Rutgers Baseball is coming off an excellent weekend in which they swept the Northwestern on the road and extended their winning streak to five games, which is now up to six following a win over St. John's.
Here are three takeaways on the team ahead of their big upcoming stretch to end the season.
WEEKEND ROTATION FINALLY SET?
The Scarlet Knights have been trying to figure out a weekend rotation and for the last two weekends they've made a few changes and so far its has been working out pretty well.
Freshman Christian Coppola has been lights out recently, including earning the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week award. Former JUCO transfer Grant Besser has been solid and Drew Conover is punching out batters left and right.
If Rutgers can continue to pitch at a high level, they are going to be a tough team to beat toward the end of the season. They already have a good offense and the back end of the bullpen is solid.
LASKO MAKING THE CASE TO BE AN ALL-AMERICAN...
Junior outfielder Ryan Lasko was named a Second-Team All-American last season on the ABCA/Rawlings and was ranked a top 50 prospect in the 2023 MLB Draft entering the season.
Since earning those honors, Lasko has continued to rake at the plate this past weekend and went 5-for-13 (.385 batting average) with one double, triple, and two home runs. He also drew two walks and six runs scored.
On the season, Lasko is slashing .333/.418/.601 with 56 hits, thirteen doubles, ten home runs, a team-high 38 RBIs, fourteen stolen bases, and a 1.019 OPS. OPS. He is expected to be a day one draft pick and could even sneak into the first round with his defensive abilities.
COPPOLA MAKING A CASE TO BE A FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICAN....
Since arriving on campus, Christian Coppola has been impressing the Rutgers coaching staff. He earned a spot in the weekend rotation and was recently named the Friday starter for the Scarlet Knights,
Since being named the ace, Coppola has been outstanding. In his first start, Coppola shut down the Wolverines’ offense and pitched eight excellent innings. Against the Wildcats, Coppola continued to dominate and forced a bunch of weak contact.
On the season, Coppola has a 3-3 record in eight starts. He has a 2.97 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, a .244 opponent batting average, and a 10.3 K/9. The New Jersey native has been an excellent addition and surprise for the Scarlet Knights this season.
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