Rutgers Baseball heads back home (sort of) for a three-game weekend series versus Illinois as they hope to hope to keep the five-game winning streak going. Now I say sort of because Sunday's game will be played down in Lakewood at the Jersey Shore Blueclaws Stadium.
With that being said, let's take a look at three Fighting Illini to watch this weekend.
1B DRAKE WESTCOTT
Junior first baseman Drake Westcott has been one of Illinois’s top hitters in their lineups and is having a breakout season as he wasn’t even a starter for the program last season.
On the year, Westcott is slashing .297/.398/.624 with 49 hits, three doubles, a team-high seventeen home runs, 45 RBIs, and a 1.022 OPS. He also leads Illinois in runs scored with 41.
The Illinois native is a talented left-handed hitter with big-time power and is one of the top power hitters in the Big Ten Conference. He will need to be pitched carefully against the Scarlet Knights this weekend.
RHP JACK WENNINGER
Junior right-handed pitcher Jack Wenninger has been one of Illinois’s most reliable starting pitchers this season. However the Illini have one of the worst pitching staffs in the Big Ten, as they are currently the tenth-best team ERA in the Big Ten.
In his junior season, Wenninger has made twelve appearances including eleven starts. while posting a 5-3 record with an 4.36 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, a .205 opponent batting average, and 67 strikeouts in 64 innings pitched.
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound righty possesses a three-mix that includes a fastball, 12-6 curveball, and changeup. Currently his fastball sits in the low-90s and tops out at 94 mph while his breaking ball is his best secondary pitch.
LF RYAN MOERMAN
In terms of consistent hitters, outfielder Ryan Moerman is one of the best for the Illini this season and will likely hit in the middle of the order for the team.
On the season, he is slashing .316/.392/.585 with a team-high 54 hits, ten doubles, eleven home runs, 42 RBIs, sixteen walks, and a .977 OPS. Moerman also leads the Fighting Illini in starts with 44.
The Illinois native will be counted on this weekend as the Illini are still very much fighting to make it to the Big Ten Tournament. Besides being a good hitter, Moerman is also a very good base runner as he swiped three bags and hasn’t been caught stealing yet this season.
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