Rutgers baseball enters final weekend with Big Ten title on the line

No. 25 Rutgers baseball gained their last property game of the 2022 period on Tuesday in a 12-2 romp of St. Joseph’s. The Scarlet Knights enhanced to 40-12 on the period, joining the 2001 squad as the only groups to win 40 or much more games in program historical past. They concluded 19-5 at Bainton Subject, their ideal mark because 2014, a season before becoming a member of the Huge Ten.

With a breakthrough year in head coach Steve Owens third 12 months at the helm, Rutgers enters the ultimate weekend of Significant 10 participate in tied with Maryland atop the league standings. When some could seem at that as disappointing in a way because RU has been in very first location by itself most of the time, that check out would be lacking context. The program’s eighth area complete previous year was the greatest considering that becoming a member of the Huge 10 and they’ve hardly ever even competent for the 8 crew Big Ten Event (very last season it was not scheduled). They’re confirmed to be at worst a leading four seed when the function takes place on May well 25-29 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Rutgers is in Ann Arbor for a 3-activity series in opposition to Michigan (26-24 10-11) beginning tonight at 8:00 p.m to conclude the regular year. RU will also facial area the Wolverines at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, May 20 followed by a 5:00 p.m. very first pitch on Saturday, Might 21. All three video games will be televised are living on the Significant 10 Network.

Maryland (42-10 16-5) will travel to Purdue (29-17 9-10) for a a few-activity collection Thursday as a result of Saturday. The Terps need to have to just match Rutgers this weekend with wins and losses to get paid the Significant Ten regular year title owing to possessing the tiebreaker right after profitable two of 3 in opposition to the Scarlet Knights earlier this thirty day period. The only way RU can get the title is if they engage in a game superior this weekend.

Nearly anything is doable. An case in point is Rutgers sweeping eventual Big 10 winner Nebraska in Lincoln very last year. Both of those Purdue and Michigan are in the major 8 of the Massive Ten standings, so this weekend won’t be effortless for RU or Maryland. 1 point to consider is the only electric power 5 group in higher education baseball with 20 or extra road wins is Rutgers and they are 8-1 away from Piscataway in Big 10 play. Previous season, they took two of three in Ann Arbor versus a ranked Michigan staff at the time.

Count on Rutgers to be assured in their means to choose this series and if they do, they’ll at worse complete in second location in the convention. Both of those Illinois and Iowa linger two games driving Maryland and RU but also engage in top 8 groups in Penn Condition and Indiana, respectively.

A vital for Rutgers is to provide their bats in opposition to a Michigan group that has authorized 8 or much more operates in its previous eight online games. They’re averaging 11.1 runs permitted in excess of that extend and just gave up 43 runs in a a few activity sweep by Maryland very last weekend. This is great news for the Scarlet Knights, who direct the Big Ten with a .321 crew batting typical and RBI’s as well as second in house runs.

Catcher Nick Cimillo qualified prospects the Major Ten with a .749 slugging percentage, a .514 on-base percentage, a 1.263 OPS and is next with a .406 batting average. Centerfielder Ryan Lasko prospects the Major 10 with 82 hits and 72 operates scored, is 2nd in doubles, seventh in slugging proportion and OPS, whilst also eighth in batting normal. Chris Brito qualified prospects the Big 10 with 69 RBI’s, is fourth in OPS, and fifth in slugging proportion. All a few sluggers are in the major ten in household operates, as Brito is tied for fifth with 16 although Cimillo and Lasko are tied for seventh with 15 apiece.

The Scarlet Knights pitching workers characteristics Jared Kollar and Nathan Florence as the top rated two starters. Kollar enters this weekend with a 8-2 document, a 3.65 Era and 74 strikeouts in 69 innings pitched. Florence is 6-2 with a 3.23 Period and 78 strikeouts above 55 ²⁄₃ innings this year. In the bullpen, RU characteristics one particular of the most effective closers in the place in Dale Stanavich, who is second in the Big Ten with 10 will save and has a 1.37 Period with 39 strikeouts about 26 ¹⁄₃ innings pitched.

It should really be an entertaining weekend of Big Ten baseball and all a few video games for Rutgers will be aired dwell on BTN. This application has occur a prolonged way and is on the brink of building historical past.

UPDATE:

On Thursday, Rutgers dropped to Michigan 9-6 and Maryland defeated Purdue 14-7. The Scarlet Knights are now a person video game powering Maryland in the Large Ten standings. The Terps can clinch the regular season title with 1 acquire in their two remaining games. RU would have to earn out and Maryland shed out to gain the title.