PISCATAWAY, N.J. - With a talented and experienced roster aided by the opening of the Fred Hill Training Complex, Rutgers baseball enters the 2017 season with optimism. The Scarlet Knights, who have now played each of the other 12 teams in the Big Ten, are led by fourth-year head coach and program alumnus Joe Litterio.

SCHEDULE | ROSTER | COACHES | FACT BOOK

"Practices have been going better than they ever have at this point in the year," Litterio said. "With the new facility, we have been able to do a lot more in preparation for games. That's the biggest thing. We have been focusing on the fundamentals and everything that goes along with that, but game-wise, we are more prepared."

The Fred Hill Training Complex, also known as the "castle," opened in January and is an indoor facility with six batting cages, a full turf infield and bullpen mounds. It has the capability to match up pitchers against hitters in a live setting, while infielders and base runners can simultaneously work on live reads based on game situations. The team has been holding full scrimmages inside since the start of practice.

"Live at bats, more than anything, have helped with the castle," Litterio said. "The live at bats involve working counts and making the hitters and pitchers feel more comfortable. We've had to wait in the past to do that and this year we have been able to do that heading into Miami."

The 2017 roster includes 22 returning letterwinners and seven newcomers. Overall, 31 members of the team are from New Jersey, two from Pennsylvania, and one each from New York and Florida. Seniors Mike Carter and Max Herrmann were voted team captains, as the Scarlet Knights have eight seniors.

"This is a close-knit group and they understand what is in front of them," Litterio said. "There is a lot of talent and experience on the team this year. They also understand what we are trying to do as a coaching staff with the upgrades throughout the program. We have updated the locker room, opened the new facility and they are starting to feel the love. We've enjoyed coaching this team."

Assistant coaches Tim Reilly and Casey Gaynor, along with volunteer assistant Lou Clemente, return, with director of operations Glen Gardner set for his 27th season on staff. All members of the coaching staff played and graduated from Rutgers.

SCHEDULE
Having the conference bye for the first weekend of league play, the Scarlet Knights will open the season with 25 consecutive nonconference contests. That starts with three-game sets at Miami, a participant in the last two College World Series, and at Virginia, the 2015 national champions. Next, RU is scheduled to open Bainton Field Feb. 28 versus Wagner, a date which would be the earliest home game in program history.

"Every year I try to find teams that will not only be quality opponents, but will also prepare us for the tough schedule of the Big Ten," Litterio said. "I am very happy with how it came together and believe it will rank up there with the top schedules in the country.

"Opening up with Miami and then heading down to Virginia, we will be facing tough competition early on. When I made this schedule, I planned on this team being an older team and being able to handle facing those teams. It is not a matter of being scared. We know we have a pretty good team with talent, and if we can overcome the early butterflies, we expect those to be competitive series."

The Big Ten portion of the campaign finishes out a three-year round robin home-and-home with Rutgers visiting four new stadiums and welcoming four league opponents for the first time. Conference play starts March 31 against Maryland, while Purdue, Michigan and Illinois will later make their first journey to Bainton Field. The Scarlet Knights will make their initial treks to Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and Northwestern to complete visits to all 12 league campuses.

The 2017 Big Ten Tournament will be hosted at Indiana's Bart Kaufman Field and will involve the top eight teams in the league standings.

"I think this year is going to be different because we have now seen every team in the league," Litterio said. "We will see the last four stadiums this year. We now understand the time constraints and the travel and how tough of a grind it can be. All that is not going to be an excuse and we know what is ahead of us. That's where the experience comes in. Hopefully that rubs off to the younger guys."

The Scarlet Knights earned nine Big Ten wins last season, including series victories over Indiana, Penn State and Maryland.

PITCHING
With All-Big Ten pitcher Howie Brey having graduated and drafted by the Houston Astros, junior John O'Reilly is projected to move into the Friday starting role. The right-hander brings 21 career starts and 137.2 innings into the season and induced 12.37 groundouts per nine innings as a sophomore.

"John has the mindset to take over the Friday role," Litterio said. "He likes the spotlight and has proven his stuff can induce groundballs and keep hitters off balance. I am expecting big things and he can handle it."

After O'Reilly, sophomore Serafino Brito is the favorite to pitch on Saturdays. He made 18 appearances last season as a rookie with 10 starts, including three in conference play. The righty walked just 10 hitters over 58.1 innings for 1.54 per nine innings, the sixth-best mark in the Big Ten and No. 48 nationally.

