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Rutgers Quartet Honored By New Jersey Collegiate Baseball Association

Media release May 21

PISCATAWAY, N.J.– Four members of the Rutgers baseball team were honored by the New Jersey Collegiate Baseball Association (NJCBA), as voted by the league's eight Division I head coaches. Junior center fielder Luis Feliz (New Brunswick, N.J.) was a First Team All-State selection, while freshman first baseman Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) was a Second Team All-State pick and fellow freshman outfielders Michael Lang (Dumont, N.J.) and Pat Biserta (Point Pleasant, N.J.) were named to the Division I All-Rookie Team.

The annual NJCBA Awards banquet will be held at the Pines Manor in Edison on Tuesday, May 27 at 7:00 p.m.

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Big East Baseball Action: Rutgers Splits with Villanova

Media Release, May 10

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Senior Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) lifted the Rutgers baseball team to a 5-4 victory over Villanova with an RBI single to center field in the 12th inning of game one before the Wildcats evened the series with a 7-4 win in game two of Saturday's BIG EAST doubleheader in front of 563 fans at Bainton Field.

Rutgers and Villanova remain tied for eighth place in the BIG EAST standings with identical 10-13 marks in league play. The Scarlet Knights (22-26-1) and Wildcats (26-23) meet tomorrow to decide the series and likely decide a berth in the BIG EAST Tournament, as the top eight teams in the conference advance to the league tournament in Clearwater, Fla. May 20-24.

Down, 2-0, in game one, Rutgers cut Villanova's lead in half on one swing when freshman Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) took Jordan Ellis' second offering over the right-field fence for his ninth home run of the season.

Freshman Michael Lang (Dumont, N.J.) drew a walk off a full count with one out in the sixth, stole second and scored one play later on a Vinnie Sangemino (Nutley, N.J.) single through the left side to tie it up. A single from Donny Callahan (Sparta, N.J.) brought home pinch runner Brett Garlick (Livingston, N.J.) later in the inning to give the Scarlet Knights their first lead of the contest.

Villanova re-gained the advantage off newly-inserted Kevin Lillis (Fair Haven, N.J.) next inning, however, as Derek Shunk followed a two-out single from Ryan Arcadia with a two-run home run to left field to make it 4-3.

With the one-run advantage, the Wildcats went to their closer, Josh Eidell, in the bottom of the eighth. Sophomore Jarred Jimenez (Monroe, N.J.) greeted him with a leadoff single to left field and some alert base running by Jimenez moved the Scarlet Knight all the way to third on a sacrifice bunt. Lang lifted a ball to deep center field to get Jimenez home on the sacrifice fly to tie it up.

New reliever Ryan Beard (Point Pleasant, N.J.) worked a 1-2-3 ninth and Eidell retired the Scarlet Knights in order in the bottom half of the frame to force extra innings.

Beard gave up a one-out triple to Dan Terpak in the 10th and an intentional walk to the next batter set the stage for an attempted double steal. Beard turned around and fired to second baseman Vic Cegles (Phoenix, Ariz.), who alertly fired home to get the lead runner heading for the plate out. Beard then ended the threat with an inning-ending strikeout.

Beard and Eidell followed with a scoreless 11th frame and the RU reliever retired the Wildcats in order in the 12th to set up the extra-inning heroics from Gossard. Callahan led off the 12th with a bloop single to center field and was sacrificed into scoring position where Gossard followed an intentional walk of Matthews with a game-winning single to center field to bring home Callahan, igniting a celebration at home plate.

Beard picked up the win with four innings of scoreless, one-hit relief with five strikeouts, while Eidell was tagged with the loss after giving up the winning run in the 12th. He hurled 4.1 innings of relief. Junior Matt Giannini (Millington, N.J.) started the game for Rutgers and tossed 5.1 innings with two runs on five hits and three strikeouts in the no decision.

Rutgers game two starter Casey Gaynor (Toms River, N.J.) was forced to leave the game after just 20 pitches in his third start back from injury. Villanova jumped on top with a three-run first inning that included three-straight singles to open the game and was capped by a two-run triple from James Dolbier later in the frame. 

The Scarlet Knights threatened in the bottom half of the first when game one hero, Gossard, doubled down the right-field line and Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) attempted to score from first, but the sophomore was tagged out at the plate thanks to an excellent relay throw from the Villanova first baseman.

Freshman Dale Hering (Montgomery, N.J.) came out to start the second and bounced back from a run in the inning to hurl five-straight scoreless innings. Meanwhile, RU plated a pair of runs in the second and third to tie it up at 4-4.

Rutgers got runners on first and third in the second thanks to a Jayson Hernandez (Belmar, N.J.) double and Langsingle. Lang attempted to steal second and the throw from Villanova catcher Wesley Borden went into center field, allowing Hernandez to come home on the play. With Lang now on third from the wild throw, Vinnie Sangemino (Nutley, N.J.) got him home with a chopper to the third baseman. In the third, a one-out single from Betteridge was followed by a pair of doubles from Matthews and Gossard to bring home the two runs in the frame and tie it up.

Hering ran into trouble in the seventh when an error put leadoff man Ryan Arcadia on and Shunk was hit. The freshman handed the ball over to Matt Patterson (Passaic, N.J.) and the senior reliever got one out, but Arcadia and Shunk both moved into scoring position on a double steal and Dolbier came up with his second big hit of the game, doubling down the right-field line to bring home both runners and put the Wildcats back on top, 6-4.

Villanova added a run in the eighth en route to the 7-4 victory as starter Brian Streilein (5-4) bounced back from the second and third frames to earn the complete game win with three strikeouts and four runs (three earned) on 12 hits in the 126-pitch performance. Hering (1-1) took the loss with two earned runs (three total) on five hits and a strikeout in five innings in his first career league action.

Gossard and Lang each collected four hits, including a pair of doubles, in the doubleheader for the Scarlet Knights.

Sunday's game starts at 1:00 p.m. with a special Senior Day ceremony scheduled prior to the contest. Sunday will also serve as Youth Day at Bainton Field where children will receive a team photo for autographs and are invited to run the bases after the game.

Rutgers Baseball Drops Series Finale at Cincinnati, 7-3

http://scarletknights.com

Scarlet Knights End Weekend Tied With Villanova For Eighth Place In the League, Host Wildcats Next Weekend

CINCINNATI, Ohio – Rutgers fell behind early on a first-inning grand slam from Cincinnati's Mike Spina and the Scarlet Knights couldn't claw their way back in a 7-3 loss to the Bearcats in the series finale Sunday afternoon in front of 738 fans at Marge Schott Stadium.

The Scarlet Knights, who are now 20-25-1 overall, end the weekend tied with Villanova for eighth place in the BIG EAST standings with an identical 9-12 league mark. Rutgers hosts the Wildcats in a three-game series next Friday through Sunday at Bainton Field. Cincinnati, with a mark of 29-18 overall, is alone in third place in the conference with a 14-7 league record.

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KEAN'S GIANAKAS & ROWAN'S KULIK NAMED NJAC BASEBALL PLAYER AND PITCHER OF THE YEAR

KEAN'S IOVIERO NAMED COACH OF THE YEAR FOR SECOND STRAIGHT SEASON

NJAC Media Release

Kean University senior outfielder Derek Gianakas and Rowan University senior left-hander Ryan Kulik have been named the New Jersey Athletic Conference Baseball Player and Pitcher of the Year respectively for the 2008 season.

A two-time first-team all-conference selection, Gianakas currently leads the NJAC in both slugging percentage (.746) and home runs (11). A two-time NJAC Player of the Week selection, he also ranks second in total bases (100) and third in runs scored (45). Against NJAC pitching, Gianakas hit .400 and posted league-best totals in slugging percentage (.917); runs scored (24); home runs (7); and total bases (55).

