:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49164693/GettyImages-142933294.0.jpg)
The Rutgers baseball team (8-11) opens their second season in the Big Ten today with a three game series at Michigan State (15-3). They are coming off a 3-2 loss at Rider this past Wednesday. Senior Ace Howie Brey takes the mound for the series opener today at 3pm. The game will be shown live on the Big Ten Network. Last season, Rutgers was swept in their three games at home against Michigan State.
Brey is 1-2 with a 3.27 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 33 innings pitched. Rutgers will face Michigan State's Cam Vieaux in a battle of southpaw pitchers. Vieaux is 3-1 with a 1.27 ERA so far this season. The second game of the series is on Saturday at 1pm and will feature Rutgers starter Kyle Driscoll (1-2; 3.65 ERA) against Michigan State starter Ethan Landon (1-1; 2.25 ERA). The last game of the series is Sunday at 1pm and will feature Rutgers starter John O'Reilly (0-1; 4.76 ERA) against Sparty starter Walter Borkovich (2-1; 3.91 ERA).
For the season, Rutgers catcher and leadoff hitter R.J. Devish leads the Big Ten with a .531 on-base percentage and ranks in the top 10 in the conference for runs, stolen bases, and batting average (.393). Freshman outfielder Jawuan Harris leads the Big Ten with 13 stolen bases and has been caught just once. All-conference slugger Tom Marcinczyk leads the team with 4 home runs and 20 RBI's.
Rutgers sits with three more wins than they had at this point last season, despite already playing three of the current top thirty college baseball teams in Miami, Old Dominion, and Florida Atlantic. They played each team in a three game series, finishing with just a 2-7 reocrd. Rutgers was swept by #7 Miami (16-4) and lost two games out of three against #24 Florida Atlantic (15-3) and Old Dominion (18-4).
Here is a link to an interview with Rutgers manager Joe Litterio discussing this weekend's series with Michigan State. Below is a video of Devish talking after a win last week against Florida Gulf Coast. Rutgers next home game is next Tuesday at 3pm against Monmouth. If you want to follow the action live this weekend click on the following game tracker for each game: Game 1 I Game 2 I Game 3
UPDATE:
POSTPONED - Due to poor field conditions, no #RBaseball game at Michigan State today. Doubleheader scheduled for tomorrow at noon.
— Rutgers Baseball (@BaseballRU) March 25, 2016