Tuesday, March 22, 2022 at 3:00 PM
Rider Broncs (9-9) vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (13-5)
Location: Lawrenceville, NJ (Sonny Pittaro Field)
First Pitch: 3:00 PM
Live Stats: GoBroncs.com
Twitter: @RiderUBaseball
 
 
What You Need To Know
 
- The Broncs entered the 2021 MAAC Tournament as the three-seed before going 5-0 in the MAAC Tournament to earn the program's third MAAC Championship.
 
- Rider advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third time under head coach Dr. Barry Davis, a feat also accomplished in 2008 and 2010. Davis has accumulated 962 career victories between his time at Gloucester County College (Rowan College of South Jersey), Georgia Southwestern University, and Rider.
 
- Rider was picked to finish fifth in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
 
- Rider returns six offensive starters from a season ago. Among the returners are Jake Barbiere (Randolph, NJ/Randolph), who led the team with a .314 average a season ago, MAAC All-Rookie Catcher Brian Skettini (Midland Park, NJ/Ridgewood), and MAAC Tournament MVP Jordan Erbe (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South).
 
- Tuesday's pitching matchup is Vincent Vitacco (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) against Wyatt Parliament. Vitacco is 0-1 with a save and a 5.68 ERA in six outings this year. He will be making his second start of the season. The graduate student has 13 strikeouts in 12.2 innings. Parliament is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in eight innings. He will be making his fifth appearance and third start of the season. The freshman has struck out eight and only allowed three hits this year.
 
- The Broncs and Scarlet Knights are meeting for the first time since 2019, a 5-4 Rutgers win. Rider had won two-straight over Rutgers entering that meeting.
 
- The Broncs have taken full advantage of the long ball this season, hitting 20 home runs. The 20 home runs equal the Broncs' output from the last two seasons combined. Brendan O'Donnell (Malvern, PA/Great Valley) has seven home runs this season, including homers in each of the last four games, the longest streak in program history during the Barry Davis era. O'Donnell leads the MAAC and ranks 38^th nationally with his seven homers.
 
- Barbiere leads the Broncs with a .342 batting average, and enters Tuesday's game on a five-game hitting streak. Rider's hot bats extend beyond Barbiere with O'Donnell also sporting a five-game hitting streak entering the game. Luke Lesch (Gloucester Township, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) has hit safely in six straight.
 
- Six has been the magic number this season for the Broncs. Rider is 9-0 when scoring six or more runs and is 0-9 when held to five or fewer.
 
- Rider's bullpen has made sure to hold leads. The Broncs are 7-0 this season when leading after six innings. Cal Stalzer (West Des Moines, IA/Valley[George Washington/Kirkwood C.C.]) leads the MAAC with three saves this season, including two in the Broncs sweep of VMI this past weekend.
 
- The Scarlet Knights are 13-5, but are coming off of losing two of three at Nebraska-Omaha. The Rutgers offense has been one of the best in the country, ranking 15^th nationally in hits and 42^nd nationally in runs. Nick Cimillo leads the Rutgers attack, ranking 17^th in the country with a .453 average and fifth nationally with a .573 on base percentage.