Old Dominion (0-0) vs. Quinnipiac (0-0)
Game Location – Ellmer Family Baseball Complex (Norfolk, Va.)
Game 1 – Friday, Feb. 13 at 2 p.m.
Game 2 – Saturday, Feb. 14 at 2 p.m.
Game 3 – Sunday, Feb. 15 at 1 p.m.
Watch – ESPN+ (Game 1 | Game 3)
Live Stats – Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
Tickets – Click Here
Social Media – Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
NORFOLK, Va. – It’s opening weekend for Old Dominion Baseball as the Monarchs host Quinnipiac for three games at the Ellmer Family Baseball Complex. Friday’s series opener and Saturday are both scheduled for 2 p.m. starts, and Sunday’s series finale will begin at 1 p.m.
Friday and Sunday will both be streamed on ESPN+, and live stats will also be available for all three games.
Game Day Information
Fans planning to attend this weekend will be able to park at the Elkhorn Garage, located on the corner of 43rd Street and Elkhorn Avenue, as well as in Lot 43 at the LR Hill Sports Complex. This year’s entrance to the stadium is located in the outfield next to ODU’s Chemistry Building, and temporary seating will be available in left center field. A Power Alley Patio, presented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), will feature a food truck and beer garden. Portable toilets have been set up outside, and fans will also be able to use restrooms inside of the Jim Jarrett Athletic Administration Building.
General admission tickets are $10 apiece, with faculty and military tickets priced at $8 and $5 for children ages 2-12. Fans can also purchase ODU Baseball Voucher Books here, which includes 25 tickets for $100 plus applicable fees.
New this year, Big Blue’s Kids Club members will receive free admission for all ODU Baseball home games. For more information and to sign up for the Kids Club, click here. For those wishing to do a group outing to the Ellmer Family Baseball Complex, please fill out an interest form here or reach out to ODU Director of Ticket Sales Steven Landry at slandry@odu.edu or by calling the ODU Ticket Office at 757-683-3360.
The Series
Old Dominion hosted Quinnipiac for three games on March 9-10, 2018. After the visitors took the series opener 8-6, the teams split a Saturday doubleheader with the Bobcats winning the first game, 5-2, and the Monarchs taking the second game, 11-0.
Around the Horn
The Monarchs finished the 2025 season 22-31 overall with a 15-15 mark in Sun Belt Conference play. With construction under way on the Ellmer Family Baseball Complex, the team played its home games at nearby Harbor Park as well as at War Memorial Stadium in Hampton. Old Dominion traveled nearly 14,000 miles and claimed four victories over Top 25 teams last season – at Auburn, Southern Miss and Troy as well as a win over the Trojans in the first round of the Sun Belt Championship. Starting pitchers Dylan Brown, Ben Moore, and Blake Morgan were drafted by the Boston Red Sox, Washington Nationals, and Tampa Bay Rays, respectively. Additionally, infielder Kyle Edwards signed with the Washington Wild Things of the Frontier League.
Old Dominion has 23 returners from last year and added 19 newcomers for 2026. The team returns its top three hitters from last season in Zach Leite (.343), Efrain Morales (.308), and Maverick Stallings (.279). Some other key position players that are back include Luke Waters, Scotty Young, TJ Aiken, Evan Holman, and Tyler Zedalis.
On the mound, ODU has 12 returning pitchers. Ethan Hubbell (1-2, 4.36 ERA) had the most strikeouts of the group last season with 45. Bailey Matela (1-1, 6.10 ERA) finished the season with five saves in 23 appearances out of the pen, and Kellen Davis (0-3, 5.46 ERA) was next with three saves in 22 appearances in relief. This weekend’s rotation will see right handers Darin Kuskie and JJ Gatti starting on Friday and Saturday with Matela throwing on Sunday. Kuskie transferred in from USC Upstate, where he went 5-2 with a 6.11 ERA in 11 starts and 16 appearances for the Spartans. Gatti spent his first two seasons at Dayton and finished 5-4 with a 6.06 ERA in 2025 with 15 starts and 16 appearances for the Flyers.
The Monarchs will play 12 games against NCAA tournament teams from last season and will have 33 home games, to include hosting NCAA regional teams in UConn and Southern Miss. The schedule also features midweek games against in-state opponents in VCU, Richmond, William & Mary and Norfolk State along with East Carolina. Old Dominion will open conference play at Troy on March 13-15, and the Sun Belt Championship is scheduled for May 19-24 at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, Alabama.
ODU was picked to finish tied for seventh alongside Georgia Southern in the Sun Belt Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Head Coach Chris Finwood is entering his 15th season leading the program and his 24th overall. He has compiled a 655-584 record in his first 22 seasons and owns a 413-333 record in his time at ODU.
Scouting Quinnipiac
The Bobcats finished 29-26-1 overall and 17-13 against Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opponents. The team’s 29 wins marked the program’s most since the 2023 season when they captured 30 wins. Quinnipiac won its first two games in the MAAC Championship, defeating Niagara, 10-5 and Siena, 7-6. The team then fell to top-seeded Rider, 8-5 and staved off elimination with an 11-4 victory over Marist, but bowed out of the tournament with a 7-3 loss to Rider in the MAAC Semifinals.
Five players received postseason honors: Christian Smith and CJ Willis represented the Bobcats on the All-MAAC First Team while Alex Irizarry, John Knox, and Sebastian Mueller were voted to the All-MAAC Second Team. Irizarry and Smith earned spots on the All-Tournament Team.
This year’s roster includes 19 returners, including nine position players and 10 pitchers, and 16 newcomers. The Bobcats bring back three of their top four hitters last season in Kyle Garbowski (.331), Irizarry (.330), and Smith. Some key returners on the mound include J.C. Franconere (3-1, 5.54 ERA), Andrew Rubayo (6-1, 6.00 ERA), Mike Poncini (4-1, 5.37 ERA), Sam Wright (3-2, 6.54 ERA), and Nick Balcom (3-4, 7.05 ERA). Monarch hitters will face all right handers this weekend as Balcom will start on Friday, Wright on Saturday, and Rubayo on Sunday.
QU has been picked to finish third in this year’s MAAC Coaches’ Preseason Poll behind Fairfield and Rider. Additionally, Smith landed on the Preseason All-Conference Team after hitting .329 with 15 home runs and 67 RBIs last season.
Head Coach John Delaney enters his 12th season coaching at his alma mater. The 2008 graduate finished his Bobcat career with 206 hits, placing him fourth all-time in program history, and 34 doubles, good for a tie for third all-time. He is 228-296-1 in his first 11 seasons in Hamden, Connecticut.
Up Next
ODU’s first midweek game of the season will be next Wednesday, Feb. 18 when the Monarchs host Manhattan at 2 p.m.