2/23/2023 baseball Edit

Three players to watch versus Rutgers Baseball in the Swig & Swine Classic

Hector Rodriguez • TheKnightReport

Baseball Analyst

Rutgers Baseball will hit the road again this weekend for a three-game round robin down in South Carolina for the Swig & Swine Classic.

The Scarlet Knights will take on Canisius College on Friday, Ball State on Saturday, and complete the weekend against Boston College on Sunday.

Here are three players to watch this weekend in the Swig & Swine Classic.

CANISIUS INF MAX GRANT

Junior middle infielder Max Grant is one of the top infielders in the country and is also considered to be the top player out of the MAC. He was recently named a Preseason Second Team All-American on Collegiate Baseball.

During the 2022 season, Grant was the leader in the Canisius offense, slashing .398/.489/.646 with 90 hits, 14 doubles, 10 home runs, and a 1.135 OPS. He was even named the 2022 MAC Player of the Year.

Now Grant is looking to continue his success from last season heading into this season, but the Gaels haven’t played a game this season. The game versus Rutgers on Friday will be their first of the year.

BALL STATE RHP SAM KLEIN

Junior right-handed pitcher Sam Klein was one of the top relief pitchers in the country last season. Now he is still the closer for Ball State, but didn’t see any action in their first weekend series last week.

During the 2022 season, he made 23 appearances anf posted a 4-3 record with a 3.18 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, a .179 opponent batting average, all while striking out 47 batters in 34 innings pitched.

Heading into the 2023 season, Klein was named a Preseason All-American by the NCBWA after earning Second-Team All-American and earned All-Mac First Team status last season.

BOSTON COLLEGE OF CAMERON LEARY

Heading into this season, Leary is one of the best returning power hitters in the ACC. Leary had an excellent 2022 season with the Eagles and is looking to lead them again this season.

During the 2022 season, he slashed .237/.399/.545 with 47 hits, 11 doubles, a team-high 16 home runs, 42 RBIs, and a .944 OPS. Leary also led the Eagles in walks with 45 total, almost double the next closest on the roster.

For Leary to take the next step, he needs to put the ball in play more often and cut down on his strikeouts. Leary led the club last season with 70 strikeouts. So far this season, Leary is 4-for-10 (.400 batting average) with a double, home run, and two RBIs.