Tag: Big Ten baseball

Rutgers baseball’s Cam Love has a highlight play in the field

Cam Love flashes the leather in Rutgers baseball’s win on Sunday.

Over the weekend, Rutgers baseball faced one of its toughest challenges of the season in No. 21 Nebraska.

While Rutgers entered the series as underdogs they were able to record a series win, partly due to the defense of Cameron Love.

On Sunday, Love earned national attention for a play that left scouts and fans in the stands impressed. With Rutgers hanging onto a 5-4 lead with one out in the top seventh, Cayden Brumbaugh stepped to the plate and hit a line drive up the middle that seemed destined for the outfield. However, Love had other plans and made a diving catch. However, his stellar play did not stop there.

In the top of the ninth, Nebraska’s outfielder Cole Evans smoked a line drive to the right side of the infield, and again, Love made a diving catch. All Nebraska could do was look on in awe as Love continued to catch anything hit in his direction.

Cam Love can go right or left to take away hits. đź‘€

The Rutgers 2B flashed more leather late in yesterday’s win over Nebraska. @CameronLove47 x @RutgersBaseball pic.twitter.com/XJ9CIFoiXi

— Big Ten Baseball (@B1Gbaseball) April 15, 2024

 

While Rutgers got contributions from their entire roster to take down Nebraska, Love’s play stood out. Like he has done all season, Love put his body on the line to take away a hit.

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As the season winds down, the talented infielder is expected to add to his highlight reel while frustrating opposing hitters.

Rutgers baseball dropped Big Ten series against the Boilermakers

On Saturday, Rutgers baseball lost the second game of its series against Purdue 8-6, dropping their second Big Ten series in 2024. 

On Saturday, Rutgers baseball (19-11, 1-4) lost the second game of its series against Purdue (19-12, 4-4) 8-6, dropping their second Big Ten series in 2024.  The Scarlet Knights took a 6-5 lead into the ninth inning, but the Boilermakers hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the final frame to earn the win and clinch the series.

Game One

In game one, the Scarlet Knights rallied to tie the game at 3-3 with two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, but the Boilermakers scored a pair in the 10th inning to win.

After Rutgers starting pitcher Justin Sinibaldi posted five shutout innings, Purdue got on the board on an RBI fielder’s choice in the sixth inning to give the Boilermakers a 1-0 lead. In the seventh inning, the Boilermakers added another run on an RBI single giving Purdue a 2-0 lead. Rutgers reliever Joe Mazza came in the seventh inning, recording two strikeouts to hold the Purdue lead to two.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, second baseman Cameron Love got the Scarlet Knights on the board with a solo home run over the left field wall, making the score 2-1.

Purdue added an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning to extend their lead to 3-1, but the Scarlet Knights would tie the game in the bottom frame.

The Scarlet Knights cut Purdue’s lead to one when pitch-runner Scotty Young scored on a wild throw by the Boilermakers. Center fielder RJ Johnson Jr. tied the game with an RBI single, but a double play would end the frame and send the game to extra innings.

Purdue grabbed a 5-3 lead in the 10th inning when the Boilermakers scored on a hit-by-pitch and walk. The Scarlet Knights tried to rally in the bottom frame, but fell short, giving Purdue the game one victory.

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Game Two

The Scarlet Knights grabbed an early lead in game two, scoring three runs on an RBI single from shortstop Josh Kuroda-Grauer, a run-scoring double play, and a solo home run from catcher Jackson Natili.

After two scoreless innings by starting pitcher Zack Konstantinovsky, Purdue tied the game when they strung together three hits in the top of the third inning.

Rutgers third baseman Tony Santa Maria recorded his ninth home run of the season in the fourth inning, giving the Scarlet Knights a 5-3 lead. The Boilermakers didn’t quit, answering right back with an RBI double and RBI groundout in the fifth inning to make it 5-5.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Doucette delivered a sac fly to deep center that scored one run, giving Rutgers a 6-5 lead.

