Yesterday, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres combined for 26 runs on 33 hits in the second game of the season-opening Seoul Series in South Korea. The UConn baseball team, 19 contests into their 2024 season, could find themselves in that same scenario this weekend when they battle the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in New Jersey.
UConn swept Rutgers at Elliot Ballpark when these two programs dueled last season behind two walk-off hits. Despite not having either slugger who delivered those game-winning base knocks, this year’s Huskies have an offense that can compete in close situations.
It starts with left fielder Korey Morton and shortstop Paul Tammaro, Connecticut’s lone players batting above .300. Morton is on a seven-game hitting streak, whacking half of his team, leading six doubles and driving in six in that span. Beyond this hot stretch, the Norwalk native is one of the most versatile sluggers in the Hook C lineup and the Big East Conference.
No UConn player has attempted or stolen more bases than Tammaro, and he complements that quickness with a disciplined approach that helps him hit for average. Four of his six RBIs came via a second-inning grand slam in the Huskies’ win over the Long Island Sharks on Wednesday; expect the team’s shortstop to continue seeing the ball well this weekend.
Five of Matt Malcom’s nine hits in his 14 games have left the yard, making him a potent power hitter in the heart of Connecticut’s batting order. While the Eastern Connecticut State transfer has done a lot of damage, graduate right fielder Jake Studley has helped replenish some of the heavy hitting lost from last year’s squad. Mix that with Luke Broadhurst’s 13 RBIs in as many games and second baseman Ryan Daniels at the leadoff spot, and the Hook C possess six quality hitters who can set the tone in any contest.
Endicott transfer Gabe Van Emon has emerged as UConn’s ace the same way Andrew Sears did last year, leading the team with 29 punchouts. Expect a bounce back performance from Van Emon tonight after the California Baptist Lancers went deep off him twice last week. Graduate lefthander Garrett Coe had the outing of his Huskies’ career last Saturday in Riverside, tossing a complete-game shutout without allowing a Lancer past second base.
It is highly unlikely he will throw 100+ pitches for the second straight weekend, but another quality performance may be in the cards. Stephen Quigley awaits at the back end of the rotation. While he started last weekend’s rubber game, his two innings of relief versus the then-No. 22 UC Irvine Anteaters may be a sign that he is returning to midseason form.
Connecticut’s bullpen is also taking shape, which is critical as Big East play nears. Notably, junior southpaw Braden Quinn has emerged as a reliable relief arm through nine appearances. Quinn’s 21 strikeouts in 12.2 innings are fourth behind the Hook C’s starters, while his 2.13 ERA is the third lowest among all pitchers. With time, the junior southpaw could be the setup man for closer Brady Afthim, who has two saves and 11 punchouts.
The Scarlet Knights had an even more dominant midweek performance than the Huskies did. Rutgers topped Rider 8-2 on Tuesday behind Jordan Falco’s five strong innings, and followed that up with 18 runs against the Lafayette Leopards on Wednesday.
Senior southpaw Justin Sinibaldi is the Scarlet Knights’ Friday night pitcher. While he has allowed more doubles and hits than any other pitcher, his 31 strikeouts and three walks in 32.2 innings make him one of the Big Ten’s strongest arms. Christian Coppola should get the nod on Saturday, where he will look to build off his five innings where he allowed just two runs. That puts true freshman Zack Konstantinovsky in line to start Sunday afternoon. Konstantinovsky has pitched four innings in all but one of his starts, but perhaps that trend will change this weekend.
Joshua Kuroda-Grauer has been the star of the Scarlet Knights offense. His .452 batting average ranks second in the Big Ten behind Penn State’s JT Marr while his 42 hits and 12 doubles sit atop the conference leaderboard. The Big Ten Player of the Week enters Rutgers’ first home series of 2024 with a multi-hit performance in each of his last five games. Unless UConn’s pitching tries to duplicate what the North Carolina Tar Heels did, Kuroda-Grauer will likely keep his torrid streak going.
Tony Santa Maria is the only other person who is even close to the junior infielder in some offensive categories. Santa Maria leads the conference with 29 RBIs, seven homers and a .741 slugging percentage to complement his .376 batting average. The redshirt sophomore’s speed goes unnoticed sometimes because of his offense; he has five consecutive multi-hit games and has scored 2+ two runs all but once in that span.
Trevor Cohen, meanwhile, is the only other Scarlet Knight batting above .400. Although he does not have that many extra-base hits, Cohen’s 41 knocks rank second in the Big Ten behind Kuroda-Grauer and his .418 batting average is tied for third. The sophomore outfielder is seeing the ball incredibly well as of late; he has five three-hit games in Rutgers’ six contests.
Those three alone give the Scarlet Knights a lethal 2-3-4 part of the batting order. Pete Durocher and Cameron Love make it even more difficult for the opposition to plan around containing just one hitter. Durocher sports a .383 batting average to go with his 23 base knocks while Love is one of the nation’s top nine-hitters with two triples, seven doubles and four stolen bases. Expect three very high-stakes shootouts in Piscataway this weekend as a result.
First pitch Friday from Bainton Field is slated for 4 p.m. EDT while Saturday’s is at 2 p.m. and Sunday’s series finale begins at 1 p.m. All three contests will air on MIXLR.