There is still competition for the third spot in the weekend rotation. Senior Christian Campbell, who struck out 25 batters over 27.2 innings last season, is in the mix, along with sophomores Dante Scafidi and James Torres. Freshman Eric Reardon is also under consideration as a left-hander.

"The Sunday guy is a question mark right now," Litterio said. "That's going to be determined as we go through the nonconference part of the schedule."

Herrmann returns as the most experienced member of the bullpen, owning nine saves in 95.1 career innings. The lefty led the staff with 20 appearances last season and is a two-time winner of the Ron Kish Academic Award. Also a southpaw, senior Ryan Fleming is expected to work key innings once again this season. He had a streak of 12 consecutive outings without allowing an earned run in 2016 and held opponents to a .239 average against.

From the right side, sophomore Ryan Wares returns after missing last year due to injury, while fellow sophomore Kevin Romero will also be called upon after working in 11 games as a freshman. The staff will also rely on the experience of seniors Colin Bohnert and Kyle Driscoll in relief.

"We are getting more and more talented every year and that has to do with the assistant coaches going out and getting these guys," Litterio said of the pitching staff. "With them maturing and knowing what to expect, we are not going out there looking to throw the ball as hard as possible. We want to command the strike zone and have a plan on the mound. It is not always about strikeouts, but also forcing the type of contact we want."

CATCHER
The battle to replace R.J. Devish, who finished sixth nationally with a .524 on-base percentage, is a three-way race between sophomore Nick Matera, junior Chris Folinusz and sophomore Tyler McNamara. Matera played in 35 games last season with 13 starts behind the plate, while Folinusz is back after missing 2016 due to injury. McNamara also has showed promise with a productive offseason.

"Nick, Chris and Tyler are all very close," Litterio said. "I think Nick is going to get the nod early and Folinusz will also be right there. The competition is there. It will come down to who swings it better and earns the respect of the pitching staff."

INFIELD
The Scarlet Knights have the ability to mix and match in the infield with depth at each position around the horn. Junior Milo Freeman returns after starting 51 games at third base in 2016, but classmate Kyle Walker is also pushing for time at the hot corner. At shortstop, Gaby Rosa took over the position last season as a consistent glove with 107 assists and 16 double plays. However, he missed time during the preseason, with freshman Kevin Welsh filling in. Welsh is an option there and also at second base along with sophomore Carmen Sclafani.

Both Campbell and Carter have been working at first base. Carter has moved to the infield after spending the previous three years in the outfield, looking to pull off a similar transition as Brian O'Grady in 2014. Carter had a .367 batting average and a .432 on-base percentage last season, hitting .404 on balls in play. Campbell will once again serve as a two-way player with the versatility to play any of the four spots in the infield. He hit .306/.405/.431 in 72 at bats a year ago, placing second on the team with nine doubles.

"I really like the depth in the infield," Litterio said. "Defensively, we have more speed and range than we've had."

OUTFIELD
Senior right fielder Tom Marcinczyk returns as the most experienced player on the roster with 155 games and 549 at bats to date. The 2015 All-Big Ten pick owns 12 career home runs and 14 outfield assists, while picking up 18 stolen bases last season. Also a stolen base threat, sophomore Jawuan Harris leads all returning players across the country with 37 swipes a year ago. Having led the football team with 39 receptions for 481 yards as a wide receiver in the fall, the center fielder ended last baseball season with a 20-game on-base streak.

Over in the left field, sophomore Luke Bowerbank has emerged as a reliable option after leading the team with a .364 average in Big Ten games in 2016. Also expect sophomore Mike Martinez, who hit four home runs last year, and redshirt freshman Tommy Genuario to compete for at bats throughout the season.

"We have a good group of outfielders," Litterio said. "There's a lot of experience, speed and arm strength out there."

OUTLOOK
A year after breaking the school record with 121 stolen bases, expect the Scarlet Knights to continue to push the issue on the base paths. The team is built on an aggressive approach to try to reach at least six runs per game. RU is 29-8 over the last two years when reaching that mark in a game.

"Our offensive philosophy is to put as much pressure as we can on the defense," Litterio said. "We want to put guys in motion and not go station to station. We want to be moving and creating."

With eight experienced seniors on the roster to go with a group of talented underclassmen, Rutgers looks to establish itself as a contender in the Big Ten.

"We look forward to getting started and have a team that wants to compete each and every game," Litterio said.

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