Purdue strung together two singles in the top of the ninth inning before a three-run home run put the Boilermakers in front 8-6. The Scarlet Knights couldn’t produce any runs in the bottom frame, going down 1-2-3 in the bottom half to end the game.

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Rough start and finish leads to Huskers’ 9-3 loss to Ohio State

The Huskers suffered their first Big Ten defeat on Sunday evening.

The Nebraska baseball team entered its final game of a three-game series against Ohio State on Sunday afternoon. The Buckeyes took the game from the start and pulled away in the end, resulting in Nebraska’s 9-3 defeat.

Ohio State built a 5-0 lead before the Huskers got on the board. Nebraska cut the lead down to 5-3 by the fourth inning, but neither team managed a run for the next four innings. The Buckeyes responded in the top of the ninth, scoring four unanswered runs to put the game away.

Freshman Case Sanderson led Nebraska in the batter’s box, finishing the game with two hits and two RBIs. Sanderson also delivered a two-run home run in the bottom of the third, scoring the Huskers’ first two runs of the game.

Nebraska’s record drops to 22-7 on the season. The Huskers will travel to Kansas for a single-game bout with the Jayhawks. The game is set for 6 p.m. on Tuesday night.

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.

Nebraska baseball takes down Ohio State in shutout win

Nebraska baseball continues their winning ways.

The No. 24 Huskers kicked off their three-game series against Ohio State at home on Friday night. Nebraska shut out the Buckeyes in a swift 3-0 win, being led by a career game from Brett Sears.

Sears pitched his first career complete game, earning the shutout win. It was the first by a Husker since Will Walsh in the Big Ten Tournament last season. Sears limited the Buckeyes to just two hits, the fewest in a complete game by a Nebraska pitcher since Matt Waldron against Michigan State in 2019.

Sears faced 28 batters in the game, throwing a career-high ten strikeouts and surrendering two hits. This is Sears’ first career complete game and marks his seventh consecutive quality start, the longest streak by a Husker hurler since Aaron Mardsen recorded seven straight in 2002.

The Huskers had seven hits on the day, five of which occurred in the first three innings when they scored all three runs. Josh Caron scored all three runs for Nebraska.

Caron started the day for Nebraska by delivering a sacrificial groundout that brought in Cayden Brumbaugh in the first inning. He then hit a two-RBI single in the third.

The Huskers improve to 21-6 on the season and will face off against Ohio State for the second game of the series on Saturday afternoon. The first pitch is set for 12:05 p.m. and can be viewed on Nebraska Public Media.

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.

Nebraska earns top 25 ranking, is the lone Big Ten team nationally ranked.

One Big Ten team is nationally ranked this week.

Despite an impressive 19-9 start to the season, Rutgers baseball is still not ranked. However, a Big Ten team made the cut in the most recent Top 25 rankings for the first time in weeks. Nebraska was ranked No.22 after going 3-0 last week.

As Nebraska went undefeated they were led by an offense that has been on fire of late. The Cornhuskers outscored Northwestern 22-14 in a three-game sweep. Nebraska will be back in action on April 5 to begin a series with Ohio State. 

While the latest rankings for Rutgers are disappointing, they have struggled of late. After beating Michigan State last Friday, the Scarlet Knights lost the last two games of the series. They were outscored 8-4 in that span and did not score more than two runs in either game. 

Back at Bainton for Big Ten play.

Big series on tap against Purdue.

➡️ https://t.co/xd4RpHjptg#TCD pic.twitter.com/a3aYLAU84G

— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 4, 2024

As Rutgers looks to get back on track, its offense will need to rediscover its power. The Scarlet Knights early season success has partly been due to its ability to put five runs on the board nightly. Rutgers best player has been Josh Kuroda-Grauer, who has posted a team-high .413 batting average.

This weekend, Rutgers will look to get back in the win column when they welcome Purdue to Bainton Field.