Kulik's selection as NJAC Pitcher of the Year marks the second time that he has garnered the league's top pitching honor, and the fifth time in six seasons that a Prof hurler has earned the selection. A two-time first-team all-conference selection, he currently leads the NJAC in opposing batting average (.173); innings pitched (73.0); strikeouts (112); wins (7); and games started (11). A four-time NJAC Player of the Week selection and the current NCAA Division III national leader in strikeouts, Kulik posted league-best conference-only marks in opposing batting average (.163) and strikeouts (55).

Kean junior right-hander Brandon Aich was named the league's Fireman of the Year as the conference's top relief pitcher. He currently ranks second in the NJAC in earned run average (1.72), opposing batting average (.174), and wins (6). Against NJAC competition, Aich posted a league-high five victories and ranked second in both earned run average (1.53), and opposing batting average (.167).

Rutgers-Newark freshman second baseman Matt Connors was named NJAC Rookie of the Year. A four-time NJAC Rookie of the Week selection, he hit .382 overall and currently ranks second in the league in hits (65) and third in the conference in runs scored (45). Connors finished the NJAC conference season ranked second in total hits (30).

One year after leading the Cougars to the NCAA Division III National Championship, Kean head coach Neil Ioviero was selected as NJAC Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season by his peers. Ioviero has led the Cougars to a 30-9 overall record, and their second consecutive NJAC regular season championship via a 14-4 conference mark. In 12 seasons at the helm of the Kean program, Ioviero has guided the Cougars to an overall record of 311-134.-2.      

             2008 NJAC BASEBALL ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTIONS

college baseball: Rutgers Rally earns win over Delaware 5-4

http://scarletknights.com

NEWARK, Del.  – Down 4-0, through three innings, the Rutgers baseball team rallied with five unanswered runs to earn a 5-4, come-from-behind victory over Delaware Tuesday afternoon at Bob Hannah Stadium for the Scarlet Knights' sixth victory in their last seven games.

Delaware's Josh Dean gave the Blue Hens their first hit with a single up the middle and Ryan Cuneo gave them their first runs with a two-run home run with two outs in the first. Chris Nehl then put Delaware up 3-0 with a leadoff home run over the left field wall in the second. Dean then reached on an infield error to leadoff the third and scored two plays later on a Ryan Reed bloop single to right field as the Blue Hens jumped out to the 4-0 early lead.

That was all Delaware (15-27) would score, as the Scarlet Knights (19-22-1) plated five unanswered runs to earn the come-from-behind victory.

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Rutgers Camden Closes Season with 9-27 record

Baseball 2008

Field conditions force cancellation
  of Rutgers-Camden's final game

CAMDEN (April 29, 2008) – Unplayable field conditions forced the cancellation of the final scheduled game for the Rutgers University-Camden baseball team today. The Scarlet Raptors were supposed to play at Gwynedd-Mercy College.
 
  The contest will not be rescheduled.
 
    Rutgers-Camden closes its season with a 9-27 record.

Rutgers, Giannini Shut Down Seton Hall, 7-3

Media Release April 25, 2008

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – Junior Matt Giannini (Millington, N.J.) pitched a complete-game and Rutgers got production throughout its lineup as the Scarlet Knights cruised to a 7-3 victory over Seton Hall in the BIG EAST Baseball series opener Friday evening at Owen T. Carroll Field.

The Scarlet Knights extended their winning streak to four games and improved to 17-21-1 overall and 7-9 in the conference, while the Pirates fell to 26-16 overall and 12-7 in the league with the loss.

Giannini scattered nine hits and struck out five in his second career complete game. He retired nine-straight at one point, spanning the fifth to the eighth innings en route to his third victory of the season.   

Eight of Rutgers' nine starters collected at least one hit in the Scarlet Knights' 13-hit attack.

The victory broke the tie in the all-time series as RU moves to 44-43-1 against the Pirates.

Rutgers and Seton Hall continue their series with a 6:00 p.m. game Saturday at Owen T. Carroll Field. Junior righty Jason Downey (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) will be on the mound for the Scarlet Knights against junior lefty Corey Young for the Pirates. 

Rutgers: Jimenez Grand Slam Lifts Scarlet Knights over Wagner 7-3

Media Release, April 22

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Sophomore Jarred Jimenez (Monroe, N.J.) hit a first-inning grand slam and the Rutgers baseball team never looked back en route to a 7-3 victory over Wagner Tuesday afternoon at Bainton Field.

Rutgers (15-21-1) got its first man aboard via a Donny Callahan (Sparta, N.J.) leadoff walk in the first and Wagner starter Andy Wells found himself in a jam after giving up a single to Tom Edwards (West Caldwell, N.J.). With two outs and a full count to Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.), the Seahawk hurler was one pitch away from getting out of it, but Matthews drew the walk to load the bases and Jimenez cleared them two pitches later with a grand slam over the right-field fence.

Wagner (15-18) manufactured a run in the third when Damian Csakai drew a leadoff walk, stole second and was sacrificed over to third where he scored two plays later on a groundout to make it 3-1.

The Seahawks then capitalized on an error to push across a pair of runs in the fourth and pull within one run of the Scarlet Knights. Joe Conforti followed a one-out double from Seth Boyd with a walk to put runners on first and second against starter Tony Wargo (New Providence, N.J.). A pickoff attempt at first base resulted in a wild throw from the catcher, allowing Boyd to score and Conforti to move over to third, where he would score on a sacrifice fly later in the at-bat to make it 4-3.

In the sixth, Rutgers had Luis Feliz (New Brunswick, N.J.) (walk) on third and Vic Cegles (Phoenix, Ariz.) on first with one out and Callahan executed a safety squeeze, with a bunt down the first-base line. The first baseman scooped the ball up and went home on the play, but the throw was high, sailing over the catcher's head and to the backstop. Feliz scored and Cegles and Callahan each advanced a base to move to second and third, respectively, on the error. Both runners eventually scored on back-to-back singles from Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) and Edwards as the Scarlet Knights built a 7-3 advantage.

RU threatened to add to their lead in both the seventh and eighth innings with a runner on third with two outs, but Wagner reliever David Rees got out of the jam with a groundout and a strikeout.

After recording his third-consecutive scoreless frame, Wargo handed the ball over to Matt Patterson (Passaic, N.J.) in the eighth. The reliever hurled two scoreless innings, as the Scarlet Knights punctuated the victory with a game-ending double-play.

Wargo scattered three hits and surrendered just one earned run with six strikeouts in seven innings to pick up his first victory of the season. Wells took the loss for Wagner with seven runs on eight hits and four strikeouts in six innings.

Parents !Warning ATV's are Dangerous: 6-year-old killed riding miniature ATV

source www.nj.com

Monday April 21, 2008, 3:15 PM

A 6-year-old Franklin Township boy riding a miniature ATV was killed Saturday as he attempted to cross Skillmans Lane and was hit by a Jeep, police said today. The child was thrown off the small, black Honda ATV and then struck by a van, police said.

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Rutgers Baseball Rallies for 5-4 Victory Over USF in the 10th

Media Release, April 20

PISCATAWAY, N.J.  – The Rutgers baseball team rallied for four unanswered runs and capped its comeback witha run-scoring grounder from Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) in the 10th inning to earn a 5-4 victory over USF in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Bainton Field. 

The Scarlet Knights improved to 14-21-1 overall and 6-9 in the BIG EAST with the win, while the Bulls fell to 20-19 overall and 8-10 in the conference with the loss.

