PISCATAWAY, N.J. – After playing five of the last six games on the road, Rutgers baseball is set for four at Bainton Field this week. That starts Tuesday at 1 p.m. versus Villanova in the final scheduled midweek of the season. The Scarlet Knights are 7-2 in such contests.
 
BTN Plus will stream online with Lou Brogno (play-by-play) and Dom Savino (color) on the call. Matt Howe and Allie Palmer are set to provide the radio broadcast on WRSU 88.7-FM. Live stats will be available at ScarletKnights.com.
 
Rutgers wrestling NCAA champions Anthony Ashnault and Nick Suriano will join head coach Scott Goodale for the ceremonial first pitches.
 
SCOUTING RUTGERS
The Scarlet Knights split two games at Penn State over the weekend. The series opener was suspended after two innings Friday night due to a thunderstorm, resuming Saturday. The Nittany Lions posted the last four runs in a 5-4 win for the home team in 11 innings. RU has now played in six games reaching extra innings this year, the most since nine in 2011. Then in the second game Saturday, junior Tevin Murray pitched a career-high eight innings with no earned runs allowed. He lowered his Big Ten ERA to 0.73 and owns 73 strikeouts overall, tied for fifth-most in a season in program history. Junior Kevin Welsh provided offensive support with a two-out, two-run single with bases loaded in the seventh inning to put Rutgers on top. Three insurance runs followed in the 5-1 victory.
 
The eight Big Ten wins surpass last season's total with two weekends remaining. The Scarlet Knights are tied with Northwestern for seventh place in the Big Ten standings, with the two team meeting at Bainton Field starting Friday. The top eight qualify for the playoffs.
 
Freshman Jared Bellissimo is set to take the mound Tuesday coming off his best collegiate performance. The left-hander went eight shutout innings with no walks and five hits allowed in the win over Rider. RU is 5-2 in games started by Bellissimo in 2019.
 
In the bullpen, senior Serafino Brito has eight saves and ranks fourth in the RU record books with 81 career appearances. He holds 40 strikeouts in 42 innings this season. Junior Steven Acosta is tied for first in the league at 25 games pitched, while sophomore Kyle Muller picked up his first save last week versus Rider by stranding the tying run at third base. The staff is at a 4.38 ERA overall.
 
Redshirt freshman Tim Dezzi paces the lineup with a .390 on-base percentage and 23 runs, while sophomore Mike Nyisztor has team-highs with 53 hits and 13 stolen bases. Senior Carmen Sclafani popped his six homer of the season Friday and is up to 29 RBIs with a .401 slugging mark. In addition, freshman Victor Valderrama brings an active 21-game on-base streak to the week.
 
THE OPPONENT
Villanova has dropped eight of their last 10 games, including a series loss at Butler most recently. Nick Lorusso is slashing .306/.418/.420 to lead the bats, while Timothy Lilly has hit five homers. The pitching staff's ERA is currently at 6.06.
 
Head coach Kevin Mulvey is in his third season.
 
THE SERIES
Since 1948, the series between Rutgers and Villanova is even at 39. The Scarlet Knights have won seven of the last nine meetings. The former Big East rivals did not meet last season, but the Wildcats won 3-2 in the most recent contest at Plymouth Meeting in 2017.
 
UP NEXT
Rutgers hosts Northwestern in a three-game series starting Friday at 2 p.m.
 
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