Baseball preview: Bearcats look to return to NCAA tournament

Anchored by 22 returning letterwinners, including seven all-conference selections and its full three-man weekend starting rotation, Binghamton men’s baseball takes aim at another America East title in 2018.

Led by six-time conference coach of the year Tim Sinicki, Binghamton has advanced to the NCAAs three times in the last five years and has won 10 combined America East regular season and tournament titles in the last 11 years. Understandably, the Bearcats were picked to win their third straight regular season title in both the conference coaches’ poll (unanimous) and several national publications.

“It’s nice to know that the program is respected that way by the other coaches in the league,” Sinicki said. “But in the end this conference is so balanced top to bottom I truly believe any of the seven teams could win the league championship.”

The Bearcats, who are 34-9 against America East foes in the last two seasons, need not worry about becoming complacent, however, thanks to a bitter, injury-induced ending to the 2017 campaign. Binghamton entered the America East tournament with half its starting infield on the shelf and the resulting two-and-out showing was a harsh reminder that a sparkling 30-11 regular season (15-4 AE) can be undone with two tough postseason outings.

Gone with that 2017 squad are several key contributors (2-3-4 hitters), including first baseman Brendan Skidmore and versatile Eddie Posavec, whose career totals are sprinkled throughout the all-time top-10, plus two MLB draft picks in third baseman Justin Yurchak and closer Dylan Stock.

“The six guys we lost from last year’s team certainly creates some holes for us heading into the season,” Sinicki said. “But maybe more importantly those guys were great role models and leaders, so I am hoping the guys on our current team really learned from them on how to play the game and what it takes to win at this level.”

But the Bearcats remain strong up the middle, with seniors Jason Agresti (C), Paul Rufo (SS) and CJ Krowiak (CF) providing all-conference talent and veteran leadership in pivotal positions.

“Jason, Paul and CJ certainly give us strength up the middle and that’s a great place to start with any team,” Sinicki said. “Those three guys will hit in the top half of the order in our everyday lineup, and each of them have the ability to impact the game on both offense and defense.”

Pitching will be strength again in 2018

But the team’s number one strength sets up on the mound, where Sinicki returns his top three all-conference starters in junior Nick Gallagher (8-3, 2.67 ERA), senior Jacob Wloczewski (4-2, 3.19) and senior lefty Nick Wegmann (4-5, 3.27).

Gallagher earned Binghamton’s second straight Pitcher of the Year honor after leading the conference in both wins (8) and ERA (2.33) during the regular season. He tied the school record for wins in a season and was among the nation’s ERA leaders into the second week of May. He struck out 58 hitters in 70.2 innings and batters hit just .211 against him.

Wloczewski joined Gallagher as a first team all-conference selection after going 4-0 with a 2.31 ERA in league play and turning in a pair of shutouts, including a 1-hit gem against Hartford when he came within two outs of pitching a perfect game.

Wegmann, a second team all-star in 2017, ranked fifth in the America East in ERA (3.27) and sixth in opposing batting average (.242). He has built a career on big-game performances and one of his 2017 gems was a 2-1 win over No. 19 Virginia Tech 2-1 in March.

The three starters helped guide Binghamton to a 3.50 team earned run average – good for 14th best in the nation.

“It’s really nice to have all three conference starters back from a year ago,” Sinicki said. “Each guy is different in his own way, which might give teams trouble during the course of a series since it’s a different look in all three games. But the thing they are share is their desire to have the ball and compete. Those traits can carry you a long way, even on days when you might not have your best stuff.”

A strong core of six other pitchers return to give Sinicki plenty of options out of the pen.

Sophomore Jake Miller appeared in 10 games as a freshman and went 3-0 with a 3.06 ERA. His highlight outing was a five-inning, one-hit, scoreless performance at Penn State when he struck out four and got the win over the Big Ten Nittany Lions.

Senior Joe Orlando (3-0, 3.53 ERA) has pitched in 33 career games and was especially sharp at the beginning of 2017 when he tossed 17.1 consecutive scoreless innings and led the nation in ERA (0.00) into April. His signature outing was 4.2 shutout innings with seven strikeouts against No. 19 Virginia Tech. With the exception of one rough outing in April, Orlando held down a 1.91 ERA in 33 innings of work.

Freshman Ben Anderson (1-1, 3.94 ERA) made 10 appearances as a freshman and allowed only two earned runs over his final 14 innings.

Junior left-hander Robert Brown (1-0, 4.58 ERA), junior right-hander Cal Lawrence (4.85 ERA, 11 appearances) and senior righty Jake Erhard (5.56 ERA, 8 appearances) also are seasoned options out of the bullpen.

Freshmen Luke Dziados, Josh Kopcza, Reid VanScoter and Ryan Lambert begin their collegiate careers and each brings significant scholastic credentials.

“I really like the depth of our pitching staff,” Sinicki said. “I truly believe that each guy brings something to the staff that will allow them to be successful in whatever role we need from them. I believe the talents on this staff give me a lot of options if moves need to be made, but overall this is one of the better staffs, top to bottom, that we’ve had in recent years.”

A sturdy backstop with offensive pop

Senior Jason Agresti returns to his familiar spot behind the plate and in the middle of Binghamton’s batting lineup. The durable 6-foot-2 catcher has played 129 career games and is a two-time all-conference selection. In addition to handling Binghamton’s 14th-ranked pitching staff, Agresti hit .320 with 19 extra-base hits and 27 RBI last spring. Agresti’s legacy will forever be tied to the 2016 America East Championship, when his memorable walk-off grand slam capped a nine-run ninth inning that ultimately propelled the Bearcats to their fourth conference title.

“Jason has had some really big moments for this program with his bat, but what might fly under the radar with him is the way he’s helped handle our pitching staff during this career,” Sinicki said. “I think our guys really enjoy throwing to him and have a tremendous amount of confidence in him.”

Sophomore TJ Wegmann and freshman Sam Freedman offer depth. Wegmann played nine games as a freshman and twice caught for his older brother Nick, including Nick’s 2-1 gem against No. 19 Virginia Tech.

Infield has had some maneuvering around shortstop Rufo

With the departure of Yurchak (3B) and Skidmore (1B) at the corners, the Bearcats will show a different look positioned around senior Paul Rufo, who will return to anchor the unit at shortstop.

Rufo was well on his way to a second straight all-conference selection when his 2017 season was cut short after 23 games with an injury. He was hitting a team-high .347 with 19 RBI and had committed just five errors.

“Paul has been so good on defense with his ability to make the routine - and occasional spectacular plays,” Sinicki said. “His offense has really improved over time and was primed for a huge year last season until the injury in mid-April sidelined him.”

After an exceptional freshman season, sophomore Justin Drpich moves over from second base to third in 2018. Drpich was a first team all-conference selection and Freshman All-American after hitting .330 with 27 RBI. He batted .404 against America East opponents and didn’t make an error in 82 chances during the regular season.

“The decision to move Justin to third base came last season after Justin Yurchak was drafted and signed with the White Sox,” Sinicki said. “He’s looked very comfortable thus far and I believe he has all the tools to be a high-level defender at third base.”

Freshman Jake Evans has the inside track on getting the start at second base. Evans was an all-state infielder at Liverpool High in Syracuse and led his team to a state championship last spring.

Sinicki has several options at first base, including junior Matt Tsukroff and freshman Shane Marshall.

Tsukroff has played in 25 games during his first two collegiate seasons and had four starts last spring (.259, 1 HR, 4 RBI).

Marshall is a talented newcomer from Rochester’s Webster-Schroeder High who can also play outfield. As a senior, he hit .443 and was named the NYS Class AA Co-Player of the Year. Marshall led his team to the state finals as a junior and he finished his scholastic career by hitting safely in 27 straight games. He and Evans are two highly touted freshmen that Sinicki believes can become four-year starters—a rarity in a perennially successful program.

“Shane has some freakish athleticism and has really turned some heads early on,” Sinicki said. “His versatility has allowed us to play him at first base and in the outfield, and he’s looked good doing both. Shane’s combination of speed and strength could really make him a dynamic offensive player sooner than later. Jake might be the best defensive infielder we’ve ever had as a freshmen. He shows no weakness with his glove and I am confident he will be a solid contributor on offense as well.”

Sophomore Greg Satriale and redshirt sophomore Alex Baratta are backup infielders. Satriale started 20 games in 2017 after Rufo went down with an injury. He also can provide some spot innings on the mound. Baratta starts his Binghamton career after transferring from UNC-Asheville and sitting out 2017.

Senior Luke Tevlin is hopeful to return to the lineup sometime in 2018 after aggravating an injury in preseason. He hit .327 in 16 games last spring and was the starting second baseman before his season was cut short.

Krowiak heads outfield unit

Senior center fielder CJ Krowiak enters his final collegiate season as one of the premier outfielders and leadoff hitters in the conference. A career .320 hitter, he is a two-time all-conference selection whose speed and coverage in the outfield is unparalleled. In three seasons, Krowiak has made just one error in 290 chances and has produced numerous highlight-reel catches. At the plate in 2017 he hit .326 with 19 extra-base hits, 13 stolen bases and 43 runs.

“CJ’s a game-changer on both sides of the ball,” Sinicki said. “He makes us go on offense as our leadoff hitter and on defense he’s a rare breed who is fearless and can really go get the ball in center field.”

Redshirt sophomore outfielder Daniel Franchi returns to the lineup (LF) after missing all of 2017 with an injury. Franchi earned a starting role late in his 2016 freshman campaign and showed a level of composure beyond his years, especially in the postseason. He had an on-base percentage of .358 in 33 games.

Junior Anthony Meduri has the edge on the starting spot in right field. He hit .323 in 15 games last season and had a strong summer in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League.

Six-foot-five junior Sean Trenholm and freshman Andrew Eng are also options at the corner spots. Eng was an all-state outfielder at Ridgewood High (N.J.), where he hit .500 as a senior.

Senior Pat Britt is the team’s primary designated hitter and can also play the outfield. A lefty hitter, Britt has appeared in 74 games for the Bearcats and last spring he collected eight doubles and 17 RBI.

Expectations high externally and internally

For the second straight year, Binghamton is the unanimous No. 1 selection by the America East coaches. The Bearcats also were the pick by several national polls, who have started to take notice of the program’s quiet ascension among the elite teams in the Northeast. But none of the outside expectations can match the intense drive to succeed that lives in the locker room.

“This team has everything we need to compete for an America East Conference championship, but it won’t come easy,” Sinicki said. “Programs keep getting better and better each year, and right now I think the conference is as good as I’ve ever seen it. If we can get better each weekend and play our best baseball as the season progresses I like our chances to be in the mix at the end of the year.”