Down, 4-1, Rutgers began its comeback with a run in the fifth, when Betteridge doubled down the right-field line and Tom Edwards (West Caldwell, N.J.) drove him home with a single through the right side. The Scarlet Knights pushed even closer in the sixth when Vic Cegles (Phoenix, Ariz.) came to the plate with men on first and second and two outs and singled back up the middle to score one run. RU left the tying run stranded on third though as reliever Zach Pietrzyk got Donny Callahan (Sparta, N.J.) to fly out to center field to end the inning.

The Scarlet Knights again came within in 90 feet of tying it up in the eighth when Luis Feliz (New Brunswick, N.J.) and Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) opened the frame with a pair of singles and were both sacrificed over. After a big strikeout from Pietrzyk, USF went to its bullpen to bring in lefty Stephen Hunt for the lefty Callahan. The move paid off for the Bulls as Callahan flied out to left field.

Rutgers starter Jason Downey (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) had another strong outing in his second career start with a career-long eight innings of work, consisting of 140 pitches. He handed the ball over to sophomore Kevin Lillis (Fair Haven, N.J.) for the ninth where the Bulls threatened to add an insurance run. USF had a man on third and two outs but Lillis sent Brian Hobbs down on strikes to get out of the jam.

Betteridge continued the rally in the ninth with a single to the shortstop before moving over to second on a wild throw to first base. Edwards then sacrificed him over to third and Hunt followed a hit batsman with a wild pitch to allow Betteridge to score and tie it up.

After a scoreless 10th inning for the Bulls, the Scarlet Knights completed their comeback victory just in time. Due to USF's travel schedule, a previously-agreed upon time that a future inning was not allowed to start was less than 10 minutes away. RU made sure that situation did not occur though. Sophomore Jayson Hernandez (Belmar, N.J.) hit a one-out single to right field and Cegles found a hole through the left side to move pinch runner Brandon Boykin (Teaneck, N.J.) into scoring position. A walk to Callahan loaded the bases and the Bulls yanked Hunt in favor of the righty Matt Stull against Betteridge. The sophomore hit a chopper to shortstop Addison Maruszak, who hesitated going home before trying to turn a double play. One out was recorded at second but the delay prevented a throw to first base. Boykin crossed home on the play, igniting a celebration at home plate for the triumphant Scarlet Knights.

Rutgers had fallen behind, 3-0, early on before using a Feliz triple and a Matthews hard-hit line drive single to center to score a run and make it 3-1 after two innings. The Scarlet Knights threatened for more early on with runners on second and third without recording an out in the third inning, but USF starter Derrick Stultz struck out the next three batters to get out of the jam.

Lillis (3-1) picked up the win with two innings of scoreless relief, while Hunt (0-2) was saddled with the loss after allowing the winning run on base in the 10th. Downey struck out five and allowed four runs on nine hits in eight innings of work for the Scarlet Knights in the no-decision.

Betteridge and Cegles enjoyed a three-hit day to lead the Scarlet Knights' 15-hit attack in the contest.

Rutgers continues its home slate with a Tuesday game against Wagner at Bainton Field. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m.

Two-run ninth inning lifts Ramapo past Rutgers-Camden

Baseball 2008

                              

CAMDEN (April 18, 2008) – Ramapo College senior right  fielder Jairo Jimenez (Bronx, NY/Dewitt  Clinton) ripped a solo home run to left field leading off the ninth inning, breaking a 4-4 tie and sparking the Roadrunners over Rutgers University-Camden, 6-4, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference baseball game here Friday afternoon.

The shot by Jimenez lifted the Roadrunners to 14-16 overall and 3-9 in the NJAC. It also sent the Scarlet Raptors to their ninth straight loss. Rutgers-Camden fell to 7-22 overall and 1-11 in the conference.

  The home run was the first run allowed by Raptors  sophomore Michael Kondrath (Medford Lakes, NJ/Holy  Cross) during his long relief stint. Ramapo added an insurance run in the  ninth after junior third baseman Gino  Gallagher (Cedar Grove, NJ/Cedar) collected a two-out infield  single and stole second. He scored on a single up the middle by freshman  shortstop Rob Dimperio (Jackson, NJ/Jackson).

The two teams traded leads all day, with Rutgers-Camden holding edges of 1-0 and 2-1 before Ramapo scored three runs in the fifth inning. That frame was sparked by RBI singles from junior left fielder Mike Manges (Glen Rock,  NJ/Paramus Catholic) and sophomore first baseman Peter Sita (Bayonne, NJ/Hudson Catholic). Sophomore  second baseman Mark Ruggiero (Fairfield, NJ/West Essex Regional) capped the rally with a  sacrifice fly.

Rutgers-Camden bounced back to tie the game with a two-run sixth inning, started by a double from sophomore left fielder Zach Colgate (Haddon Heights, NJ/Haddon  Heights). An infield error scored Colgate and a pair of singles by senior  shortstop Shawn Park (West   Berlin, NJ/St. Joseph-Hammonton) and  sophomore third baseman Kyle Ballay (Delran, NJ/Delran) produced the tying run.

Dimperio had three hits for the Roadrunners. Colgate went 2-for-4 with one run and two RBIs for the Raptors, who collected five hits in the game. Colgate had a double and a triple for his two hits.

  Raptor sophomore catcher Greg Hunt (Marlton,   NJ/St. Joseph-Hammonton) went  0-for-4 to snap his 11-game hitting streak, the longest on the team this  season.

Kondrath (0-2) took the loss, working four innings and allowing four hits, the two ninth-inning runs and one walk. He struck out one.

  Ramapo junior starter Dan Mulligan (Wilmington, DE/Concord) was the winning pitcher, working eight innings of five-hit ball. He allowed four runs (two earned) and four walks, while striking out three.

Rutgers-Camden returns to action Saturday with a 4 p.m. NJAC doubleheader as it hosts Kean University, the defending NCAA Division III national champions.                  

USF Escapes With 6-4 Victory Over Rutgers Baseball

PISCATAWAY, N.J.  – The Rutgers baseball team mounted a two-out rally for the second-straight day but fell just short as USF escaped with a series-clinching, 6-4, victory Saturday afternoon in front of a season-high 673 fans at Bainton Field.

Rutgers cut USF's lead to a pair of runs and loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth, but could not produce another score as the Bulls (20-18, 8-9 BIG EAST) won their second-straight, tight game to take the series from the Scarlet Knights (13-21-1, 5-9 BIG EAST). 

USF's Trey Manz led off the third with a ground-rule double and came around to score the Bulls' first run later in the inning.

A one-out single back up the middle from Bulls' DH Stephen Hunt brought in two runs in the fourth to give USF a 3-0 lead.

Back-to-back doubles to the gap in left center field from Jarred Jimenez (Monroe, N.J.) and Pat Biserta (Point Pleasant, N.J.) gave the Scarlet Knights' their first run of the game, trimming USF's lead to 3-1.

However, the Bulls used five hits in the fifth inning, including a pair of run-scoring doubles from Addison Maruszak and Joey Angelberger, to score three runs in the frame and build a 6-1 lead.

Rutgers capitalized on a USF error in the sixth to bring home two runs and make it 6-3. Freshman Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) stepped to the plate with one out and Jimenez (single) on second, and Tom Edwards (West Caldwell, N.J.) (walk) on third, and hit a ground ball to the shortstop. Matthews, who had beaten the throw to first as Edwards crossed home plate, raced to second when the throw bounced in front of the first baseman and came to a rest in foul territory, allowing Jimenez to come around and score on the play.

