March 30, 2017
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Staying home for the weekend for the first time this season, Rutgers baseball will start Big Ten play with a three-game series against Maryland beginning Saturday at Bainton Field. The Scarlet Knights will open conference play at home for the first time since 2011 and for only the fourth time in the last 17 seasons. In addition, RU will ride a four-game winning streak into league competition for the first time since 1999.
Friday's originally scheduled game has been called off due to inclement weather. The series will start Saturday at 1 p.m. before a doubleheader Sunday at noon. Visit the marketing table on Saturday for a season t-shirt giveaway, while kids will be able to run the bases after Sunday's action.
All three games of the set will broadcast live on BTN with Lou Brogno handling play-by-play. Joe Godri (Saturday doubleheader) and Gabe Sustick (Sunday) will provide color commentary. WRSU will also call the series on the radio at 88.7-FM.
SCOUTING RUTGERS
The Scarlet Knights are set to originate their third journey around the Big Ten after having played the other 12 members in a three-game series at least once previously. It will be the first time starting at home, with trips to Purdue (2-1) and Michigan State (0-3) happening the last two years. RU last began league play at home in the Big East in 2011 against Louisville, and also did in 2008 versus St. John's and in 2007 versus Georgetown in the other occurrences this millennium.
RU, who swept USC Upstate last weekend, is coming off a 6-4 comeback win over Monmouth Wednesday at Bainton Field. The Scarlet Knights fell behind 4-0 in the third inning before mounting six unanswered runs for the victory. Sophomore Carmen Sclafani had a massive home run over the 410 sign in center field, with junior Milo Freeman legging out an infield single to permit the tying and go-ahead runs to score. Led by 2.1 innings by senior Ryan Fleming, the bullpen combined for 5.1 scoreless frames to seal the victory.
Rutgers will be working for its first five-game winning streak since reeling off eight consecutive victories in May 2014. The Scarlet Knights played the first six weekends on the road and 21-of-24 true road games this season. The current strength of schedule is No. 15 nationally, as the team is at No. 48 in the latest NCAA RPI rankings, fourth-best in the Big Ten.
Senior Mike Carter, who has 12 multiple-hit games in second is the Big Ten and No. 58 nationally with a .396 batting average, but paces the conference with 38 hits. He also is tied for first in the league with nine doubles and owns a .459 on-base percentage (tied second) and a .542 slugging percentage (10th). Sophomore Jawuan Harris is tied for second among Big Ten players with 13 stolen bases and is third with seven home runs.
On the mound, sophomore Serafino Brito is scheduled to make his second series-opening start. The right-hander pitched seven shutout innings in a win last week at USC Upstate, striking out five and walking none. He ranks fourth in the Big Ten with just 1.56 walks permitted per nine innings. Junior John O'Reilly will follow in the rotation and beat Maryland last season after pitching a season-high seven innings with only one run allowed. He induced 13 outs on the ground in the start. Senior Gaby Rosa will round out the weekend with 10 career victories to his record. The right-hander tossed five innings with one run permitted last time in a win at USC Upstate. He also beat North Florida and Iona this season.
Fifth-year senior Max Herrmann leads the bullpen with four saves on the season and 13 in his career, tied with Chris Lillis (2003-07) for fourth-most in school history. Fleming paces the staff with 12 appearances, while freshman Joe Neglia has permitted just one earned run in seven games.
NOTABLE
Rutgers is 37-8 since 2015 when scoring at least six runs in a game and 8-0 this year … Carter has reached base in 23-of-24 games this season … the Scarlet Knights have hit 18 home runs, the most for the team through 24 games since 2010 … RU ranks No. 36 nationally with 1.50 stolen bases per game … Rutgers has played the second-most true road games among Big Ten teams with 21 (Purdue at 22) … RU won its first home conference series last season by taking 2-of-3 against Indiana … Harris leads the team with nine two-out RBIs … RU is 9-1 when recording more hits than its opponent.
SCOUTING MARYLAND
The Terrapins, who had a midweek game rained out, enter the weekend winners of 14 of their last 17 games. That includes taking 2-of-3 at home over Michigan last weekend at home. Overall, Maryland is 10-1 at home, 1-5 away and 4-2 on neutral fields this season. Right-hander Brian Shaffer will start the series opener on the mound and leads the Big Ten in strikeouts (48) and ERA (1.77). Marty Costes paces the linup with a .359 average, while Brandon Gum owns a .479 on-base percentage. The Terrapins were picked as the Big Ten preseason favorite.
John Szefc is in his fifth season as head coach. Click here for the full Maryland weekend preview.
THE SERIES
Rutgers and Maryland will play for the second time as Big Ten foes, as RU won 2-of-3 last May in College Park in the first meetings since 1953. Howie Brey pitched a complete game in the opener and Luke Bowerbank had three hits, including a go-ahead two-run single in the seventh inning. O'Reilly then dealt seven innings in the series clincher, as Mike Martinez provided a two-run homer. This weekend will mark Maryland's first trip to Rutgers since 1951. The all-time series is knotted at 9-9-1 since 1936.
UP NEXT
Rutgers will head back to the road for a Wednesday game at Villanova before traveling to Minnesota for a Big Ten series.
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