Series Preview: Rutgers Baseball set to open season versus Winthrop
The 2024 Rutgers Baseball season is finally here, as they are set to take on the Winthrop Eagles in a three game weekend series starting later today.
The Scarlet Knights are looking to improve from last season and make a case to play in the NCAA Tournament, which would be their first appearance since 2007 when they lost to Oregon State in the regional round.
On the flip side, the Eagles had an up-and-down 2023 season where they finished with a record of 28-28, along with a 15-12 conference record.
With all that being said, here's everything you need to know about the series between Rutgers and Winthrop.
TV / STREAM - None Available
WHO - Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Winthrop Eagles
WHEN...
-- Friday at 4:00pm ET
-- Saturday at 2:00pm ET
-- Sunday at 1:00pm ET
WHERE - The Winthrop Ballpark (1,989) -- Rock Hill, South Carolina
WINTHROP EAGLES....
The Eagles are led by head coach Todd Riginos, who enters his 14th season at the helm of the program.
Let's start by looking at the Eagles pitching staff, which is led by their senior left-handed pitcher Riley Huge. The former JUCO transfer was named the Friday starter for the Eagles this season after posting a 1-3 record and a 6.62 ERA in twelve appearances (8 starts) last year.
Redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Reese Lumpkin will get the start for Winthrop on Saturday and the South Carolina native has seen some struggles through his first three seasons with the program. In his collegiate career, Lumpkin has posted a 10.22 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 37 innings pitched.
In the series finale, the Eagles will send out redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Alex Logusch. He has made 16 appearances (14 starts) and posted a 1-3 record with a 6.63 ERA and struck out 76 batters in 58.1 innings pitched.
As for the Winthrop offense, they were a solid hitting team last season as they batted .277 as a team. Outfielder Ricky Teel was arguably the team's top hitter last year, slashing .315/.359/.365 with 56 hits, seven doubles, one triple, and a .724 OPS.
Sophomore catcher Nicholas Badillo is also expected to take the next step for the team on offense. During his freshman season last year, Badillo batted .360 with 36 hits, nine doubles, three home runs, and a .993 OPS.=
RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS....
On the flip side, Rutgers is looking to start off the year on the right foot with a weekend series win over Winthrop. The Scarlet Knights are led by head coach Steve Owens, who’s entering his fifth season at the helm of the program.
The Scarlet Knights pitching staff will return their top two arms from last season and have included a freshman in their weekend rotation. Christian Coppola will be the Friday starter for Rutgers, as he had an outstanding year last season. He posted a 5-5 season with a 3.68 ERA, a .240 opponent batting average, and struck out 71 batters in 66 innings pitched.
On Saturday, senior left-handed pitcher Justin Sinibaldi will get the start for the Scarlet Knights and he also pitched very well last season. Sinibaldi posted a 5-1 record with a 2.64 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 13 appearances and eight starts last season.
As for the series finale, Rutgers has freshman right-handed pitcher in Zack Konstantinovsky who will be the Sunday starter. The North Brunswick, New Jersey was one of the top prospects from last year’s recruiting class and he could be a fun arm to watch this season.
Moving on to the Rutgers offense, they lost three of their best hitters to either pro baseball or the Transfer Portal. This year the Scarlet Knights will be led by some key infielders such as Josh Kuroda-Grauer and Tony Santa Maria.
Kuroda-Grauer slashed .298/.393/.487 with 68 hits, 15 doubles, five triples, six home runs, 13 stole bases, and a .880 OPS. While Santa Maria missed most of last season, he was one of the best hitters in the Big Ten during the 2022 season. Two other hitters to watch this weekend include Trevor Cohen and Hugh Pinkney.
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