With the three-run lead, USF went to its closer, Shawn Sanford for the second-straight day and Rutgers mounted a comeback against the Bulls' hurler for the second-straight day. Sophomore Jayson Hernandez (Belmar, N.J.) began the two-out rally with a single to center field and Vic Cegles (Phoenix, Ariz.) followed with a double to the gap in right-center field. Senior Donny Callahan (Sparta, N.J.) then hit a grounder up the middle and beat the throw to first for an infield single as Hernandez crossed home. Sanford then walked Betteridge on four pitches to load the bases for Edwards. The Bulls yanked Sanford in favor of lefty David Torcise against the lefty Edwards. Edwards worked the count to 3-1 before popping up to the shortstop, allowing the Bulls to escape with the victory.

USF's Randy Fontanez (3-3) got the win with four strikeouts and three runs (two earned) on six hits seven innings of work, while Rutgers' Kyle Bradley (Howell, N.J.) (0-2) took the loss with six runs on 10 hits in 4.1 innings. Senior Matt Patterson (Passaic, N.J.) worked four scoreless innings of relief for RU.

Cegles' double extended his hitting streak to 10 games, while Biserta posted his third, three-hit game in the last five contests.

The Scarlet Knights and Bulls will conclude their series with Sunday's series finale. First pitch has been changed to 11:00 a.m. where Rutgers righty Jason Downey (Ballston Lake. N.Y.) will get the ball against USF righty Derrick Stultz.

Rutgers Rally Falls Short In 7-5 Loss to USF

                        

Scarlet Knights and Bulls Continue Series With 1:00 p.m. Game Saturday

                     

Media Release April 18

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Down, 6-1, entering the seventh, the Rutgers baseball team rallied with a four-run seventh frame but fell just short in a 7-5 loss to USF Friday in the series opener at Bainton Field.

The Scarlet Knights put the tying run in scoring position in the seventh and ninth frames but could not produce the equalizier.

USF plated its first run on a RBI single up the middle from Brian Hobbs with two outs in the first inning. Hobbs then gave the Bulls a 3-0 lead with an RBI double down the right field line in the third to score USF's second run of the frame.

Meanwhile, USF starter Daniel Thomas didn't surrender his first hit until the third when Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) slapped a single through the left side. Thomas induced a double play to the next batter and later finished his third scoreless inning.

NOTE  – Sunday's Rutgers baseball game against USF at Bainton Field, originally scheduled to begin at noon, has been changed to an 11:00 a.m. first pitch.

Junior righty Jason Downey (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) will be on the mound for the Scarlet Knights against freshman righty Derrick Stultz for the Bulls.

 

Gossard Named to BIG EAST Baseball Honor Roll

                        

Senior Collected 10 RBI In Weekend Series Sweep of Georgetown

                     

Media Release 4/14

PISCATAWAY, N.J.  – Senior Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) was named to the BIG EAST Baseball Honor Roll, the league office announced on Monday.
Gossard was a key contributor in Rutgers’ three-game sweep Georgetown over the weekend. The senior catcher drove in 10 runs with a .400 on-base percentage in three games against the Hoyas. He had at least one hit in all three games.

Gossard led a seven-run inning with a grand slam to put the Scarlet Knights ahead for good against the Hoyas in the series opener on Friday. He later drove in another run on a single. The cleanup hitter finished with seven RBI (a season high for a Scarlet Knight) and accounted for eight total runs in the contest.

In Saturday’s game, he collected one hit, walked once and scored an important run in the eighth inning as RU won 5-3.

In Sunday’s series finale, Gossard drove in three more runs with a 2-for-5 day. Down 1-0, he drove in a pair of runs with a single to left field to make it 2-1. Later in the game, he tied it up with another RBI single to left field. In the sixth inning, he made a nice defensive play when, with a man on second and one out, he followed a strikeout with a throw to second base to pick off the base runner and end the inning.

The senior also pinch hit and earned a walk in his lone appearance during the midweek against Delaware.

Gossard is the third Scarlet Knight to be recognized by the league this season. Freshman Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) was named the BIG EAST Player of the Week on March 31, while sophomore Casey Gaynor (Toms River, N.J.) was named the league’s Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 25. 

Rutgers (12-19, 5-7 BIG EAST) opens a seven-game homestand on Tuesday with a 3:30 p.m. against Fordham at Bainton Field. 

Rutgers-Camden’s Fimiani earns NJAC Rookie Pitcher of the Week

Media Release                              

CAMDEN (April  14, 2008) – Rutgers University-Camden freshman Dan Fimiani (Pittsgrove, NJ/Schalick) was named the New Jersey Athletic Conference Rookie Pitcher of the Week today after a stellar outing against nationally-ranked The College of New Jersey on Thursday.
 
In his second collegiate start, Fimiani held the powerful Lions hitless for 6-1/3 innings before allowing an RBI single for his lone hit. He walked five and hit four batters, while striking out one. He allowed one earned run in his 6-1/3 innings and left with a 2-1 lead. He would have had his first collegiate win, but the Lions rallied for four runs in the ninth inning for a 5-2 victory.
 
  Fimiani’s no-hit bid is all the more impressive  considering TCNJ is ranked No. 4 in the d3baseball.com Top 25 poll and No. 7 in the ABCA national rankings.
 
A 6-foot-2 right-hander out of Schalick High School, Fimiani has worked in 10 games, making two starts, for the Scarlet Raptors this season. He has allowed 18 hits and 21 walks in 21-2/3 innings, while striking out 12. Most of that damage came in his first collegiate outing when he allowed three hits, two walks and five earned runs in 2/3 of an inning against Moravian College, Feb. 24. After his first two outings, Fimiani had a 67.50 ERA and he has lowered that mark to 4.98 since then.
 
Fimiani has been one of the hottest pitchers on the Raptors in the last week, working 9-2/3 innings over three appearances, while allowing only one hit and one earned run.
 
  Fimiani is the second Rutgers-Camden hurler to be  honored by the NJAC this season. Junior southpaw Damien Wright (Millville, NJ/Millville) was recognized as the NJAC Pitcher of the Week on March 3.
 
Rutgers-Camden returns to action Wednesday with a 3:30 p.m. non-conference game at De Sales University. The Scarlet Raptors’ next home game is Friday, when it faces Ramapo College in a 3:30 p.m. NJAC contest.

William Paterson sweeps Rutgers-Camden, 12-5, 8-4

Baseball 2008

http://athletics.camden.rutgers.edu
                              

WAYNE (April 12, 2008) – The William Paterson University baseball team ripped 31 hits and extended its New Jersey Athletic Conference winning streak to six games as it swept Rutgers University-Camden, 12-5 and 8-4, here Saturday.

  The Pioneers improved to 19-9 overall and 9-2 in the  NJAC. The Scarlet Raptors fell to 7-20 and 1-10.  

Game One

                              In the first game, Paterson sophomore Scott Zirul (Cedar Grove,   NJ/Cedar Grove) scattered nine hits and allowed five runs (four earned) in a complete-game performance. He walked two and struck out three in raising his record to 5-0.

  Paterson pounded out 17  hits, including three apiece by sophomore second baseman Vincent Ganz (Waterbury,  CT/Holy Cross), senior shortstop Dan Limone (Teaneck,  NJ/Teaneck), senior  third baseman Anthony Perrone (Midland Park, NJ/Bergen Catholic) and sophomore left fielder Andrue Laguerre (Jersey City, NJ/St.  Benedict’s Prep). Perrone had a double, two triples, two runs and two RBIs,  while Ganz had two doubles, two runs and four RBIs.

Rutgers-Camden opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first, but the Pioneers responded with two scores in the first and a single run in the third for a 3-1 lead.  The Scarlet Raptors tied the game at 3-3 in the fourth, scoring twice thanks to a passed ball and a RBI-ground out by junior designated hitter Matt Gabrielski (Atco, NJ/St.  Joseph-Hammonton), but William Paterson took the lead for good with two runs in the fourth. The Pioneers added five runs in the fifth, highlighted by Ganz’s two-run double down the right-field line.

