Head Coach
Tim Sinicki

Having quickly established himself as one of the most respected coaches in the America East Conference, 16th-year head coach Tim Sinicki has built an environment of class and success as he leads the defending regular season champion Bearcats into the 2008 season.

Twice in the last three years, he has been chosen as America East Coach of the Year. Last spring the honor came on the heels of BU's first-ever first place conference finish. Binghamton rolled to a 17-5 record against league foes and advanced to the America East Championship final. The team's 28 wins were a school record and for a third straight year, a Bearcat received Player or Pitcher of the Year honors. In all, seven players earned all-star recognition, including four first-team honorees.

Strong pitching has always been a staple of Sinicki-coached teams and 2007 was no exception. Under the tutelage of the former elite collegiate pitcher and MLB draft pick, the Bearcats produced a team ERA of 2.65 in conference play (best in the America East) and its overall ERA (4.01) ranked 52nd out of 283 schools across the country. Staff ace Zach Groh went 7-1 and ranked 17th in the nation in strikeouts, and veteran lefthander Scott Diamond was signed by the Atlanta Braves in the summer - the eighth Binghamton player in the last three years to sign a professional contract.

In addition to his team's on-the-field success, Sinicki's program prides itself on achievement in the classroom. The baseball team has achieved a 3.0 or higher grade-point average for 16 consecutive semesters and has maintained the highest team GPA in the America East for six straight years.

His 2006 squad won 27 games, featured a conference-best three first-team all-star selections and came within one game of a second consecutive postseason berth. In addition, BU was visible in the national statistical rankings all season long, thanks to Groh, who led the country in ERA for much of the spring and was the America East Pitcher of the Year.

Sinicki's 2005 team advanced to the conference tournament for the first time, and won 23 games, including 12 in America East play. Five all-conference players led the charge, including the league's Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year.

In 2004, BU completed a remarkable turnaround with a 21-win campaign, fueled by a 9-1 stretch in April. That one-year margin of improvement (+15.5) ranked third in the entire nation and lent credence to the young Division I program Sinicki wasbuilding at Binghamton.

In his team’s Division I debut in the America East in 2002, Sinicki led the Bearcats to a fifth place finish — just missing a conference tournament berth. One year later, the Bearcats showed their mettle with a shocking doubleheader sweep at ACC member Maryland.

During the team’s transition to Division I, BU captured an ECAC championship in 2000 and earned runner-up conference honors in 2001. That 2000 season was highlighted by a school-record 26 wins, and the post-season bid in 2001 was the fifth in seven years for Sinicki.

The program’s other ECAC crown came in 1997, when then-Division III BU went 26-10-1, registering the highest win percentage in school history (.716).

Sinicki began his collegiate playing career as a freshman all-conference pitcher at Binghamton in 1985. One year later, he was named to the All-Region III team while pitching at nearby Broome Community College, where he was tabbed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Major League Baseball amateur draft.

He finished his playing career at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, N.C., where the Catamounts captured back-to-back Southern Conference titles and competed in the NCAA Division I Championship both seasons. In two seasons, Sinicki compiled 15 wins, including a team-leading nine as a senior.

He graduated from Western Carolina in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Tim resides in Vestal with his wife, Tina, and their children Allison, Tanner and Ashley.

Assistant Coach
Ryan Hurba

Ryan Hurba enters his third season as hitting coach and recruiting coordinator for the Bearcats in 2008. His mantra has been that quality at-bats will eventually wear down an opposing pitching staff. Through a lot of hard work and focus, BU hitters have led the America East conference with the fewest strikeouts of any offense for two years running. The team's hard work and resiliency culminated last spring with the best overall offensive season in program history. At last year's America East awards banquet, Bearcat hitters earned four all-conference honors, including conference Player of the Year Brendon Hitchcock. Two BU freshmen were also named to the America East All Rookie Team.

In addition to Hitchcock taking home the America East Player of the Year award, two other Bearcat hitters received notable recognition on a national level. Binghamton had its first ever first team All Northeast Region player last year in second basemen Matt Simek. Starting center fielder Henry Dunn also achieved a program first by being named to the prestigious Louisville Slugger Freshman All- America Team.

Hurba came to Binghamton from Division II powerhouse Mount Olive College (N.C.), where he served as an assistant for two years. While at Mount Olive he coached four All-Americans and four future professional players. Three of those players signed as free agents, while one was an MLB draft pick.

Hurba has also served as an assistant at Brevard Community College. There Hurba worked with head coach Ernie Rosseau, a former minor league hitting coordinator with the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets. Their Brevard team advanced to the Florida State Junior College tournament, finishing fourth in the state. Hurba coached five Brevard players who were drafted by MLB teams.

Prior to heading into college coaching Hurba spent four years as the head coach at the oldest overnight baseball camp in the country, the Sho-Me Baseball Camp (Branson, MO). There he oversaw the entire on field summer program as well as their satellite camps in the off season.

As an undergraduate player, he earned All-America honors at Oswego State in 1996. Hurba was a three-time all-region selection, three-time all conference selection and two-time ECAC all-star. In 2001, he was inducted into Oswego's Baseball Hall of Fame.

He has also served as an associate scout with the Milwaukee Brewers and was head coach and league director of the Dunwoody Senior Baseball Developmental League in Georgia.

Ryan resides in Endwell, NY with his wife Carrie.

Assistant Coach
Andy Hutchings

Former collegiate standout Andy Hutchings begins his third season as an assistant coach in 2008. A Binghamton-area pitcher who concluded his college career with the Bearcats in 2004, Hutchings earned his bachelor's degree in human development from the University in 2005.

After an outstanding two-year stint at College of Charleston, Hutchings transferred to Binghamton for his senior season and helped the 2004 Bearcats more than double their win total from the previous year.

A 2002 pre-season All-American for Charleston, Hutchings returned home to Broome County, where he was an all-state selection for Binghamton High School in the late 1990s.

He was drafted in the 27th round by the Houston Astros in 2000, was used as a set-up man at Charleston as a junior. He posted a 2-2 record with a 2.91 earned run average in 16 appearances. The previous year, Hutchings was one of the top closers in the nation. He saved a school-record 12 games (ranked fifth in nation) and earned second team All-Southern Conference honors. Hutchings then pitched in the prestigious Cape Cod League, averaging 13.1 strikeouts per nine innings with a 2.25 ERA. He sat out the 2002 college season with a minor shoulder injury.

Out of high school, he played one season at Alfred State, going 8-2 with a 2.06 ERA.

Hutchings played professionally with the New Jersey Jackals of the Can-Am League.