PISCATAWAY, N.J. – INF Chris Brito, OF/INF Mike Nyisztor and LHP Dale Stanavich all represent Rutgers baseball on the Big Ten Preseason Honors List released Thursday. The Scarlet Knights are set to open the 2022 schedule Friday at Houston Baptist.



CHRIS BRITO
An All-Big Ten Third Team selection last year, Brito reached base safely in 40-of-44 games and finished fourth in the conference with 43 RBIs. He ended the season on a 17-game on-base streak after starting on a 15-game streak, posting a .302/.396/.527 slash line overall. That included a team-best 19-for-52 (.365) with runners in scoring position. The New Jersey native posted 10 homers and eight doubles. The season was highlighted by hitting 9-for-18 in the four-game series at Maryland with nine RBIs, four homers and five runs scored to claim a spot on Collegiate Baseball's National Players of the Week list. Defensively, Brito started all games at third base with 75 assists and 32 putouts. Altogether, he leads the active roster with 16 career homers, 71 RBIs and 60 walks in 102 games.

MIKE NYISZTOR
Nyisztor leads the active roster with 153 career games played, 147 starts, 587 at bats, 103 runs, 167 hits, 25 doubles and 32 stolen bases. The New Jersey native ranked fourth in the Big Ten in batting average (.351) and sixth in on-base percentage (.456) in 2021, finishing as the toughest hitter in the league to strike out (once per 9.6 plate appearances). He tied the team lead with 14 multiple-hit games and had six games with three hits, posting a .456 on-base percentage and .440 slugging mark. Playing both in the outfield and at first base, Nyisztor handled 122 chances defensively without an error.

DALE STANAVICH
Stanavich appeared in 17 games out of the bullpen in his first season as a Scarlet Knight. The left-hander ranked sixth in the Big Ten following the regular season with five saves. He also led the staff with a 3.13 ERA and 11.74 strikeouts per nine innings, totaling 30 overall in 23 innings with at least one punchout in 14-of-17 games. Stanavich ended the season with five-straight scoreless appearances, including striking out the side in back-to-back days versus Illinois to finish. He followed up by earning a spot on the Cape Cod Baseball League All-Star Team, working to a 2.29 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 19.2 inning in the summer.

All three games at Houston Baptist will stream via ESPN+.

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