  Sophomore center  fielder Scott Fruits (Turnersville, NJ/Paul VI) and senior shortstop Shawn Park (West Berlin, NJ/St.  Joseph-Hammonton) were both 2-for-5 for the Scarlet Raptors. 

  Senior starter Andrew  Lihotz (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast) suffered the loss,  allowing 12 hits and nine runs (five earned). Lihotz (2-4) walked two, hit one  and struck out three.        

Game Two

In the nightcap, Rutgers-Camden took a quick 1-0 lead on a firsts-inning bases-loaded walk to sophomore second baseman Kyle Ballay (Delran,   NJ/Delran). Paterson took the lead for good with a  four-run third inning, which included an RBI double from Ganz.

                              William Paterson  tacked on three more runs in the fourth, when sophomore right fielder  Mike  Guadango (Upper Saddle River, NJ/Northern Highlands) emptied the bases with a triple to right-center, giving the Pioneers a 7-1 advantage.  The Scarlet Raptors fought back to score twice during the seventh inning, and had the tying run at the plate with two outs, but Pioneer starter Steve Schlitzer (West New York, NJ/Memorial) was able to induce an  inning-ending fly out to maintain a 7-3 edge.

Schlitzer struck out seven and walked six in seven innings, giving up two hits and three runs for the victory (3-2).  Senior Steve  VandeVrede (Lincoln Park, NJ/Pequannock) pitched the final 2.0  innings, striking out four and allowing two hits and a run.

                              Rutgers-Camden freshman Eric Bosworth (Westford,  MA/Westford   Academy) took the  loss for Rutgers-Camden, throwing two innings and giving up seven hits and four  runs.

Ganz was 2-for-3 in the nightcap with a double. Guadango nearly hit for the cycle with a single, double and triple, finishing 3-for-5 with three RBI.

                              Rutgers-Camden will play a non-conference game at DeSales  Wednesday, beginning at 3:30 p.m.                                                                                                                              

Rutgers Baseball Downs Georgetown, 9-8, to Earn Series Sweep

Media Release April 13..............http://scarletknights.com

BETHESDA, Md. – The Rutgers baseball team broke a 4-4 tie in the fifth with five runs over the final four innings and held off a late rally from Georgetown as the Scarlet Knights completed the series sweep of the Hoyas with a 9-8 victory Sunday afternoon at Shirley Povich Field.

Rutgers improved to 12-19 overall and 5-7 in the BIG EAST with Sunday's victory, while Georgetown fell to 12-20 overall and 3-12 in league play with the loss.

Junior pitcher Jason Downey (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) made his first career start on Sunday and struck out the side in the first inning. He retired the first four hitters before giving up a pair of singles in the second and Georgetown plated its first run on a sacrifice fly.

Rutgers loaded the bases in the third on a pair of singles from Michael Lang (Dumont, N.J.) and Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) and a Tom Edwards (West Caldwell, N.J.) walk, and Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) made the Hoyas' lead short-lived with a two-run single to left field.

Downey collected two more strikeouts in the bottom half of the third, but Georgetown's Matt Harrigan followed a Matt Iannetta single and a Sean Lamont walk with a three-run home run over the center field fence to put the Hoyas back up 4-2.

Rutgers tied it back up at 4-4 in the fifth when Edwards followed a one-out single by Lang with an RBI double off the wall in left-center field and Gossard drove Edwards home with a single through the left side. 

The Scarlet Knights later re-gained the advantage with a two-run sixth when Victor Cegles (Phoenix, Ariz.) stepped to the plate against newly-inserted Hoya hurler Cary Piligan with Luis Feliz (New Brunswick, N.J.) (bunt single) on second and Jarred Jimenez (Monroe, N.J.) (walk) on third. The senior delivered a line-drive single to right field to bring home both Feliz and Jimenez for the 6-4 lead.

Feliz then gave the Scarlet Knights some breathing room with a two-out RBI single to left field to score Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) (hit by pitch) in the seventh to make it 7-4.

Georgetown loaded the bases with one out in the seventh and RU called on reliever Kevin Lillis (Fair Haven, N.J.) to get the Scarlet Knights out of the jam. Lillis got his first batter, Lamont, to hit a grounder to third and an alert Edwards stepped on the base and fired over to first for the inning-ending double play as RU got out of the inning unscathed.

Edwards led off the ninth with a single to center field and scored two batters later on a Matthews single back up the middle to push the Scarlet Knights' lead to 8-4. Matthews stole second later in the inning to move into scoring position. A Feliz grounder in front of third base set up a potential double play for the Hoyas. The throw to second base got the first out, but the Hoya second baseman's throw to first was wild and Matthews raced around third and came home to give the Scarlet Knights a ninth run. 

The run proved crucial as Georgetown mounted a ninth-inning rally with four runs, aided by Harrigan's second three-run home run of the contest. Junior Ryan Beard (Point Pleasant, N.J.) came in for Lillis and struck out the only batter he faced for the final out of the game to earn his first save.

Downey struck out eight with four runs on five hits in five innings of work to improve to 3-0, while Alex Meyer (2-0) took the loss after giving up the pair of runs in the sixth.   

Eight of Rutgers' nine batters collected a hit in the Scarlet Knights' 14 hit attack. Gossard drove in three runs for RU to complete a 10 RBI weekend for the senior catcher. 

Rutgers swept Georgetown for the third straight year and extended its winning streak over the Hoyas to 10 with Sunday's victory. The Scarlet Knights are now 34-3 all-time against the Hoyas under the direction of head coach Fred Hill and are 31-1 since 1998. 

Rutgers returns home where it will begin a seven-game home stand with a Tuesday contest against Fordham at Bainton Field. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m. 

Jimenez, Matthews Lead Rutgers Baseball to 5-3 Victory Over Georgetown

Media Release April 12

BETHESDA, Md.  – Sophomore Jarred Jimenez (Monroe, N.J.) and freshman Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) each collected three hits and accounted for four runs as the Rutgers baseball team earned a 5-3 victory over Georgetown Saturday afternoon at Shirley Povich Field to take the series from the Hoyas.

The Scarlet Knights improved to 11-19 overall and 4-7 in the BIG EAST with their second league series victory of the season. RU also took Friday's series opener over Georgetown (12-19, 3-11 BIG EAST), 22-10, to win the three-game set.

The game also marked the return of pitcher Steve Holt (Toms River, N.J.), who was on the mound for the first time in more than three weeks due to injury. He gave up just one hit and one run with a strikeout in a scheduled limited outing.

Georgetown had jumped out to an early lead when the Hoyas loaded the bases with one out in the first and Matt Harrigan was hit by Holt. The RU hurler induced an inning-ending double-play ball by the next batter to get out of the jam without allowing another score.

Gossard, Feliz Power Rutgers to 22-10 Victory Over Georgetown

media release April 11

BETHESDA, Md. – The Rutgers baseball team erupted for season highs in hits (19) and runs (22) as the Scarlet Knights defeated Georgetown, 22-10, in their BIG EAST series opener with the Hoyas Friday afternoon at Shirley Povich Field.

Senior Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) drove in seven runs, including a second-inning grand slam, to go with two runs scored in a 2-for-6 day. Junior Luis Feliz (New Brunswick, N.J.) completed a 4-for-6 day with two home runs and two doubles to drive in six runs and score another four. The pair accounted for 16 of the Scarlet Knights' 22 runs on the day.

Rutgers improved to 10-19 overall and 3-7 in the BIG EAST with its most runs since a 27-0 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson on March 24, 2004.

