Despite an impressive 18-7 start to the season, Rutgers baseball is still not ranked. In fact, no team in the Big Ten made the cut in the most recent Top 25 rankings.
Earlier this season, Iowa and Indiana were ranked. Like the rest of the conference, they are now on the outside looking in as March winds down.
So far this season, the only top-25 team Rutgers has faced is North Carolina. In a two-game series against No.19 North Carolina in mid-March, the Scarlet Knights went 0-2 while being outscored 22-15. Last week, the Tarheels were ranked 23.
Justin Sinibaldi goes the distance for @RutgersBaseball. Complete game shutout for the big lefty. Final line:
9 IP, 110 pitches
4 H
0 R
1 BB
9 K pic.twitter.com/vKRQXH2gYZ
— Brian Recca (@brian_recca) March 22, 2024
After a disappointing series against the Tar Heels, Rutgers has bounced back quickly. In their last eight games, Rutgers has posted a 7-1 record partly due to an offense that has been on fire.
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While the recent rankings were disappointing for Rutgers, they still have had a few reasons to celebrate over the last week. That includes Justin Sinibaldi, who was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday. Last Friday, he held UConn scoreless in nine innings of work.
Looking ahead to April, Rutgers will get to prove itself against some of the best teams in the Big Ten. That will include a series against Indiana and Iowa on the road.