Tag: Evan Sleight

Alabama Baseball blows out Indiana in Game 1 of Frisco Classic

The No. 16-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide defeated Indiana 12-0 on Friday in the first game of the Frisco Classic.

The Alabama baseball team continued its winning ways on Friday evening. The Crimson Tide picked up a convincing, 12-0 win over the Indiana Hoosiers in Game 1 of the Frisco Classic.

Alabama got off to a hot start at the plate. Rob Vaughn’s squad plated five runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back.

The Crimson Tide were led offensively by the likes of Ian Petrutz (2-for-3, 3 RBIs), Evan Sleight (1-for-4, 3 RBIs), Will Hodo (2-for-4, 2 RBIs), and mac Guscette (2-for-4, 2 RBIs).

On the mound, starting pitcher Ben Hess was stellar. The junior from Charleston, Illinois pitched five innings of scoreless baseball allowing just one hit while striking out 10 batters.

Relief pitcher Coulson Buchanan threw two scoreless innings. He struck out three batters while allowing zero hits.

Alabama improved to 10-0 while Indiana fell to 7-2 on the season.

The Crimson Tide will return to the diamond for Game 2 of the Frisco Classic on Saturday. First pitch between Alabama and Arizona is scheduled for 5 ET / 4 CT. The game will be televised on D1Baseball.com.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest regarding the Alabama baseball program.

Alabama baseball picks up first win in season-opener against Manhattan

The Alabama baseball team secured its first win of the 2024 season against Manhattan on Friday. The Crimson Tide will return to “The Joe” for Game 2 of the series on Saturday afternoon.

It did not take long for Rob Vaughn to pick up his first win as the head baseball coach at the University of Alabama. On Friday evening, the Crimson Tide defeated Manhattan, 4-0.

Alabama’s productivity on the mound was key in the season-opener. Junior pitcher Ben Hess started for the Crimson Tide and was exceptional in his first outing.

Hess pitched four innings and struck out nine batters. He allowed one hit and walked two.

He was relieved by junior Hagan Banks. The Georgia native worked 2 2/3 innings, allowing one hit and one walk. He struck out five.

Junior pitcher Braylon Myers closed with 2 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball.

Offensively, Alabama was led by newcomers Ian Petrutz and Evan Sleight. the two combined to drive in two runs and go 3-7 at the plate. Junior first baseman Will Hodo also drove in one.

Other players who had hits were TJ McCants (2) and Justin Lebron (1).

Alabama will return to Sewell-Thomas Stadium to take on Manhattan in Game 2 of the series. First pitch for Saturday’s matchup is scheduled for 2 p.m. CST. The game is scheduled to be carried on the SEC Network+.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest regarding the Alabama baseball program.

Alabama Baseball lands Rutgers transfer Evan Sleight

Rutgers transfer Evan Sleight announced that he was transferring to Alabama on Saturday. Sleight spent one season at Virginia before spending the past three seasons at Rutgers.

Rutgers transfer Evan Sleight announced that he was transferring to Alabama on Saturday via his Twitter account. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Sleight began his college career at Virginia. He did not play as a true freshman due to an injury.

He would transfer to Rutgers in the offseason. There he would spend the next three seasons playing in the outfield for the Scarlet Knights.

In three seasons, Sleight held a career batting average of .301. He also hit 24 home runs and drove in 119 runs. His career on-base percentage was an impressive .404. Altogether, Sleight fits the profile of an SEC-caliber player and day-one starter for the Crimson Tide.

Sleight will provide some veteran leadership and experience to an Alabama baseball team that will be a lot different next season under the direction of first-year head coach Rob Vaughn. With Tommy Seidl exhausting eligibility and Andrew Pinckney testing the draft waters, the addition of Sleight becomes more valuable.

Sleight is the first transfer portal addition this offseason for the Crimson Tide. In all likelihood, there will be several more transfers that join the team over the next few months.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the Alabama baseball program.

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Rutgers sweeps Penn State in convincing fashion

Rutgers baseball swept Penn State over the weekend.

With the regular season winding down, Rutgers swept Penn State in dominating fashion this past weekend. The Scarlet Knights welcomed the Nittany Lions to Piscataway and outscored them 26-3 in three games. As Rutgers improved to 11-7 in Big Ten play, there were plenty of memorable moments.

On Friday, Rutgers started the series with an 8-1 win which included a grand slam from Chris Brito. Penn State could not stop Rutgers offense as four players, including Andy Axelson, Ryan Lasko, Cameron Love, and Brito, had multiple hits. It was only the start of a big weekend for the Scarlet Knights offense.

Their success continued on Saturday with a 10-0 win. Evan Sleight and Trevor Cohen combined to drive in four runs, and every starter except for Cameron Love had a hit. Rutgers continued to get dominating pitching as Drew Conover and Grant Besser struck out 12 Penn State batters while not allowing a run.

In the series finale, the Scarlet Knights did not hold back on their way to an 8-2 win. Cameron Love drove in two runs, and Rutgers got on the board early with five runs in the first inning. Chris Brito also continued to swing a hot bat with his second home run of the series. Over the weekend, the Scarlet Knights scored 11 runs in the first inning.