TCNJ’s ninth-inning rally stuns Rutgers-Camden, 5-2

                              

CAMDEN (April 10, 2008) – Nationally-ranked The College of New Jersey scored four runs with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to stun the Rutgers University-Camden baseball team, 5-2, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game Thursday afternoon at Campbell’s Field.
 
  TCNJ, ranked seventh nationally in the ABCA/Collegiate Baseball Division III Top 25  poll and fourth in the d3baseball.com poll,  improves to 20-3 overall and 7-1 in the NJAC. The Lions have won 12 of their  last 13 games.
 
  Rutgers-Camden falls to 7-17 overall and 1-7 in the  conference with its fourth straight loss.
 
For 8-2/3 innings, it appeared the Raptors would not only snap that losing streak, but shock one of the nation’s top programs in the process. Rutgers-Camden received no-hit pitching from freshman Dan Fimiani (Pittsgrove, NJ/Schalick) for  6-1/3 innings before senior right fielder Matt  Barrett (Pennington, NJ/Hopewell Valley) lined a RBI single to left field for the Lions’ first hit and run. Fimiani left the game with a 2-1 lead and the Raptors protected the edge until the last moment.
 
  With one out in the top of the ninth, freshman  pinch-hitter Matt Giermanski (Oradell,  NJ/River Dell Regional) drew a walk and freshman Elliot Stein (Middletown, DE/Middletown) went in as a pinch-runner.  After a strikeout sent the Lions down to their last out, senior center fielder Dave Mebs (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) hit  a slow roller to the left of the mound. Raptor senior shortstop Shawn Park (West Berlin, NJ/St.  Joseph-Hammonton) raced in for a do-or-die play, but his off-balance throw was bounced in the dirt as Mebs beat out an infield hit. Junior second baseman Adam Tussey (Brooklawn, NJ/Gloucester) dropped a two-run single into right-center field and advanced to second as the Raptors’ relay to the plate sailed high for an error in an unsuccessful attempt to nail the go-ahead run. Junior shortstop Jeff  Toth (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville) followed with a triple to right-center, then  scored on an infield error.
 
Prior to Mebs’ infield hit in the ninth inning, Fimiani (6-1/3 innings, one hit, one earned run, five walks, four hit batters and one strikeout) and three relievers shut down the Lions on just one hit. The Scarlet Raptors scored single runs in the fourth and fifth and nearly made that margin stand up.
 
In the fourth, Park drew a one-out walk, advanced on a ground out and scored on a two-out single to center by sophomore third baseman Kyle Ballay (Delran, NJ/Delran). One  inning later, junior second baseman Dean  Straga (Mullica Hill, NJ/Clearview Regional) was hit by a pitch, stole  second and scored on an error.
 
  TCNJ’s first run came in the seventh when sophomore  left fielder Chris Esperon (Union,  NJ/Union Catholic) was hit by a pitch, advanced on a sacrifice and scored  on the Lions’ first hit, Barrett’s single.
 
  TCNJ’s second pitcher of the game, senior Brad Kittle (Millville, NJ/Millville) picked up the victory when the Lions rallied in the ninth. Kittle (1-0) worked three innings of one-hit shutout ball, striking out three. Junior Eric Gertie (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) collected his fifth save with a scoreless ninth inning. He allowed one hit and survived an infield error to end the game on a fly out with the potential tying run at the plate.
 
  Sophomore Michael  Kondrath (Medford Lakes, NJ/Holy Cross) took the loss to drop to 0-1.
 
  Rutgers-Camden sophomore catcher Greg Hunt (Marlton, NJ/St. Joseph-Hammonton) was the lone batter in  the game to collect multiple hits, going 2-for-4.
 
Both teams return to conference action Friday with 3:30 p.m. road games. TCNJ faces Ramapo College, while Rutgers-Camden battles Richard Stockton College.

Cichy hurls Rowan nine past Rutgers-Camden, 4-2

                              

CAMDEN (April 7, 2008) – Rowan University senior lefty Joe Cichy (Vineland, NJ/St. Augustine  Prep) took a shutout into the ninth inning and the Profs escaped a late Rutgers-Camden rally to beat the Scarlet Raptors, 4-2, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference makeup game Monday afternoon at Campbell’s Field.
 
  Rowan, which is ranked 16th in the latest ABCA/Collegiate Baseball Top 25 poll and  received votes toward the d3baseball.com national  poll, improves to 17-7 overall and 4-4 in the NJAC. Rutgers-Camden falls to  7-16 and 1-6.
 
  In a tight pitchers’ duel between senior southpaws  Cichy and Rutgers-Camden’s Andrew Lihotz  (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast), the Profs finally broke a  scoreless deadlock with two runs in the fourth inning. Senior second baseman Joe Franceschini (Toms River, NJ/Toms River  East) drew a leadoff walk and scored on a two-out triple to left-center by  senior third baseman Paul Urbanovich  (Rutherford, NJ/St. Peter’s Prep). That hit broke a scoreless string of 13 straight innings for Lihotz, who hurled a shutout in his previous outing and hadn’t allowed a run since the eighth inning of a loss at The College of New Jersey March 27.
 
  Junior designated hitter Tom Reindel (Flemington,   NJ/Hunterdon Central) followed  with a RBI single to plate Urbanovich.
 
The Profs added another run in the sixth inning following a leadoff double by Urbanovich, who went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, one RBI and an outstanding defensive game at third base. Reindel followed with a deep fly ball to right field. Urbanovich tagged and came all the way around to score on an overthrow to third base.
 
The Profs added their final run in the top of the ninth following a leadoff single by Urbanovich. He advanced to third base on a stolen base and a throwing error, and then scored on a double by senior catcher Robert Fox (Ocean   Township, NJ/Ocean Township).
 
That 4-0 lead looked like more than enough for Cichy, who entered the ninth inning with a two-hit shutout and only two walks. After retiring the first batter on a ground out, however, Cichy walked three straight batters and was relieved by junior Kevin  O’Hara (Clayton, NJ/Gloucester Catholic). Sophomore  third baseman Kyle Ballay (Delran,  NJ/Delran) greeted O’Hara with a two-run single, snapping a string of 17-2/3 consecutive scoreless innings for the Raptors, who hadn’t scored since the eighth inning of a 17-inning loss to Rutgers-Newark Saturday.
 
  Junior Matt  Gabrielski (Atco, NJ/St. Joseph-Hammonton) followed with a pinch-hit single to right field, loading the bases and placing the tying run at second base. O’Hara nailed down his third save of the season with a swinging strikeout and a 3-1 ground out to end the threat.
 
Cichy (2-2) allowed two hits, five walks and two earned runs in 8-1/3 innings, while striking out six. Lihotz (2-3) worked seven innings, allowing five hits, three earned runs and one walk. He struck out two.
 
Rowan collected seven hits in the game, with three by Urbanovich and two apiece by Reindel and Fox. Rutgers-Camden had four singles, including the two-run hit by Ballay and the pinch-hit single by Gabrielski.
 
  Rowan hosts Wesley   College Tuesday in a 3:30  p.m. non-conference game.
 
  Rutgers-Camden returns to action Thursday when it  entertains The College of New Jersey in a 3:30 p.m. NJAC contest.

Rally Falls Short as Delaware Defeats Rutgers Baseball, 5-3

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Down, 5-2, with one out in the ninth inning, Rutgers loaded the bases, but the Scarlet Knights’ rally fell short as the Blue Hens escaped with a 5-3 victory in baseball action Wednesday afternoon at Bainton Field.

