On the diamond, UConn and Rutgers combined for eight Big East Tournament titles and 10 Big East regular-season titles.
For the fourth consecutive season, the two programs will meet in a non-conference battle, with Tuesday’s matchup completing a home-and-home single-game series that saw Rutgers win 13-11 at Elliot Ballpark in Storrs, Conn.
The Huskies (25-20, 10-5 Big East) are riding into the midweek matchup on their longest winning streak of the season, which began with the series finale against St. John’s and included a sweep at Georgetown, the first sweep of the season.
First baseman Jackson Marshall was named the Big East Player of the Week after going 9-for-17 with 11 runs batted in and five runs scored in four games last week. The Southern New Hampshire transfer is batting .389 this season (eigthth-best in the Big East) with 46 runs batted in (leading the Big East) and 12 home runs (leading the Big East). He has an on-base plus slugging (OPS) percentage of 1.146, which is the best among all Big East players with at least 100 at-bats. The sophomore from Hooksett, N.H., is in the middle of a 19-game hitting streak and a 33-game on-base streak.
Left-handed pitcher Charlie West was named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll after striking out 13 batters and allowing just four hits and a walk with one earned run in the 14-2 series-opening win over Georgetown. Among Big East players with at least 10 starts, West ranks third in earned-run average (ERA) at 3.68 over 63.2 innings. The junior from South Setauket, N.Y., has struck out 37 batters in 22.2 innings in his last three starts.
The Scarlet Knights (22-22, 9-12 Big Ten) won the final two games of a three-game series at home against Ohio State to win the series and get back to .500. They are tied for ninth place in the Big Ten standings with Illinois and Washington.
Center fielder Peyton Bonds, who leads the team in batting average (.358), on-base percentage (.433) and OPS (.981), has not returned to the field since suffering an injury while diving for a ball on April 10 against UCLA.
However, the biggest home run threat for UConn’s pitching staff will be playing, as third baseman Charlie Meglio has hit eight home runs this season to lead the Scarlet Knights. Shortstop Yomar Carreras leads the team in RBI with 34 on the season.
The best way to describe Rutgers is that they are a middle-of-the-pack team in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights are in the middle of the conference in many of the major statistics.
According to Massey Ratings, Connecticut has a better offensive and defensive rating than Rutgers, with the 66th-best offense and the 78th-best defense in the country. The Scarlet Knights are rated as a better defensive team than an offensive one, ranking 80th in defense nationally while boasting a fringe top-100 offense.
Neither team has been a strong contender this season. Both squads have one quad-1 win, according to PEARatings, and both have suffered bad losses according to the NET.
UConn’s pitching, as it did over the weekend, is again expected to shine against a team with an on-base percentage of .364, 242nd in the country. The Huskies’ pitching staff boasts a 4.49 earned-run average, 44th-best in the country. Should the Huskies win this game, the key will be to wear down Rutgers’ bats that have not impressed this season.
The Scarlet Knights historically have a slight edge with a 37-35 record, including wins in three of the last four meetings. The two programs first met on April 13, 1946.
This is the beginning of a four-game stretch against non-conference opponents as the Huskies return home to kick off May with a three-game series against East Tennessee State.
First pitch from Bainton Field in Piscataway, N.J., is set for 3 p.m. and will be televised on the Big Ten Network.