Matchup – Old Dominion (31-20, 14-13 Sun Belt) vs. VCU (25-27, 11-10 A-10)
Game Location – Bud Metheny Ballpark (Norfolk, Va.)
Date – Tuesday, May 16 at 4 p.m.
Watch – ESPN+
Live Stats – Click here
NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion baseball returns home to close out the regular season with a four-game homestand starting Tuesday with VCU in a 4 p.m. tilt at the Bud Metheny Ballpark.
Fans can watch the game on ESPN+ with Eric Bohannon on the call. Live stats will also be available.
Around the Horn
The Monarchs (31-20, 14-13 Sun Belt) are in a three-way tie for eighth place in the conference standings heading into the last week of the regular season. ODU scored three runs in the 11th inning on Sunday to defeat James Madison 8-5 in the final game of the series. After trailing 4-0 early, the Monarchs got three runs back on a Jay Tarkenton home run in the third and tied it with a Kyle Edwards solo blast in the fifth. A Robbie O'Neal groundout gave ODU the lead in the sixth, only to see JMU score in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 5-5. An Alex Bouche RBI groundout and a two-run single from Chris Dengler put the Monarchs up three in the top of the 11th. Joey DeChiaro got the save with a game-ending double play on a fly ball to Kyle Edwards in left, who gunned out the runner at first to end the game.
ODU has four starters batting .300 or better. Hunter Fitz-Gerald leads the team with a .327 average and Kenny Levari is right behind him at a .324 clip. Jake Ticer (.302) and Luke Waters (.300) join those two at the .300 mark. Fitz-Gerald leads the team 21 home runs (11th nationally), 54 runs scored, 67 RBIs (18th nationally) and 144 total bases. Levari has a team-best 16 doubles and is on a nine-game hitting streak.
As of May 15, the Monarchs rank 13th nationally in home runs (95), 16th in home runs per game (1.86), and 24th in both runs scored (418) and slugging percentage (.524).
Freshman right-hander Landen Burch (2-3, 7.04 ERA) will make the start for the Monarchs.
Scouting VCU
The Rams (25-27, 11-10 A-10) took two of three last weekend against cross-town rival Richmond. They lost the Friday opener 16-10, before winning 9-8 on Saturday and 4-3 on Sunday. VCU staged a three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth Sunday, capped off with an RBI single by senior A.J. Mathis to walk-off Richmond for the second day in a row.
VCU has three starters batting .300 or better. Mathis leads with a .364 average, followed by Brandon Elke (.333) and Cooper Benzin (.305). Elke leads the team in doubles (21), home runs (10), RBIs (68) and shares the lead in triples (2). Mathis leads in stolen bases swiping 17 in 19 attempts.
Nationally, the Rams are eighth in being hit by a pitch (106) and 23rd in fielding percentage (.979) as of May 15.
VCU will go with sophomore righty Nick Frazier (0-1, 8.86 ERA).
Last Time Met
Old Dominion defeated VCU 11-5 on April 25 at The Diamond in Richmond as Alex Bouche went 3-for-5 and broke the game open with a grand slam in a five-run sixth. Jake Ticer followed Bouche's blast with one of his own and Vincent Bashara picked up the win on the mound.
All-Time Series
The Monarchs hold a 91-60 lead in the all-time series with the Rams.
What's Next
Old Dominion closes out the regular season with a three-game series against Georgia State at The Bud, starting with a 6 p.m. first pitch on Thursday night. Game Two will be Friday at 3 p.m., while the regular-season finale is set for a 1 p.m. start on Saturday.
Baseball Returns to The Bud, Hosts VCU Tuesday
