IOWA CITY, Iowa – Rutgers baseball is on the road this week for a three-game series at Iowa. It is the team's first trip to Iowa City since 2019.
Game one is set for a 7 p.m. first pitch on Friday evening, followed by a 3 p.m. start on Saturday and 2 p.m. finale on Sunday.
Rutgers is coming off a series win at home against No. 21 Nebraska. After winning game one 7-6 in 11 innings, RU dropped game two on Saturday and won Sunday's rubber game 6-4. The Scarlet Knights also won their midweek contest against Monmouth by a score of 19-4.
The Hawkeyes are 6-6 in the Big Ten and most recently dropped two-of-three on the road to Ohio State.
All three games will be streamed on Big Ten Plus. Fans can also follow along on X (@RutgersBaseball) for live updates. Live stats will be available here.
Series History
Rutgers is 9-13 all-time against Iowa and 7-9 in Big Ten games. The last time the two teams played was in 2022, with the Hawkeyes taking two-of-three games in Piscataway.
Last Time Out
Rutgers picked up its first ranked series win in three seasons, taking two-of-three against No. 21 Nebraska at Bainton Field.
The Scarlet Knights won a thriller on Friday night, coming back to tie the game in the ninth after being down 6-3 and eventually winning 7-6 in the eleventh inning on a walk-off single from Johnny Volpe.
After dropping Saturday's game, RU won on Sunday thanks to home runs from Jackson Natili and Johnny Volpe and shutout bullpen pitching from Ben Gorski, Donovan Zsak, Joe Mazza and Joey DeChiaro.
In Tuesday's midweek game, Rutgers cruised to a 19-4 victory over Monmouth.
Left Side, Strong Side
The Scarlet Knights boast one of the top left sides of the infield in the entire country. SS Josh Kuroda-Grauer (#5) and 3B Tony Santa Maria (#13) are both ranked among the best at their respective positions by D1Baseball.com at the midpoint of the season.
Kuroda-Grauer was named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List and a Midseason First Team All-American by Perfect Game.
The duo has been the engine that powers RU's Big-Ten best offense and have the numbers to back it up.
Kuroda-Grauer is batting .455 to lead the Big Ten and rank third in the country. His 71 hits lead the country. His 101 total bases and 16 doubles also lead the Big Ten, while his 19 stolen bases are second.
After missing 2023 with injury, Santa Maria ranks among the Big Ten's best with 43 runs (second), 93 total bases (third), 10 home runs (fourth), 40 RBI (fourth), .628 slugging percentage (sixth), and 14 hit-by-pitches (third).
Rotation Continuity
After having to replace the entire starting rotation in back-to-back seasons, Rutgers has enjoyed continuity on the mound in 2024.
Justin Sinibaldi and Christian Coppola have started every weekend game this season and are primed to make their 10th weekend starts in as many weeks.
Sinibaldi has five outings of seven-plus innings, has gone eight-plus in three of his last seven stars and was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week after a shutout against UConn.
Coppola was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week in February after a six-inning, nine-strikeout performance at Old Dominion and earned the win against UConn with 5.2 innings, three runs and six strikeouts.
Right Side Breakout
The right side of the RU infield has enjoyed a pair of breakout seasons thus far. Senior Cameron Love is having a career year in his final season on the Banks. His .355 average is third on the team, while his 17 extra-base hits are third and he already has a career high with three home runs.
True freshman Ty Doucette has emerged after missing 10 games with injury. His six home runs are already second-most on the team and his 30 RBI trail only Kuroda-Grauer and Santa Maria.
Staff Updates
Head Coach Steve Owens announced a number of changes to his staff ahead of the 2024 season. Mike Garza was promoted to hitting coach after serving two years as a volunteer assistant.
With the NCAA increasing the number of full-time assistant coaches from two to three, Owens added Danny Bethea to the staff from St. John's. In his role, Bethea works with the team's catchers, offense and will coach first base.
Jack Arend also joined the staff as the Director of Player Development, where he oversees video and data collection while also running camps and clinics.
Depth Behind the Dish
RU has a number of quality options at the catcher position for 2024. Hugh Pinkney returns after making 48 starts at catcher and designated hitter last season, hitting .267 with 12 extra-base hits and a .716 OPS in his true freshman season. JD Jones joins the catching corps as a transfer from Miami and provides a veteran presence. True freshman Jackson Natili is primed for a big career "On the Banks" and factors in as well.
Infield Experience
Rutgers returns at least a full season of starting experience at every infield spot, with Jordan Sweeney (108), Kuroda-Grauer (105), Cameron Love (63) and Santa Maria (60) combining for 376 starts for RU.
Outfield Options
Trevor Cohen represents the lone returning starter in the RU outfield, having started all 56 games last season and hitting .298 with 26 walks to 22 strikeouts en route to being named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team.
Rutgers retooled with the addition of RJ Johnson Jr. from the JUCO ranks, who is expected to start in centerfied. Johnson his .343 with six home runs and 36 RBIs, while leading his Gulf Coast State team with 61 hits and 55 runs scored in 2023.
Transfers Pete Ciuffreda (Lafayette) and Pete Durocher (Manhattan) bring a combined seven seasons of experience to the outfield and can play multiple positions.
Bullpen Arms
Ben Gorski returns for his final season after an All-Big Ten season in 2023 where he locked down eight saves and posted a 3.40 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 39.2 innings. He was named to NCBWA Stopper of the Year watchlist ahead of 2024.
Sam Portnoy pitched to a 3.69 ERA across 31.2 innings in 20 appearances and also earned a spot on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year watchlist.
Joey DeChiaro joins the bullpen as a graduate transfer from Old Dominion, where he appeared in 50 games across four seasons for the Monarchs. After a strong summer in the Cape Cod League, DeChiaro was named Preseason All-Conference by Perfect Game.
Jake Marshall was third on the Scarlet Knights in 2023 with 51.0 innings as both a starter and reliever and will factor in the team's plans once again. Marshall struck out 60 batters in 51.0 innings a year ago and has 191 strikeouts in his collegiate career.
Joe Mazza was second to only Gorski with 24 appearances for RU last season and pitch 32.0 innings with a 4.78 ERA out of the bullpen.
The bullpen will also receive a boost from the returns of RHP Gavin Stellpflug and LHP Donovan Zsak – neither of whom pitched last season.
A pair of transfers in Jordan Falco (Adelphi) and Sonny Fauci (St. John's) emerged as relievers who can provide length out of the bullpen as well.
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