Rutgers baseball lost their first Big Ten series against Michigan State

After defeating Michigan State 4-2 on Friday, Rutgers baseball dropped back-to-back games against the Spartans on Saturday and Sunday.

Rutgers baseball’s start to the Big Ten season got off to a bit of a rocky start, listing their series with Michigan State.

After defeating Michigan State (12-14, 3-3) 4-2 on Friday, Rutgers baseball (19-9, 1-2) dropped back-to-back games against the Spartans on Saturday (5-2) and Sunday (3-2).

Game Two

The Scarlet Knights brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning but could not complete the comeback against the Spartans in game two. Rutgers pitcher Christian Coppola (4-2) picked up his second loss on the season, recording five strikeouts and allowing four earned runs on four hits in five innings pitched.

The Spartans struck first in the bottom of the third inning when right fielder Jack Frank logged a home run to right field, giving Michigan State a 3-0 lead. The Scarlet Knights cut the Michigan State lead to two when left fielder Johnny Volpe recorded a solo blast in the top of the fifth inning. After a scoreless bottom of the fifth inning by the Spartans and a sac fly by Rutgers Pete Durocher in the top of the sixth inning, the Spartans lead was cut to one.

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Durocher’s RBI in the sixth inning would be the final run for the Scarlet Knights on Saturday, giving the Spartans a 5-2 victory.

 

Game Three

For the second straight week, Rutgers got a career-long start from pitcher Zack Konstantinovsky, recording six shutout innings on Sunday. He finished with zero runs, six hits, four strikeouts, and three walks.

The Scarlet Knights built a 1-0 lead for Konstantinovsky in the top of the third inning when shortstop Josh Kuroda-Grauer singled in Trevor Cohen to give Rutgers an early lead.

Rutgers added to their one-run lead in the top of the seventh when Cohen doubled home catcher Jackson Natili to give the Scarlet Knights a 2-0 lead. While Rutgers grabbed the 2-0 advantage into the bottom of the seventh, the Spartans hit a pair of doubles to score one and an RBI single up the middle to score a second, tying the game at 2-2.

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After Rutgers went scoreless in the eighth and ninth innings, MSU had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Spartans would win the game on a two-out double followed by a walk-off single, giving them the 3-2 victory.

The Scarlet Knights will return to action on Wednesday against Marist after their Tuesday matchup against Hofstra was canceled because of weather conditions.

 

Rutgers baseball: Tony Santa Maria proving to be powerful bat for Rutgers

Tony Santa Maria is off to a very strong start for Rutgers baseball.

Through the first few weeks of the college baseball season, Tony Santa Maria has been a key part of Rutgers success. The New Jersey native has been a hits machine and displayed impressive power. With him in the lineup Rutgers offense has been hard to stop.

Through 25 games, Santa Maria has added eight home runs and 37 hits to his resume. He has also shown ability to drive the baseball, with 16 extra-base hits. Regardless of the opponent, he has made an impact whenever he steps into the batters box and posted a .374 batting average.

Welcome back Tony Santa Maria! @RutgersBaseball third baseman takes Andrew Dutkanych deep to left center. Santa Maria missed almost all of the 2023 season with injury. pic.twitter.com/mwfoq6wAPQ

— Brian Recca (@brian_recca) October 21, 2023

During the 2023 campaign, the talented infielder was limited to five games due to injury. However, he showed a preview of what he can do with a .429 batting average in seven at-bats. Now that he is healthy, Rutgers is reaping the benefits of having one of their best bats back in action.

As Rutgers looks to build on their success they will need Santa Maria to continue his red hot start. He has already recorded 13 multi-hit games with over a month left in the regular season. The Iona product also leads the team in home runs, RBI, total bases and on base percentage.

Regardless of what happens over the next few weeks, Santa Maria has provided a reminder of his importance to this Rutgers team.

