Old Dominion (26-9, 8-7 C-USA) vs. Florida Atlantic (24-12, 10-5)
Location – Bud Metheny Ballpark (Norfolk, Va.)
Game 1 – Friday, April 22 at 6 p.m.
Game 2 – Saturday, April 23 at 3 p.m.
Game 3 – Sunday, April 24 at noon
Follow – ESPN+ (Friday) | CUSA.tv (Saturday & Sunday) | ODU Sports Radio Network (Friday) | Live Stats
NORFOLK, Va. – The Old Dominion baseball team begins the make-or-break portion of its schedule this weekend with three games against Florida Atlantic at the Bud Metheny Ballpark. The series begins on Friday with a 6 p.m. first pitch followed by a 3 p.m. start on Saturday. The two sides conclude the weekend at noon on Sunday. Friday's game is streaming live on ESPN+ and being carried over the air on Money Talk 1310 AM 100.9 FM and 97.3 HD2. The final two games will stream on CUSA.tv.
Around the Horn
The Monarchs will play the top-three teams in the current Conference USA standings in successive weekend series. After hosting FAU this weekend, Old Dominion welcomes LA Tech to the Bud Metheny Ballpark. ODU finishes out at No. 6 Southern Miss May 6-8.
Matt Coutney hit two more home runs in a 5-1 win at William & Mary to move into a tie for the national lead in long balls with 18. Coutney is now just two home runs shy of tying Ron Walker's single season program record.
Andy Garriola checks in at sixth in the national home run race with 15. No other program boasts multiple players in the top-10.
The Monarchs are second in the nation with 77 home runs, averaging 2.2 per game. Last year's team that set the single season program record with 105 long balls averaged just 1.75 homers per game.
ODU leads C-USA in batting average (.310), homers, runs (330), scoring (9.4), slugging (.570) and stolen bases (57). Four Monarchs can be found in the C-USA top-10 for slugging percentage: Coutney (first, .830), Garriola (2nd, .767), Carter Trice (fourth, .671) and Robbie Petracci (sixth, .664).
Blake Morgan (3-0, 0.83 ERA) will draw his third weekend start of the season. He is 2-0 in his first two weekend starts and has not allowed a run on just five hits over 11 innings. In that stretch, the freshman has struck out 12 while issuing just one walk.
Nick Pantos (5-0, 3.27 ERA) is scheduled to start on Saturday. He picked up the win at UAB last Friday, giving up one run on four hits over five innings. The redshirt senior leads the team with 56 strikeouts.
Sam Armstrong (2-2, 5.97 ERA) will start in his usual Sunday role. He has 35 strikeouts in 37.2 innings this season.
Scouting FAU
The Owls swept WKU over the weekend but dropped a Tuesday tilt at Florida Gulf Coast, 5-1.
FAU leads the conference in doubles (81) and is second in homers (58) and slugging (.490). Nolan Schanuel is the C-USA leader in batting average (.406) and on base percentage (.511), and Gabriel Rincones, Jr. is the conference's high man in RBIs (53).
Like the Monarchs, the Owls boast a homer-hitting trio in Rincones, Jr. (13), Schanuel (12) and Dylan Goldstein (10). The trio are also 1-2-3 on the team in RBIs.
Hunter Cooley (5-2, 4.14 ERA) is expected to start on Friday. He leads the team with 63 innings and 54 strikeouts. He has worked at least five innings in all of his starts this year, including a three-run, eight-strikeout complete game against the Hilltoppers.
Tyler Burnham (3-0, 2.93 ERA) is drawing the start on Saturday. Sunday's starter is not yet determined.
The Series
The Monarchs are 11-14 all-time against the Owls. ODU was 5-1 against FAU last season, including wins of 11-2 and 13-5 in the Conference USA Tournament.
What's Next
The Monarchs host No. 11 Virginia in the Commonwealth Classic at Harbor Park on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Click here to purchase tickets. Following the rematch with the Cavaliers, ODU plays a weekend series against LA Tech.
Commonwealth Classic Alumni Event
The Old Dominion University Alumni Association is hosting an event during the Commonwealth Classic game against Virginia at Harbor Park on April 26. The event will take place in a private space in left field. The price of the event is $30 per person and includes a ticket to the game and a buffet. Additionally, beer and wine will be available for purchase. Click here to reserve your spot.
Voucher Books!
The 2021-22 Old Dominion voucher book is available for sale on ynottix.com. Each voucher book contains 25 tickets and is priced at $50, which is a 60 percent savings off the single-game ticket price. Vouchers are good for any regular season home game played at the Bud Metheny Baseball Stadium. Vouchers can be presented at the gate for admission. Single-game tickets can also be purchased for $5.
Click here to purchase the 2021-22 ODU voucher book.
The Extra Finnings Podcast
The Extra Finnings Podcast is back for the 2022 season, which features an in-depth look at the ODU baseball program. Catch the most recent episode of the Extra Finnings Podcast, here.
Baseball Hosts Florida Atlantic to Kick Off Crucial Three-Week Stretch
