| Old Dominion (0-0) vs. LIU Brooklyn (0-0) | |||
| Series | Friday, Feb. 17 (3pm) | Saturday, Feb. 18 (2pm) | Sunday, Feb. 19 (1pm) |
| Location | Norfolk, Va. (Bud Metheny Complex) | Weather Forecast | ||
| Game Notes | Old Dominion | LIU Brooklyn | Conference USA | ||
| Follow | CUSA.tv ($) | Live Stats | @ODUBaseball | ||
| Projected Starters | Friday: Adam Bainbridge (0-0) vs. Anthony Rupp (0-0) Saturday: Morgan Maguire (0-0) vs. Baylor LaPointe (0-0) Sunday: John Wilson (0-0) vs. Nick Freijomil (0-0) | ||
NORFOLK, Va. -- The Old Dominion baseball team opens the 2017 season this weekend, hosting LIU Brooklyn Feb. 17-19 at the Bud Metheny Complex.
First pitch is set for 3 p.m. on Friday, 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $5 at the gate and all three games will also be streamed online on CUSA.tv.
Old Dominion (0-0) returns eight starters from a squad that went 32-24 a season ago. The Monarchs will look to mimic its start from last season, when ODU opened the year with a shutout victory over No. 10 NC State. The Monarchs went on to compile a 9-1 record in its first 10 games, the best 10-game start to a season since 1975.
A strong senior class headlines the returnees for ODU. Two-time All-Conference USA selection Sam Sinnen returns to the pitching staff, while his twin brother Kurt Sinnen will be the opening day starter behind the plate. Three-year starter Nick Walker, who led the team in runs and on-base percentage last season, returns to his spot at third base, after playing last year in left field. Outfielder Turner Bishop, lefty pitcher Adam Bainbridge, who will start on Friday night, catcher Kyle Beam, lefty Jake Josephs and transfer outfielder from West Virginia Shaun Wood also headline the senior class.
In addition, Zach Rutherford, the team leader in average last season, was named the Baseball America C-USA Player of the Year, while Sunday starter John Wilson was tabbed as the No. 4 freshman in C-USA.
LIU Brooklyn (0-0), under the guidance of first-year head coach Dan Pirillo, is coming off a 19-35 season in 2016. The Blackbirds finished fifth out of seven teams in the Northeast Conference, but return their top hitter Charles Misiano and top pitcher Baylor LaPointe. Missano, an infielder, hit a team-high .344 in 2016, while LaPointe went 7-5 with a 3.02 ERA.
ODU leads the all-time series against LIU Brooklyn, 2-1. The teams last met in 2014, when ODU took two out of three in Norfolk.
Baseball v oucher books can be purchased here for $50 and contain a total of 36 ticket vouchers. The ticket vouchers can be used at any of the 36 home ODU baseball games this season, including the Harbor Park game against Virginia Tech and the Key Dog Classic against VCU on May 10 at the Bud Metheny Complex.
For more insight on the Monarchs' opening weekend, listen to Episode 1 of the ODU Baseball Podcast with head coach Chris Finwood below.