Nebraska rallies back in 5-4 win over College of Charleston

The Nebraska baseball team entered its second game against College of Charleston after its Friday game against the Cougars was cancelled.

The Nebraska baseball team entered its second game against College of Charleston after its Friday game against the Cougars was cancelled. The Huskers trailed heading into the eighth but rallied back to take the win.

Nebraska scored its five runs off 13 hits, while Charleston recorded four runs on six hits. Riley Silva finished as Nebraska’s lead hitter, going 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored.

Brett Sears started on the mound for Nebraska and pitched for six innings. He struck out a career-high seven hitters for the third time this season and surrendered just two runs and two hits.

Ty Horn collected his first collegiate win after pitching the next two innings in relief. Horn allowed two runs and three hits. Casey Daiss recorded his second save of the year while pitching in the ninth. Daiss posted a strikeout and allowed just one hit.

Nebraska moves to 6-3 on the season and will close out its series against College of Charleston on Sunday. The first pitch is set for noon and can be viewed on FloBaseball.

Huskers comeback to defeat College of Charleston in extra innings

The Nebraska baseball team traveled east to enter a four-game series against College of Charleston.

The Nebraska baseball team traveled east to enter a four-game series against the College of Charleston. The Huskers started the series with a comeback thriller, winning 6-5 in extra innings.

Nebraska fell behind after going up 1-0 in the first inning and headed into the ninth down 5-1. The Huskers stormed back, scoring four runs and forcing extra innings. Nebraska scored the go-ahead run in the 10th and shut out the Cougars to earn the win.

Josh Caron started the game with his only hit, an RBI single to put the Huskers up. In the ninth inning, Tyler Stone started the comeback for Nebraska, earning an RBI walk with the bases loaded. Case Sanderson walked next to push the score to 5-3.

Riley Silva then delivered the equalizer with a two-RBI single, his only hit of the game. Then, in the top of the 10th, Cole Evans hit the go-ahead on a fielder’s choice, giving Nebraska back the lead for the time since the first.

Drew Christo started on the mound for Nebraska, pitching for 6.2 innings and facing 26 batters. Christo threw two strikeouts and allowed four hits and three runs. Kyle Perry started the ninth inning on the mound before Evan Borst earned the win.

Borst finished the game with three strikeouts and allowed one hit. He started in the 10th inning, putting up two outs before Tucker Timmerman earned the save.

Nebraska moves to 5-3 on the season and will play game two on Friday afternoon. The first pitch is set for 3 p.m. and can be viewed on FloBaseball.

Nebraska baseball falls to Grand Canyon 7-5

The Huskers entered game three against Grand Canyon on Saturday night.

The Huskers entered game three against Grand Canyon on Saturday night. Nebraska battled the Antelopes throughout but came up short 7-5. The Huskers took a 3-2 lead in the first inning, but Grand Canyon jumped ahead in the third and fifth innings and held the lead for the rest of the night.

Both teams produced 11 hits in the game, but Grand Canyon earned six RBIs while Nebraska earned five. The Huskers also coughed up two errors, one of them resulting in a run for the Antelopes.

Josh Caron led Nebraska in the batter’s box right out of the game, delivering a three-run home run in the first inning. Caron finished the night with two hits and three RBIs. Cayden Brumbaugh produced the other two RBIs for Nebraska, hitting sacrificial flies in the fifth and seventh innings.

Will Walsh started on the mound for the Huskers and pitched for 3.0 innings. Walsh faced 15 batters and threw two strikeouts. Mason McConnaughey took over for Walsh and pitched for 3.0 innings, facing 14 batters and striking out two. Evan Borst pitched for 1.1 innings, faced six batters and threw one strikeout. Kyle Perry finished the game for Nebraska and faced two batters.

The Huskers fall to 3-3 and will conclude the series against Grand Canyon on Sunday afternoon. The first pitch is set for 1 p.m. and can be viewed on ESPN+.