DiGeorgio, Reardon, Rutkowski & Welsh Named 2020 Baseball Captains
Nov 26 | Baseball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Redshirt junior Dan DiGeorgio, senior Eric Reardon, junior Harry Rutkowski and senior Kevin Welsh will serve as the 2020 Rutgers baseball captains. The Scarlet Knights are in the midst of offseason workouts and will open the season Feb. 14 at Miami.
"I am thrilled to be able to announce these young men as our chosen leaders for this year's ball club," head coach Steve Owens said. "In addition to being very talented players, they are all hard workers who set the tone in practice every day for what is expected. They are seasoned veterans who have earned the respect of all of their teammates and coaches. I trust them to help guide us through the ups and downs of a long season and use their actions and voices to keep us on a steady path. They are a proud sample of who we are and I am challenging them to get us where we want to be."
After missing last season due to injury, DiGeorgio returned to the field over the summer and resumed his role as the RU shortstop in the fall. He was named to the 2018 All-Big Ten Freshman Team after pacing the team with 39 runs scored, playing in all 50 games and recording a 14-game hitting streak. DiGeorgio led all freshmen in the Big Ten with 17 stolen bases, a mark that was 10th among freshmen nationally and in the league overall following the regular season. Defensively, he was instrumental in Rutgers leading the league with 50 double plays turned.
Reardon appeared in 59 games on the mound for the Scarlet Knights the previous three seasons, making seven starts. The left-hander has logged 81.2 career innings with 58 strikeouts and six wins. The 2019 season was highlighted by pitching 4.2 scoreless innings of relief in the 15-inning victory over Ohio State. Reardon earned a spot in the Alaska Baseball League All-Star Game last summer, pitching to a 3.65 ERA over 49.1 innings.
Rutkowski, a 2019 Cape Cod League All-Star, served as the Friday starter for the Scarlet Knights last season, leading the staff with 81.2 innings and 83 strikeouts, ranked fifth in a season in program history. The left-hander had nine starts permitting two earned runs or fewer and had nine outings of at least six innings. An Academic All-Big Ten selection, Rutkowski fanned a career-high 12 hitters in an eight-inning performance to beat Purdue. Overall, he has started 27 games with 137 career strikeouts.
Welsh started all 154 games the past three seasons, playing both second base and shortstop. Last season, he put together a team-best 24-game on-base streak and finished with a .368 on-base percentage. That included 33 walks drawn, which ranked tied for eighth in the Big Ten following the regular season. In addition, he hit 16-for-49 (.327) with runners in scoring position and helped turn 31 double plays. Welsh, who was a 2019 NECBL All-Star in the summer, ended the season with a homer in all three games in the series at Indiana. Overall, he owns 130 career hits, 74 runs and 67 RBIs.
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding baseball, follow the program on Twitter (@RutgersBaseball), Instagram (@rutgersbaseball) and Facebook (/BaseballRU). For additional updates, please download the Scarlet Knights App via the app store or play store.
"I am thrilled to be able to announce these young men as our chosen leaders for this year's ball club," head coach Steve Owens said. "In addition to being very talented players, they are all hard workers who set the tone in practice every day for what is expected. They are seasoned veterans who have earned the respect of all of their teammates and coaches. I trust them to help guide us through the ups and downs of a long season and use their actions and voices to keep us on a steady path. They are a proud sample of who we are and I am challenging them to get us where we want to be."
After missing last season due to injury, DiGeorgio returned to the field over the summer and resumed his role as the RU shortstop in the fall. He was named to the 2018 All-Big Ten Freshman Team after pacing the team with 39 runs scored, playing in all 50 games and recording a 14-game hitting streak. DiGeorgio led all freshmen in the Big Ten with 17 stolen bases, a mark that was 10th among freshmen nationally and in the league overall following the regular season. Defensively, he was instrumental in Rutgers leading the league with 50 double plays turned.
Reardon appeared in 59 games on the mound for the Scarlet Knights the previous three seasons, making seven starts. The left-hander has logged 81.2 career innings with 58 strikeouts and six wins. The 2019 season was highlighted by pitching 4.2 scoreless innings of relief in the 15-inning victory over Ohio State. Reardon earned a spot in the Alaska Baseball League All-Star Game last summer, pitching to a 3.65 ERA over 49.1 innings.
Rutkowski, a 2019 Cape Cod League All-Star, served as the Friday starter for the Scarlet Knights last season, leading the staff with 81.2 innings and 83 strikeouts, ranked fifth in a season in program history. The left-hander had nine starts permitting two earned runs or fewer and had nine outings of at least six innings. An Academic All-Big Ten selection, Rutkowski fanned a career-high 12 hitters in an eight-inning performance to beat Purdue. Overall, he has started 27 games with 137 career strikeouts.
Welsh started all 154 games the past three seasons, playing both second base and shortstop. Last season, he put together a team-best 24-game on-base streak and finished with a .368 on-base percentage. That included 33 walks drawn, which ranked tied for eighth in the Big Ten following the regular season. In addition, he hit 16-for-49 (.327) with runners in scoring position and helped turn 31 double plays. Welsh, who was a 2019 NECBL All-Star in the summer, ended the season with a homer in all three games in the series at Indiana. Overall, he owns 130 career hits, 74 runs and 67 RBIs.
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding baseball, follow the program on Twitter (@RutgersBaseball), Instagram (@rutgersbaseball) and Facebook (/BaseballRU). For additional updates, please download the Scarlet Knights App via the app store or play store.
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