In its first year as a member of the Northeast Conference, led by head coach Bernie Herceg, the Binghamton golf team surpassed expectations with a fifth-place finish, out of 11 teams, at the NEC men’s golf championship in Pine Mountain, Georgia. With the vast majority of the team returning, BU will look to make steady improvements.

Despite retaining most of their roster, the Bearcats will lose their captain, fifth-year Evan Sitts, to graduation. Sitts ended his career on a high note with a tied-for-fifth-place finish at the NEC championships, also landing himself a spot on the all-tournament team.

Notably returning for the Bearcats is junior Branden Connor, who has provided consistency for BU over the past two years. With a relatively experienced roster, Binghamton’s upperclassmen, including seniors Shawn Colella, Ryan Millevoi and Tynan Jones along with juniors Harrison Blech and Sean Shen, the Bearcats will rely on their leadership to be successful during their fall campaign.

Also returning is sophomore Jackson Vesper, who gained strong experience for BU during the 2023-24 year, competing in six tournaments throughout the year for the Bearcats. Vesper will look to take the next step to help Binghamton compete throughout the 2024-25 season.

BU will kick off the season at the Alex Lagowitz Invitational beginning on Saturday, Aug. 31. Tee times are scheduled to start at a time to be decided at Seven Oaks Golf Course in Hamilton, New York.