As the hottest team in the America East, the Binghamton baseball team heads to Baltimore this weekend to open its conference schedule with a three-game series against UMBC.
After a slow 2-3 start to the season, the Bearcats (8-4) have won five out of their last six and carry a four-game winning streak into the weekend, which marks BU’s earliest start to America East play since it joined the league in 2001.
No America East team has posted a higher non-conference winning percentage this year than Binghamton’s .667. Maine, at 9-11, follows the Bearcats with a .450 winning percentage.
BU head coach Tim Sinicki said he is impressed with his team’s recent hot streak.
“Right now we are playing with some confidence because of a solid start to the season, but everyone is 0-0 in the America East with the beginning of conference play this weekend,” he said.
BU has dominated UMBC (2-5) dating back to 2008, winning 21 straight games by a combined 210-67 score in that span.
Even considering Binghamton’s recent success against the Retrievers, Sinicki said he wants his team to focus on the task at hand instead of relying on history to determine the result.
“We will need to continue to work hard and prepare for each weekend series because no team in the conference is going to lay down for anyone,” Sinicki said. “We cannot get caught overlooking anyone because every team is capable of beating any other team.”
The Binghamton lineup has caught fire of late, putting up nine or more runs in five of its last six games. In the last series alone, BU’s offense churned out 46 hits.
Senior first baseman Jordon Smucker, who hit .313 and drove in eight runs last weekend against North Carolina A&T, led the offense and won America East Player of the Week.
In addition to Smucker’s award-winning performance, junior third basemen Brian Ruby, sophomore left-fielder Jake Thomas and sophomore right-fielder Zach Blanden have been keeping pace with strong hitting. Each of the three players had five hits against the Aggies.
BU’s pitching, led by junior Jack Rogalla (2-0, 2.25 ERA) and senior Jake Lambert (2-0, 5.40 ERA), looks to continue its recent success as well.
Sinicki said that consistency and putting in the necessary work at practice will help to continue BU’s winning ways.
“We need to draw off our experiences of the first three weekends,” he said. “Continue to play well in the areas that have been strengths, learn from and work hard to get better in areas that we’ve struggled.”
With Lambert, Rogalla and senior Jay Lynch set to take the mound, the three-game series is scheduled to open with a doubleheader beginning at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at The Baseball Factory Field. First pitch of the finale is scheduled for noon on Sunday.