Matchup – Old Dominion (11-1) vs. Norfolk State (2-8)
Game Location – Bud Metheny Ballpark (Norfolk, Va.)
Start Time – Tuesday, March 7 at 3 p.m.
Live Stats – Click Here
NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion baseball is looking to extend its win streak to 12 games as the Monarchs host cross-town rival Norfolk State for a 3 p.m. midweek game Tuesday at Bud Metheny Ballpark.
Live stats will be available.
Around the Horn
The Monarchs (11-1) secured their second series sweep of the season with three wins over visiting Saint Joseph's this past weekend at The Bud. The weather wouldn't cooperate on Friday, so the teams played a twin bill on Saturday. ODU opened with a 15-4 victory in Game One, then followed with an 11-0 shutout of the Hawks in Game Two. In the final game of the series on Sunday, the Monarchs plated 10 runs in the first inning and held on, 13-11.
Collegiate Baseball named Hunter Fitz-Gerald one of its National Players of the Week earlier Monday after he hit five homers with one double, 13 RBIs and 11 runs last week. The junior from Margate, Florida currently leads ODU with a .424 batting average. His 54 total bases are first in the country, and he also ranks second nationally in RBIs (25), third in hits (25) and RBIs per game (2.08), fourth in home runs (8) and runs scored (22), sixth in runs per game (1.83), seventh in home runs per game (0.67) and 10th in hits per game (2.08).
ODU's next-best bat belongs to Jake Ticer, who has also been named a National Player of the Week back on Feb. 20. He's hitting .419 and is second in the nation in home runs (9), third in home runs per game (0.75), fourth in RBIs (23), slugging percentage (1.140) and total bases (49), and seventh in RBIs per game (1.92).
Also hitting .300 or better are Luke Waters (.386), Kenny Levari (.375), Alex Bouche (.364), Thomas Wheeler (.340), Tyler Wheeler (.313) and Robbie O'Neal (.310). The Monarchs rank fourth in slugging percentage (.633) and home runs (29), fifth in hits (147) and home runs per game (2.42), seventh in runs scored (127), eighth in batting average (.339), and ninth in scoring (10.6 runs per game).
ODU will start left-hander Kyle Scrape (0-0), who owns a 6.75 ERA through one start and two appearances. The junior from Tampa, Florida has allowed three runs on five hits with no walks through four complete innings pitched. ODU's arms enter the game with a combined 3.52 ERA and are holding opposing batters to a .261 clip.
Scouting Norfolk State
After dropping both games of a doubleheader to Binghamton on Saturday, 6-3 and 7-0, the Spartans (2-8) avoided the sweep with a 6-5 win in 10 innings on Sunday. Down to its last out and trailing 5-4, NSU's Brandon Cleveland singled to center field, stole second and took third on a passed ball. He then came around on a Chance Pollard single to short to force extra innings. In the 10th, Jacob Council led off with a double and was pinch run for by Keshun Nelson. Nelson then moved up to third on a ground out to short and scored the deciding run on a Cam Mazell hit through the left side.
Cleveland is batting .471 and Raphael Rodriguez follows at .407. Also hitting .300 or better are Dionte Brown (.382), Pollard (.357) and Manny Jackson (.303). The Spartans are hitting .248 as a team and are also a threat to steal with 13 stolen bases in 17 attempts.
Right-hander Liam Royster (0-0) is expected to get the nod for the Spartans. A freshman from Roselle Park, New Jersey, he owns a 16.20 ERA after surrendering three runs, all earned, on two hits and four walks in his lone outing against Morehead State on Feb. 19. Royster struck out a pair, but also gave up a double, threw a wild pitch and hit a batter in his 1.2 innings of work.
NSU pitchers currently own a 6.61 ERA and have given up 74 runs (61 earned) on 85 hits and 54 walks. Opposing teams are hitting .262 against them.
The Series
ODU leads the all-time series, 41-9 and has won seven of the last eight meetings. The teams last met for four games at The Bud to start the 2021 season. After defeating the Spartans 7-1 and 12-0 on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 20-21, the Monarchs then won 12-5 on Tuesday, Feb. 23 and 19-2 on Wednesday, Feb. 24.
What's Next
ODU hits the road this weekend for three games versus Charlotte at Robert and Mariam Hayes Baseball Stadium. The Monarchs and 49ers begin their series with a 6 p.m. game on Friday, followed by a 2 p.m. start on Saturday and a 1 p.m. finale on Sunday.
Voucher Books!
The 2022-23 Old Dominion voucher book is available for sale on ynottix.com. For the cost of $50, you get 25 tickets that can be presented at the gate for admission to any regular season home game at Bud Metheny Ballpark. Single-game tickets can also be purchased for $5.
Click here to purchase the 2022-23 ODU voucher book.
ODU and Norfolk State Meet for Midweek Game at The Bud