Delaware (11-19) surged out to an early advantage with a four-run first inning off Rutgers starter Tony Wargo (New Providence, N.J.). The Blue Hens strung together four hits, capped by a two-run single from Chris Nehl down the left-field line to build their lead.

Wargo settled down after the first, however, giving up just three hits the rest of the day. He retired the final nine batters he faced in order, spanning the fifth through the seventh innings.

The Blue Hens manufactured a run in the third to push their lead to 5-0.

Meanwhile, Delaware starter Corey Crispell didn’t give up his first hit until two outs into the third inning when Vic Cegles (Phoenix, Ariz.) singled through the left side.

The Scarlet Knights got some timely hitting in the fourth, however, as freshman Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) came up with men on first and second and delivered a ball to the wall in right-center field for a two-run double to score Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) (walk) and Jarred Jimenez (Monroe, N.J.) (hit by pitch) to cut the lead to 5-2. 

The Scarlet Knights threatened again in the sixth off newly-inserted David Slovak, putting runners on the corners with two outs, but Vinnie Sangemino (Nutley, N.J.) was caught in a run down trying to steal second base for the final out.

In the eighth, RU put runners on first and second with one out with Jimenez, the Scarlet Knights’ cleanup hitter, at the plate. Jimenez hit a hard grounder up the middle but Blue Hen second baseman Kyle Davis made a nice stop and started an inning-ending double play to end the threat.

Pinch hitter Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) started the RU rally in the ninth with a leadoff walk and moved to second on a Luis Feliz (New Brunswick, N.J.) single through the left side. Pinch hitter Pat Biserta (Point Pleasant, N.J.) then drew a walk to load the bases as Delaware made the call to their bullpen to bring in reliever Joe Tebaldi. Cegles hit a hard grounder back up the middle to score a run but Davis made another nice stop to prevent further damage and get a crucial out at second base on the fielder’s choice. With two outs, runners on the corners and Donny Callahan (Sparta, N.J.), representing the winning run, at the plate, Tebaldi struck the Scarlet Knight out to end the rally and pick up the hard-fought save.

Crispell (1-3) got the win in five innings of work with just two hits allowed and two runs to go along with five strikeouts, while Wargo (1-2) took the loss in a career-long-tying seven-inning outing that included five runs on seven hits and four strikeouts. Tebaldi represented the fifth and final pitcher for the Blue Hens as the hurler picked up his first save of the season in 0.2 innings of work. 

Senior Matt Patterson (Passaic, N.J.) and Ryan Beard (Point Pleasant, N.J.) combined for two scoreless innings of relief for RU in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively. The Scarlet Knights’ four hits on the afternoon were the second-lowest of the season. 

Rutgers travels to Washington, D.C. this weekend for a three-game series at BIG EAST-foe Georgetown, beginning Friday at 3:00 p.m.

Rowan Tops Rutgers-Camden, 4-2

Left hander Joe Cichy

Box Score

CAMDEN, NJ – The Rowan University baseball team defeated Rutgers-Camden, 4-2 in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) game on Monday.

Rowan improves to 17-7 overall and 4-4 in the conference. Rutgers-Camden has a 7-16 record and a 1-6 NJAC mark. Left hander Joe Cichy (sr. Vineland, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) got the win on the mound for the Profs. Cichy (2-2) went 8.1 innings, allowing two runs on two hits and striking out six batters. Right hander Kevin O’Hara (jr. Clayton, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) pitched the final 0.2 innings to earn his third save of the season. Scarlet Raptors’ lefty Andrew Lihotz (sr. Philadelphia, PA/Northeast) took the loss. Liholtz (2-3) gave up three runs in seven innings.

The Profs were led by third baseman Paul Urbanovich (sr. Rutherford, NJ/St. Peter’s Prep) with three hits (four at bats), three runs scored, one RBI, a double and a triple. Designated hitter Tom Reindel (jr. Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) and catcher Robert Fox (sr. Ocean Twp., NJ/Ocean Twp.) each had two hits (four at bats) and one RBI. Second baseman Joe Franceschini (sr. Toms River, NJ/Toms River E.) scored one run.

For Rutgers-Camden, third baseman Kyle Ballay (so. Delran, NJ/Delran) recorded one hit (four at bats) and two RBIs. Shortstop Shawn Park (sr. West Berlin, NJ/St. Joseph’s (Hammonton)) and pinch runner Dennis Hill (fr. Pilesgrove, NJ/Woodstown) scored one run apiece.

Rowan went ahead 2-0 in the top of the fourth inning. Urbanovich drove in Franceschini with a triple to left center. Reindel followed with a single to right field that plated Urbanovich. The Profs added a run in the seventh. Urbanovich got on base with a double. He move to third on a deep fly to right field and scored on a throwing error. Rowan added an insurance run in the top of the ninth when Fox doubled in Urbanovich, who reached base with a single. In the bottom half, Ballay hit a two run single to left center, bringing home Hill and Park.

Related: Rowan

Rutgers-Newark survives marathon to sweep Rutgers-Camden nine

CAMDEN (April 5, 2008) – Junior catcher Gerard Russomanno (Totowa, NJ/Passaic Valley) doubled home the tie-breaking run in the top of the 17th inning of the nightcap to lift the Rutgers-Newark baseball team to a 13-4, 8-6 sweep over Rutgers-Camden in a New Jersey Athletic Conference baseball marathon Saturday afternoon and evening at Campbell's Field.

The second game lasted 4:48 and the 17 innings made it the longest game in Rutgers-Camden baseball history. The previous record of 12 innings was accomplished eight times, last on April 22, 2007 when the Raptors lost a 6-5 game at The College of New Jersey.
The sweep lifts Rutgers-Newark to 11-11 overall and 4-3 in the NJAC. Rutgers-Camden falls to 7-15 and 1-5.

Game One

In the first game, the Scarlet Raiders ripped 16 hits and took advantage of eight walks and three hit batsmen to defeat the Scarlet Raptors. Newark scored four runs in the sixth inning to break open a tight 3-2 lead.

The Scarlet Raiders scored three runs in the game on bases-loaded walks and one on a hit batsman with the bases loaded. Seven of the Newark runners who scored were put aboard by either a walk or as a hit batsman.

Freshman second baseman Matt Connors (Hasbrouck Heights, NJ/Hasbrouck Heights) paced Newark, going 4-for-5 with two runs, three RBIs and a stolen base from his leadoff spot. Junior right fielder Brian Gill (Manasquan, NJ/Wall), sophomore DH Anthony Yeswita (Hasbrouck Heights, NJ/Hasbrouck Heights), senior first baseman Dan Zika (Kenilworth, NJ/David Brearley), senior left fielder Doug Ford (Neptune, NJ/Neptune) and Russomanno each added two hits.

The first five batters in the Newark lineup – Connors, Gill, Yeswita, Zika and Ford, combined to go 12-for-26 with six runs and 10 RBIs.
Sophomore Dan Nodarse (Rutherford, NJ/Rutherford) worked seven innings, allowing nine hits, four earned runs and two walks. He struck out four while evening his record at 1-1.

For the Raptors, sophomore center fielder Scott Fruits (Turnersville, NJ/Paul VI), senior shortstop Shawn Park (West Berlin, NJ/St. Joseph-Hammonton) and sophomore catcher Paul Painter (Blackwood, NJ/Highland Regional) each had two hits. Sophomore right fielder Steve Myers (Millville, NJ/Millville) collected three RBIs.

Game Two

The second game lasted five innings longer than the previous Rutgers-Camden record for innings, as the two teams matched scoreless innings from the ninth through the 16th inning. In the top of the 17th, a two-out walk to sophomore shortstop Michael Dennis (Lakewood, NJ/Lakewood) started the Raiders' winning rally. Russomanno, who caught all 26 innings on the day for Newark, ripped a double to right-center field to plate Dennis, and then scored on a single up the middle by freshman center fielder Matt Citro (Bloomsbury, NJ/Phillipsburg).