Due to their success, the Scarlet Knights are now the third-best team in the Big Ten. With the regular season winding down, conference wins are at a premium, with every team looking to improve their postseason positioning. After taking care of business convincingly, the Scarlet Knights will shift their focus to their series against Illinois, which starts on Friday.

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A week in review of Rutgers spring athletics

Rutgers athletics is having a solid start to the spring season!

With spring in full swing, softball, baseball, and lacrosse have returned for the Scarlet Knights, which means a busy few months are ahead with the sun shining down. So far, it has been a mixed result as Rutgers softball, baseball, and men’s lacrosse all have winning records, while women’s lacrosse is 4-6. However, there are plenty of games left, and there have already been a few unforgettable performances.

Entering the second weekend in March, Rutgers softball ranks third in the Big Ten and only trails Indiana by two games for the top spot. This weekend they will have a chance to improve their conference record with two games against Ohio State.

However, they are not the only team with a Big Ten matchup this week. Rutgers baseball heads to College Park on Friday to take on Maryland.

Check out what is going on with spring sports around Rutgers!

Evan Sleight is showing why his name could be called in the MLB Draft

Evan Sleight has been an on base machine for Rutgers

Entering the 2023 campaign, Rutgers had three players ranked among the top 300 hundred prospects for the 2023 MLB Draft. That listed included Ryan Lasko, Evan Sleight, and Drew Conover. While they have all excelled this season, Sleight has been an on-base machine. Through the first few weeks of the season, he is showing why he could be an appealing prospect when the MLB Draft comes around.

Through 90 at-bats, Sleight has posted a team-leading .389 batting average with 14 runs batted in. He has also shown some power as 14 of his 35 hits of gone for extra-bases. However, Sleight’s biggest asset is his ability to get on base.

In 24 games, the Framingham native has posted 1.128 OPS and .472 on-base percentage. If the 2023 season ended today, Sleight would lead Rutgers in both those categories. He has also added two steals to his resume and forced 13 walks. Sleight has continued to show excellent control of the strike zone and made the most of his plate appearances.

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The Belmont High School product also ranked among the best in college baseball for line drive rate in 2022. He has continued to make hard contact this year and already has nine doubles. His career high is ten. Sleight is projected to be a DH at the next level but has been solid in the outfield defensively.

While Sleight’s play has been hard to ignore, he entered the 2023 season ranked 186th on the 2023 MLB Draft prospects board. If he can continue his hot start, Sleight could rank higher on draft night. Regardless of when his name is called, Sleight should draw a lot of interest due to his impressive career as a Scarlet Knight.

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Rutgers baseball Evan Sleight in action this summer during the Cape Cod League.
BREWSTER 8/11/22 Evan Sleight of Bourne arrives home as Brewster catcher Kurtis Byrne turns for the throw. Cape League final game

Bourne At Brewster Cape League Final

Rutgers baseball swept by former Big East rival UConn

Rutgers baseball (12-11) played their series finale against UConn (16-5) on Sunday, dropping their third consecutive game to the Huskies.

Rutgers baseball (12-11) played their series finale against UConn (16-5) on Sunday, dropping their third consecutive game to the Huskies 9-7. The Scarlet Knights kicked off the series against the Huskies on Friday, losing both games of the doubleheader 9-8 (11 innings) and 6-5. With three straight losses, the Scarlet Knights are eighth in the Big Ten standings with a 12-11 overall record. After being swept, Rutgers’ away record (8-9) has fallen below .500. 

Game 1

In game one, Rutgers jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Outfielder Evan Sleight blasted a solo home run, providing the first run of the game. Shortly after, catcher Andy Axelson and outfielder Ryan Lasko contributed RBIs singles, giving Rutgers a 3-0 lead. 

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The Huskies would storm back, taking a 7-5 lead in the bottom of the seventh, but the Scarlet Knights didn’t quit. In the top of the eighth, the Scarlet Knights took an 8-7 lead when second baseman Cameron Love blasted a two-run double. UConn tied the game in the bottom of the ninth, forcing extra innings. The Huskies walked it off with an RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning to give UConn the victory. 

Game 2

In the second game of the doubleheader on Friday, Rutgers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Axelson contributed another RBI when he drove in Jordan Sweeney to give Rutgers the early lead. UConn blasted a grand slam in the bottom of the second, giving the Huskies a 4-1 lead over the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers battled back in the ninth but fell short, giving the Huskies a 6-5 victory.

Game 3

The Huskies kept their foot on the gas and defeated the Scarlet Knights 9-7 in their series finale. UConn scored all nine of their runs via the long ball, hitting five home runs on the day.

The Scarlet Knights opened the game with an early lead for the third straight game. Rutgers started the game with a solo home run by Rylan Lasko, giving the Scarlet Knights the early lead. The Scarlet Knights added a second run in the top of the first, but UConn would tie the game in the bottom half with two solo home runs. 

The Scarlet Knights grabbed the lead late in the top of the eighth when Lasko belted his second home run, giving Rutgers a 7-6 lead. With UConn down to their last out, the Huskies would walk it off with a three-run home run to complete the sweep. Rutgers is back in action on Wednesday when they take on NJIT at Bainton Field.

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