The Bearcats will lose eight starting seniors to graduation in May, and they might lose their pair of junior aces to the MLB Amateur Player Draft in June. After missing the playoffs by half a game last season, 2007 is a chance for the Binghamton University men’s baseball team to do something special on the field, and for its core players, it will be their last.

The memory of the bus ride back from Stony Brook after losing 12-3 in the season’s final game ‘ also the team’s fifth in four days ‘ is motivation.

The Bearcats were not even supposed to be playing, but to satisfy an America East rule regarding minimum games played, Stony Brook had to make up its first rained-out game of the season, which was against Binghamton.

The Seawolves were guaranteed the No. 2 seed in the playoffs regardless of the result. But for the Bearcats, the game meant everything. When they left for Stony Brook on an overnight bus ride, they were in the playoffs. Coming home, they were out.

‘We were put at an unfair competitive disadvantage by having to do that, but at the same time, we still had an opportunity to play our way into the tournament and we didn’t get it done,’ said 15-year head coach Tim Sinicki.

To get it done this season, Binghamton will need repeat performances from juniors Scott Diamond, a southpaw whom professional scouts are paying attention to after a dominant summer in the Cape Cod League, and right-hander Zach Groh, the reigning America East Pitcher of the Year whose 1.85 ERA was 11th best in the nation.

Groh actually led the nation in ERA for four straight weeks. This season, he wants his personal success to translate into team success.

‘The senior class that’s here now, we as a team don’t want to have the same disappointment,’ Groh said. ‘We have such a good team, we know this year that we have to do better ‘ we know that we have the ability. We just have to do it.’

Diamond, team co-captain, said he’s working to stay focused on the team and not looking ahead to the draft from June 7 to 9.

‘A lot of the guys on the team help me remember that I’m here to play for the team first,’ Diamond said. ‘I’m here to win, and if I do get lucky enough to get drafted, then that’ll happen because of how we play during the year.’

Senior right-hander Mike Van Gorder, who won a team-high six games last season, and 6-foot-6 lefty sophomore Jeff Dennis round out the rotation.

Calling the pitches again this season is senior co-captain Pat Haughie.

‘Making sure we’re all on the same page, making sure we’re taking the right steps to playing together, winning together, keeping our eyes on the prize,’ Haughie said of his leadership role. ‘We’ve got to go for that championship and that’s it.’

Haughie’s seven home runs in 2006 tied him for the team lead with first baseman Brendan Hitchcock, who hit a team-best .363. Hitchock also led in RBI with 46, and in most other offensive categories.

Second to Hitchcock was senior shortstop and leadoff man Justin Smucker and his .350 average. Smucker, who rounds out the trio of captains, also had a team-high .439 OBP. This spring, however, he has to battle back from offseason hip surgery.

‘He continues to be a work in progress to get his flexibility back; his range of motion, his agility ‘ all those things that the hip would effect,’ Sinicki said. ‘I think it’s just going to take some time with him to get to where he’s 100 percent.’

Smucker’s double-play partner at second base is senior three-hitter Matt Simek, who hit .309 with four home runs and seven stolen bases in 2006.

Third base is the site of one of two Bearcat platoons, where sophomore Kyle Klee and junior Ryan James will share time, as they did last year. The other platoon will be in left field, where senior Mike Papili sees time against right-handed pitching and sophomore Ken Jacobi plays against lefties.

‘If we haven’t settled anything prior to conference games, then we’ll continue to platoon them,’ Sinicki said.

Uncontested in right is Binghamton native Jeff Monaco, who has perhaps the quickest bat on the team, but can be strikeout prone after whiffing a team-high 41 times last year.

Freshman center fielder and speedster Henry Dunn will be the only newcomer to the starting lineup. He replaces Aaron Davis, who graduated and is now playing for the Fullerton Flyers of the Independent Golden State Baseball League, and will bat ninth.

‘Dunn will replace [Davis] defensively; offensively we’ll ask Dunn to be a little different player than Aaron was,’ Sinicki said. ‘He’ll go through some freshman struggles, I’m sure, but he’s a talented kid.’

Senior Jeff Wertepny has recovered after breaking his hand catching early in the fall season and returns as the DH.

The Bearcats’ closer will be junior Khalid Afify, sidelined last season with tendinitis.

‘The one thing he does, and what you want out of your closer, is he absolutely pounds the strike zone,’ Sinicki said.

The seniors and the entire team would like nothing more than to have Afify standing on the mound at the end of 2007, arms raised, having closed out the Bearcats’ championship season.