| [GAMES 1-3] Old Dominion at the Diamond 9 Invitational | |||
| Location | Osceola Heritage Park (Kissimmee, Florida) | ||
| Game #1 | vs. Saint Louis (Friday, 11 a.m. ET) | RHP Jim Fluke vs. RHP Miller Hogan | ||
| Game #2 | vs. Oakland (Saturday, 11 a.m. ET) | RHP Hunter Gregory vs. LHP PJ Piesko | ||
| Game #3 | vs. Iowa (Sunday, 11 a.m. ET) | RHP Michael Blanchard vs. RHP Brady Schanuel | ||
| Media Info | Live Video | Radio | Live Stats | ||
NORFOLK, Va. -- Escaping the cold and wind of coastal Virginia, the Old Dominion baseball squad travels to sunny Florida this weekend for its first three games of the 2018 season.
The Monarchs will compete in the Diamond 9 Invitational at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee. The three-game slate features Saint Louis on Friday, Oakland on Saturday and reigning Big Ten champ Iowa on Sunday. All three games will be played at 11 a.m. ET.
Old Dominion is coming off of a 37-21 season last year, marking the most wins during the Chris Finwood era. However, despite an RPI of No. 51 and a second-place finish in nation's sixth-best league, the Monarchs were deemed the "first time out" come NCAA Tournament time.
Preseason All-Conference USA selections Kyle Battle and Vinnie Pasquantino headline the returners from last year's squad. Battle, in the leadoff spot, and Pasquantino in the 3-hole, figure to anchor the Monarch batting order.
On the mound, ODU opens the season with a brand-new starting rotation featuring juco transfer Jim Fluke, freshman Hunter Gregory and sophomore Michael Blanchard.
Blanchard saw time as a starter towards the end of 2017 after Freshman All-American John Wilson went down with an injury. Wilson is still recovering from that elbow injury.
Taking a look at the opponents for the Monarchs, Saint Louis won 35 games last season and reached the semifinals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Oakland won just 17 games last year, but return a majority of its starting lineup. Iowa was an NCAA Regional team last year after making an unexpected run to a Big Ten Championship.
For a more in-depth breakdown of this weekend's games and for a full season preview, listen to the latest episode of the ODU Baseball Podcast.
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