera had a solid first year, despite a 5.60 ERA. Opponents hit just .241 against him in 54.2 innings, and he recorded 36 strikeouts in that time. The highlight of his season came on the road against Maine – a team that led the conference in runs scored. Augliera threw a complete game shutout against the Black Bears, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out eight in seven innings.

Outside of Augliera, junior James Giulietti seems most likely to take the necessary step forward as a starter this year. He was third on the team with a 5.03 ERA as he went 4-1. In the bullpen, no returning pitcher had an ERA below 6.00. However, most of those relievers were players in their first year of college play. Sinicki feels his team has as much pitching depth as ever, and that roles will work themselves out.

“We have some ideas, but I do think a lot of our guys at this point are interchangeable,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if one or two of our guys who were opening up this coming weekend as starters might be moved to the bullpen eventually and someone else gets an opportunity to pitch in that spot.”

With all the questions and pressure, preseason play takes on added importance this year. As every year, the Bearcats start the year on the road for over a month due to weather in the Northeast. This season, BU opens with 22 straight on the road, with opponents ranging from LSU to Tennessee to Lehigh. The Bearcats won’t play on their home field until their conference opener against Stony Brook University on April 10. According to Taylor, after what the team accomplished last year, it appreciates that these games are part of the bigger picture.

“Honestly, I think the biggest thing that we’re going to take out of last season was just the feeling of playing in a regional … the whole atmosphere was awesome. It’s something that we’d like to repeat this year. I know the tournament’s in May, but those games are won right now.”