After a dominant win against University of New Haven Chargers, the UConn baseball team is set to travel to Norfolk, Va. to face off against Old Dominion University in a three-game series this weekend
The last time the Huskies (5-7) and the Monarchs (7-4) played each other was back in 2002. Nearly 24 years ago, the Huskies took home a 13-5 win and will look to dominate again this weekend.
Connecticut had a standout performance against New Haven on Wednesday, securing a 13-5 win at home. They ended the night as a team with a combined 12 hits, four doubles, three triples and two home runs.
Second baseman Evan Menzel contributed to the score, hitting for cycle, beating a record previously set by Brian Esposito for the program in 1999.
UConn’s pitchers contributed significantly to the team’s win with right-handed pitcher Tristan Aasland closing out the game with five strikeouts and two walks. Aasland gave up just four hits across his five innings of work.
The Huskies will need to keep an eye on senior infielder Zach Leite who leads Old Dominion in RBIs (24) and currently has a .421 batting average. Tyler Zedalis is another heavy hitter for the Monarchs who averages multiple RBIs per game.
UConn can expect Old Dominion’s right-handed pitcher Darin Kuskie in the rotation for the weekend series. J.J. Gatti will also be pitching for his squad and has had success early in the season with a low era.
Old Dominion is entering the series with a win coming off a two-game losing streak. The Monarchs had a comeback victory against Virgina Commonwealth University, scoring three runs in the top of the ninth.
Left-handed pitcher Bailey Matela secured the win for his team, pitching two perfect innings and striking out six hitters in the final innings. Freshman right-handed pitcher Ben Tanton also delivered two shutout innings helping the bullpen out for the win.
The Huskies will need to rely on their strong hitters, like Maddix Dalena, who showcased his skills on full display in UConn’s series against Arizona. UConn is currently without outfielder Tyler Minick who is out indefinitely with an injury according to uconnhuskies.com
Catcher Gabriel Tirado helped UConn score later in the game against New Haven, hitting a sacrifice fly that allowed Dalena to score. Hitter Cam Righi had himself a standout game, earning his first career double and contributing two of UConn’s five runs during the eighth inning.
Pitcher Cayden Suchy is a potential starter for UConn on Friday, coming off a career-high 12 strikeouts in UConn’s game against UNC Wilmington. UConn will need to rely on their heavy hitters and strong bullpen to limit Dominion’s scoring chances, as they are a team that has had success at the plate.
The three-game series between the two begins on Friday with a first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. The teams will return to the field on Saturday at 2 p.m. and close out the series on Sunday at noon. Huskies can tune in and watch the games on UConn+.