PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers baseball will hit the road for the fourth-straight game with a trip to West Long Branch to play Monmouth Tuesday at 3 p.m. It will be the first of two meetings between the programs, as the Hawks are scheduled to make a return visit to Bainton Field on May 15. ESPN+ will broadcast with Eddy Occhipinti, Bob Lampinen and Suzi Mellano on the call.
 
The Scarlet Knights seek to return to the win column after being swept over the weekend at No. 18 Illinois. The series opener was nearly the best comeback in school history. The Fighting Illini plated nine in the first, but RU topped that with 10 in fourth and added another in the fifth to build an 11-9 lead. However, the home team rallied for a 13-12 decision and backed that with triumphs of 2-1 and 10-4. It snapped Rutgers' streak of six-straight weekend series victories, the best stretch since 2010.
 
Despite the setbacks in Champaign, RU has improved to still be five games ahead of last season's pace, being one win away from matching the total number of wins in 2017. The lineup has produced 24 more runs through 32 games and the ERA is down from 6.14 to 4.64 at the same point in the season.
 
Fifth-year senior Chris Folinusz has been the hottest hitter of late with 15 hits in his last 10 games, while junior Nick Matera owns a team-high 13 extra-base hits on the season for a .474 slugging percentage. Senior Kyle Walker, who blasted a three-run homer on Sunday, is first in the lineup with a .329 batting average and a .443 on-base percentage. The Scarlet Knights have 53 stolen bases in 66 attempts, led by junior Jawuan Harris' 15 that rank second in the Big Ten. He is 10 swipes away from tying Doug Alongi (1991-93) for the program career record (85). In addition, Harris, junior Luke Bowerbank and freshman Mike Nyisztor all have 21 RBIs to their ledger.
 
Graduate student Karl Blum is slated to make his third start of the season on Tuesday. The right-hander matched his career high with four innings pitched last week versus Lafayette, also done with Duke against Oregon State last year and UMBC in 2014. He struck-out a season-best four in the outing opposing the Leopards and did not allow a run. Out of the bullpen, redshirt sophomore Tommy Genuario pitched five scoreless innings in three appearances last week, while closer Serafino Brito has four saves overall and has not been charged with a run in nine of his last 10 times on the mound.
 
NOTES
Rutgers has turned 28 double plays this season compared to opponents having 16 … errors are down through 32 games with 35 charged compared to 56 last season … RU leads the Big Ten with 11 triples … Harris and DiGeorgio both have 11 RBIs with two outs and the team has 73 altogether … the offense has scored 56 runs in the fifth inning, more than any other frame by 12 … the Scarlet Knights have scored first in 20-of-32 games … the team is 14-4 this season when scoring six or more runs in a game and 49-13 since 2016 … the pitchers have held opponents to two or less runs in a game seven times this year after doing that four times in all of 2017 … the offense has 17 games reaching double-digit hits and eight games with 10 or more runs … RU has 22 stolen bases in its last eight games.
 
THE OPPONENT
Monmouth beat both Maine and Sacred Heart in a doubleheader on Saturday, topping the Pioneers on a walk-off in 10 innings. The Hawks have a victory over Penn State this year and sit at 6-3 at MU Baseball Field. Kyle Norman leads the bats with 36 hits, while Pete Papcun has crushed five homers. Probable starter Tyler Ksiazek did not permit an earned run in five innings last week versus Penn.
 
The Scarlet Knights lead the all-time series, 28-9, dating back to 1985. Last season, RU erased a 4-0 deficit with six unanswered runs to win, 6-4. Carmen Sclafani went 2-for-3 with a homer and Milo Freeman had a two-run single to put Rutgers ahead. The last meeting in West Long Branch was a victory for the Hawks in 2016.
 
UP NEXT
Rutgers welcomes Nebraska to Bainton Field for a three-game series starting Friday at 3 p.m.
 
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