Matchup – Old Dominion (12-1) at Charlotte (5-8)
Game Location – Hayes Stadium (Charlotte, N.C.)
Game 1 – Friday, March 10 at 6 p.m.
Game 2 – Saturday, March 11 at 2 p.m.
Game 3 – Sunday, March 12 at 1 p.m.
Watch – ESPN+ (Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3)
Live Stats – Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion baseball has its first road series of the season this weekend as the Monarchs head to Charlotte, North Carolina for three games against former Conference USA foe Charlotte. The teams will play a 6 p.m. series opener on Friday, then meet again at 2 p.m. on Saturday and at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
The series will be streamed on ESPN+ and live stats will also be available.
Around the Horn
The Monarchs (12-1) dug themselves an early 3-0 hole on Tuesday against Norfolk State, but responded with five home runs and as many doubles to come away with the win over NSU, 16-7. Landen Burch (1-0) picked up the win after holding the Spartans to one run on one hit through 4.1 innings in relief. The freshman came into the game with two outs and runners in scoring position and proceeded to retire the next 11 batters he faced. Robbie O'Neal hit 3-for-5 as he homered from both sides of the plate, scored three runs, drove in four and also drew a walk.
ODU has now won 12 straight games. Through games played on March 8, the Monarchs rank third in the nation in home runs (34), home runs per game (2.62), and slugging percentage (.652); sixth in runs scored (143) and winning percentage (.923); seventh in batting average (.340); eighth in hits (160); 10th in doubles (35); and 12th in on-base percentage (.448).
Hunter Fitz-Gerald, who was named a Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week on Monday, leads the team with a .422 batting average. Following him are Kenny Levari (.404), Jake Ticer (.391), Luke Waters (.386), O'Neal (.353), Alex Bouche (.342), Thomas Wheeler (.314) and Tyler Wheeler (.313). Fitz-Gerald and Ticer have been responsible for most of the team's homers and are currently tied for third in the country with nine each. They're also tied for fourth with 0.69 home runs per game.
As for pitching, the Monarchs will continue with their same weekend rotation of Blake Morgan (2-0; 2.45 ERA) on Friday, Sam Armstrong (2-0; 1.56 ERA) on Saturday and Dylan Brown (1-0, 3.86 ERA) on Sunday. ODU enters the weekend with a team ERA of 3.78 with opposing teams hitting .267. The Monarchs have allowed 65 runs, 50 of them earned, and combined for 126 strikeouts in 119.0 innings.
Scouting Charlotte
The 49ers (5-8) dropped all three of their game at No. 11 Virginia Tech last weekend and lost a close game to UNCW, 11-9 on Wednesday at Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis, North Carolina. Trailing 9-4, a Will Butcher three-run home run highlighted a five-run bottom of the sixth that tied the game at 9-9. The Seahawks responded with a two-run blast in the top of the seventh and that score held the rest of the way.
Charlotte is hitting .249 as a team and owns a .438 slugging percentage and .418 on-base percentage. Cam Fisher leads the 49ers' starters with a .341 average, Brandon Stahlman is next at .340 and Kaden Hopson is third with a .306 clip. Fisher also leads the team with seven long balls, 19 runs, 14 RBIs, 37 total bases and two stolen bases in as many attempts.
While the 49ers have scored less than the Monarchs (110 runs compared to ODU's 143), they have drawn a considerable number of walks. Charlotte is currently second in the nation with 114 bases on balls so far. Hopson leads the way with 22, Fisher is second with 16, Josh Patrick (.250) owns 13, Blake Jackson (.200) is right behind him with 12, and Stahlman is at 10.
Right-hander Wyatt Hudepohl (0-1, 8.16 ERA) will get the start on Friday, lefty Collin Kramer (0-1, 7.30 ERA) will get the nod on Saturday, and the 49ers have not named a starter for Sunday. Charlotte's pitching owns a 6.95 ERA with a .286 batting average against. The 49ers have given up 95 runs, 87 of the earned, on 129 hits and 55 walks.
The Series
ODU holds a 51-42 lead in the all-time series. Charlotte took 2-of-3 games when the teams met in Norfolk during the regular season last year on March 25-27. The Monarchs avoided the sweep with a 13-12 win in extras as Andy Garriola hit a walk-off solo home run in the 10th.
ODU and Charlotte then met again on May 27 in the C-USA Championship, with the Monarchs ending the 49ers season with a 13-4 final at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The win marked the 40th of the season for the Monarchs as Carter Trice hit a grand slam and Andy Garriola added a two-run blast two batters later.
What's Next
ODU welcomes Princeton for a pair of games at Bud Metheny Ballpark next Tuesday and Wednesday. Both games are set for 3 p.m. starts.
Monarchs Travel to Charlotte for Weekend Series
