March 5, 2009
NORFOLK, VA-- The ODU Baseball Monarchs return to action Friday with a three-game series against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights out of the BIGEAST. First pitch Friday is 3 p.m. at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex. The teams will also play Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m.
Rutgers is 1-5 on the season so far. The Scarlet Knights were swept in a doubleheader in Atlanta last weekend to No.8 Georgia Tech 6-4 and 13-4. Rutgers opened the season dropping three of four games to 12th ranked Miami.
Pitching for the Scarlet Knights on Friday will be RHP Casey Gaynor (0-2, 3.48 ERA), LHP Dennis Hill (0-1, 8.31 ERA) on Saturday and RHP Charlie Law (0-0, 4.50 ERA) on Sunday. Rutgers is led by sophomore first baseman Jaren Matthews who is batting .364 on the season.
ODU is 3-5 on the season so far. The Monarchs downed St. Joseph's in their home opener last Friday 11-10 on a two-run walk off homer by Gerard Hall. The Monarchs fell at 20th ranked East Carolina on Wednesday night 8-3.
Junior righthander Chris Boggs (1-0, 5.59 ERA) will throw for ODU on Friday, followed by freshman righthander Brett Harris (1-0, 4.70 ERA) on Saturday and Sunday's starter has not yet been determined.
Brett Harris leads the Monarchs early in the season batting .333 with 5 RBI. Jake McAloose is second at .323 with 6 RBI. Josh Wright has also contributed 6 RBI on the year. Cameron Scott is batting .321 and is 7-for-7 in the stolen bases department this season. Ben Tomchick has a 1.74 ERA with seven strikeouts in 10-plus innings of work.
Rutgers is making their thirteenth consecutive appearance to the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex. Last season, the teams split a doubleheader.