Despite an impressive 15-6 start to the season, Rutgers baseball is still not ranked. In fact, no team in the Big Ten was ranked in the top 25 in the latest rankings.
Earlier this season, Iowa and Indiana were ranked, but that was short-lived as the games piled up. They are now on the outside looking in.
So far this season, Rutgers has played one team currently ranked in North Carolina, ranked No.23. In their series against the Tarheels, Rutgers went 0-2 while being outscored 22-15. Rutgers could not stop Casey Cook, who drove in six runs.
Pablo Santos’ first career hit is a bases-clearing triple!!
He brings home three more and we take an 18-1 lead in the fifth!#TCD pic.twitter.com/WHdQSbu4dS
— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) March 20, 2024
Although that two-game stretch did not go as planned, Rutgers has bounced back quickly. The Scarlet Knights have won five straight games and scored at least eight runs in every game. That stretch includes a 27-run outburst against Delaware on March 16.
As Rutgers looks to earn a top-25 ranking, it will need its offense to stay hot. So far this season, the Scarlet Knights have hit 20 home runs, seven of which belong to Tony Santa Maria. If he continues to be a hitting machine, Rutgers will be hard to stop.
Looking ahead, April will be a big month for Rutgers. They are set to take on both Indiana and Iowa on the road. Those series will be good opportunities for Rutgers to prove themselves.