PISCATAWAY, N.J. – After playing its first six games in Florida, Rutgers baseball is set to take Bainton Field for the first time in 2018 with a Tuesday matchup versus Wagner. The start time has been moved up to 2:30 p.m. and it will be the earliest home game on the calendar in program history. WRSU 88.7-FM will have the radio broadcast, with BTN Plus providing a one-camera stream. Admission is free.
 
The Scarlet Knights have won their past nine home openers and 15 of the last 16. This will be the 12^th season playing on the turf at Bainton Field, which opened in 2007. The only other February home contest in the records took place a season ago on Feb. 28, 2017, also against Wagner.
 
RU is coming off a 1-2 weekend in Port Charlotte, Florida, earning a 13-4 win over St. Bonaventure, when 11 different players tallied a hit, and taking losses versus No. 17 Indiana and Boston College. Junior Nick Matera led the offensive production over the trip with three multiple-hit games to finish 6-for-12 with four RBIs. On the mound, freshman Harry Rutkowski earned his first collegiate win with three runs permitted and four strikeouts in five frames against the Bonnies.
 
Senior Kyle Walker has started 5-for-9 at the plate with two walks on the season, while redshirt freshman Dan DiGeorgio is hitting .368 to rank tied for 13^th among qualified hitters in the Big Ten statistical leaders. Sophomore Kevin Welsh, who had a two-run triple Sunday, is the only Scarlet Knight to hit safely in each of the six games so far. Overall, the team is slashing .269/.362/.319 compared to .245/.317/.380 at the point last year.
 
Sophomore Kyle Gerace is scheduled to make his first career start on Tuesday after 14 relief appearances as a freshman and two this season. The right-hander last worked one scoreless frame in the win over St. Bonaventure, tossing three innings with four strikeouts and one run allowed in his season debut at No. 9 Miami. He owns 24 strikeouts in 19.0 innings of work for the Scarlet Knights.
 
THE OPPONENT
Wagner has started off winning 3-of-5 outings, including sweeping a doubleheader against Coppin State last Saturday. Catcher Phil Capra went 3-for-4 with two home runs and six RBIs in the nightcap. The Seahawks earned a victory at NC Central to start the year and will travel to UCF for a three-game series this upcoming weekend.
 
The Scarlet Knights won both matchups last season, taking triumphs by the score of 9-2 and 12-10, and lead the all-time ledger 23-4-2 dating back to 1960. RU holds a four-game winning streak in the series. Rutgers head coach Joe Litterio skippered the Seahawks for 12 seasons before returning to his alma mater in 2012.
 
UP NEXT
The Scarlet Knights will make their annual trip to Old Dominion for a three-game series starting Friday at 3 p.m. It will be the 22^nd consecutive season the programs will square off on the diamond.
 
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