Rutgers Baseball Statistical Update and Look Ahead

After a narrowly missing out on a sweep at Old Dominion, the Scarlet Knights baseball team returned home Tuesday against Iona and played their worst game of the season.

Iona 12, Rutgers 3.

On a cold day more typical of early March, the Scarlet Knights (5-6) took a 1-0 lead in the first as Chris Folinusz stayed hot with an RBI single. Iona (3-7) took advantage of three walks to plate three runs in the third. After Rutgers got one back in the bottom of the 3rd, more bases on balls allowed Iona to score five more in the 5th to blow it open. Four more runs in the game’s final inning (the 8th due to darkness) was window dressing for the Gaels.

Decisive stat: Rutgers pitchers walked seven: they surrendered three runs on only two hits in the 3rd and five runs on only three hits in the 5th. On a cold day, you have to throw strikes and pitching coach Phil Cundari will focus on technique, but it resulted in Rutgers looking like they simply did not want to be there.

Notable: Jawuan Harris did not play and the reason was not reported. It could have been due to the first day of spring football practice, but that’s not confirmed. It could have just been a day off. Expect him to generally focus on baseball either way, as he may not play another down of football if he enters the MLB draft this summer. Dan DiGeorgio had a triple and scored two of the Knights’ runs. Kevin Welsh (3) and Carmen Sclafani (2) had multi-hit games, but each made an error. Freshman Jacob Kodros made his college debut out of the bullpen. Anthony Greco got his first action of the season.

Statistical Review (through 11 games)

Batting leaders

BA: Walker (.455), McNamara (.375), Sclafani (.333)

Hits: Welsh (14), Matera & DiGeorgio (12), Harris & Folinusz (11)

HR: Harris & Folinusz (1)

RBI: Harris (10), Nyisztor (8), Bowerbank (7)

Runs scored: DiGeorgio (12), Nyisztor & Welsh (9)

Stolen bases: Harris (7), DiGeorgio (3), three players tied with 1

OBP: McNamara (.643), Walker (.536), Matera (.412).

NOTE: Anthony Greco has a perfect (1.000) OBP as he walked in his only plate appearance of the season.

Pitching leaders

W: Heatter, Rutkowski, Brito, Wares, & Gerace (all with 1)

SV: Karl Blum (2)

ERA: Heatter (1.59, 17 IP), Wares (2.70, 6.2 IP), Gerace (2.89, 9.1 IP)

SO: Heatter (16), Rutkowski (13), Brito (9)

IP: Heatter (17.0), Rutkowski (14.2) O’Reilly (13.1)

NOTE: Jacob Kodros has a perfect (0.00) ERA as he struck out one batter and allowed a hit to the other in his only action of 2018 thus far.

Next up:

Ft. Myers, FL trip for a three game weekend set against Army March 9th, 10th, and 11th.

After matching up with FIU Mar 14, the team returns to Ft. Myers for a three game set with FGCU March 16-18.

If you missed it, former Scarlet Knight Brian O’Grady homered for the Reds in spring training yesterday: