After playing 80 consecutive games on the road, the Binghamton baseball team is finally set to return home.
The Bearcats (14-11, 5-6 America East) are scheduled to host a three-game set against conference rival Albany this Saturday and Sunday, marking the opening of the revamped Varsity Field.
“Obviously the players and staff are excited to get going in the new facility,” BU head coach Tim Sinicki said. “I don’t think anyone, unless you’ve experienced it, knows what it’s like to play and practice away from a home facility for that length of time. I am very proud of the way our guys have handled it and am looking forward to seeing how we play this weekend.”
Binghamton’s most recent contest, a Wednesday tilt with Cornell, was called in the fifth inning because of inclement weather. Until that point, three Binghamton pitchers had combined for a no-hitter as the Bearcats accumulated a 3-0 lead.
Binghamton is currently in the midst of a three-game losing streak after dropping the last game of a three-game series against Hartford before getting swept by Maine in a weather-shortened two-game series last weekend. The Bearcats have gone 6-7 after starting the season with an 8-4 record.
“We need to try to play complete games,” Sinicki said. “Get all phases going at the same time. When we’ve done that, we’ve been a very good team. We just haven’t done that consistently enough.”
Meanwhile, Albany (12-13-1, 7-5 AE) has won four straight contests. Although they have a sub-.500 record, the Great Danes boast a better conference record than the Bearcats and are two games ahead in the America East standings. Two BU wins would be the equalizers in the conference standings, and a series sweep could propel them to as high as second place.
“Because of the balance in the conference this season, no weekend is more important than another,” Sinicki said. “Our goal is to try to win every series we play. We are capable of beating anyone in the conference, but it will take a great effort to beat a hot Albany team.”
Last season, the Bearcats lost all four of their regular-season matchups against the Great Danes, only to edge Albany 2-1 in the America East tournament behind a complete game one-hitter by Mike Augliera, who was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft.
Saturday’s doubleheader is set to start at 1 p.m., while the first pitch of the series finale is scheduled for the following day at 1 p.m. Senior Jake Lambert is set to take the mound for the opener, and junior Jack Rogalla and senior Jay Lynch are slated to pitch the remaining two contests.