Trailing by as much as 4-1 early in the game, Rutgers-Camden fought back to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth on an unearned run, setting the stage for a marathon which featured 120 at bats, 27 hits, nine walks, seven errors and six hit batsmen in a game that started at 3:13 p.m. and lasted until 8:01. Two players on each side collected eight at bats apiece, including Fruits and Myers for the Raptors, who broke the old Rutgers-Camden mark of seven at bats in a game held by five players.

Zika collected 19 putouts at first base for the Scarlet Raiders, while Rutgers-Camden sophomore third baseman Kyle Ballay (Delran, NJ/Delran) notched eight assists, two shy of the single-game program record.

Rutgers-Camden sophomore catcher Greg Hunt (Marlton, NJ/St. Joseph-Hammonton) went 4-for-7 on the day, while sophomore left fielder Zach Colgate (Haddon Heights, NJ/Haddon Heights) added three hits.

For Newark, Russomanno paced the attack with three hits, including the game-winning double.

Junior pitcher Christian Diaz (New Milford, NJ/New Milford), the last of four Newark pitchers, picked up the win with two shutout innings. He allowed no hits and one walk. Diaz (1-1) struck out two. Perhaps the best performance on the mound was turned in by Newark junior Robert Falk (Englishtown, NJ/Manalapan), who worked six shutout innings in relief, allowing only two hits. He struck out two and didn't walk a batter.

Rutgers-Camden freshman Eric Bosworth (Westford, MA/Westford Academy), the last of six Raptor pitchers, took the loss, allowing two earned runs, one walk and two hits in two innings. Bosworth fell to 1-4.

Rutgers-Camden hosts Rowan University in a NJAC makeup game Monday at 3:30 p.m. That game was postponed by rain on Friday. Rutgers-Newark has a non-conference makeup game Wednesday when it travels to De Sales University for a 3:30 p.m. game.

Notre Dame Downs Rutgers Baseball, 11-2, In Series Finale

media release, April 6

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame collected 16 hits in an 11-2 victory over the Rutgers baseball team in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Frank Eck Stadium. The Scarlet Knights moved to 8-18 overall and 2-7 in the BIG EAST, while Notre Dame improved to 16-9-1 overall and 7-2 in the conference with a series sweep.

Notre Dame got its first run in the second when Ross Brezovsky doubled down the right field line and scored one play later on a Sean Gaston single up the middle.

David Mills reached on a fielder’s choice in the third and raced around the bases on a pair of steals before scoring on an AJ Pollock single to open the scoring on a big inning for the Irish. A hit ND batter later put runners on first and second and the Irish used consecutive singles to plate two more runs. A third-straight Irish single off the bat of Gaston was mishandled by the right fielder, which allowed two runs to score. Gaston, who advanced to third on the error, scored the Irish’s sixth run of the frame on their fifth single of the inning to give Notre Dame a 7-0 lead.

In the fourth, Pollock drew a leadoff walk and used a pair of steals to reach third, before scoring the Irish’s eighth run on a Jeremy Barnes double.

Sophomore Brett Garlick (Livingston, N.J.) hit a leadoff single for Rutgers in the sixth and came around to score the Scarlet Knights’ first run before Tom Edwards (West Caldwell, N.J.) followed an Irish infield error with an RBI groundout to score Callahan (fielder’s choice) to cut it to 8-2.

ND sandwiched a pair of doubles from Brezovsky and Pollock around a throwing errors on a steal attempt to plate two more runs against newly-inserted Jason Downey (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) in the sixth.

The Irish added a run in the seventh en route to their second-straight 11-2 victory over the Scarlet Knights. ND has taken the last nine games from RU in South Bend, dating back to 2002.

Brezovsky finished the day 4-for-5 with a pair of RBI to lead Notre Dame offensively.
Junior Ryan Beard (Point Pleasant, N.J.) (0-3) suffered the loss for RU with seven runs (six earned) on nine hits in 2.1 innings, while Eric Maust (2-1) got the win for ND with two runs (one earned) on seven hits and four strikeouts in eight innings.

Rutgers returns home before traveling to New York City to take on Columbia University on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m.

Two-Run Eighth Lifts Notre Dame Over Rutgers, 7-5

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame broke a 5-5 tie with two runs in the bottom of the eighth to defeat the Rutgers baseball team, 7-5, in the series opener Friday evening in front of 1,062 fans at Frank Eck Stadium.

Down, 4-2, in the fourth, the Scarlet Knights (8-16, 2-5 BIG EAST) chipped away at the Irish’s (14-9, 5-2 BIG EAST) lead with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, thanks to an RBI single from Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) and an RBI double from Vic Cegles (Phoenix, Ariz.) to tie it up.

ND’s A.J. Pollock put the Irish back on top with a two-out, solo home run to left field in the seventh.

The Scarlet Knights battled right back, however, against Notre Dame closer Kyle Weiland. SophomoreBrett Garlick (Livingston, N.J.) hit a one-out single to the hole on the left side and stole second to move into scoring position. A groundout to second off the bat of Cegles moved Garlick over to third and the Scarlet Knights tied it up when Garlick came around to score on a Donny Callahan (Sparta, N.J.) bloop single to center field.

Reliever Matt Patterson (Passaic, N.J.)ran into a jam in the eighth with runners on first and second and handed the ball over to closer Jason Downey (Ballston Lake, N.J.). Downey’s first batter, Billy Boockford hit a hard grounder through the hole on the left side just out of the reach of the diving Betteridge at shortstop to score Jeremy Barnes from second base for what proved to be the game-winning run.

Wieland (1-0) then retired the Scarlet Knights in order in the ninth to earn the victory with one run allowed on two hits and a pair of strikeouts in two innings of relief work for the Irish. Patterson (2-1) was tagged with the loss with three runs let up on one hit in 1.1 innings of relief. Junior Matt Giannini (Millington, N.J.) didn’t factor in the decision, despite six solid innings of work on the mound for the Scarlet Knights.   

Rutgers scored its first two runs with in the third and fourth thanks to RBI singles from Betteridge and Garlick.

RU left a total of 10 runners on base in the contest, stranding Betteridge at third in the fifth inning. 

The Scarlet Knights registered 13 hits on the day, including seven combined hits from the bottom third of its order, consisting of Luis Feliz (New Brunswick, N.J.), Garlick and Cegles. Betteridge and Garlick each had three hits to lead the way. 

Rutgers and Notre Dame will continue its series tomorrow with a 1:00 p.m. game at Frank Eck Stadium. Sophomore righty Kyle Bradley (Howell, N.J.) will be on the mound for the Scarlet Knights against senior lefty Wade Korpi for the Irish. 

Two-Run Eighth Lifts Notre Dame Over Rutgers, 7-5

Media release April 4, 2008

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame broke a 5-5 tie with two runs in the bottom of the eighth to defeat the Rutgers baseball team, 7-5, in the series opener Friday evening in front of 1,062 fans at Frank Eck Stadium.

Down, 4-2, in the fourth, the Scarlet Knights (8-16, 2-5 BIG EAST) chipped away at the Irish’s (14-9, 5-2 BIG EAST) lead with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, thanks to an RBI single from Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) and an RBI double from Vic Cegles (Phoenix, Ariz.) to tie it up.

ND’s A.J. Pollock put the Irish back on top with a two-out, solo home run to left field in the seventh.

The Scarlet Knights battled right back, however, against Notre Dame closer Kyle Weiland. SophomoreBrett Garlick (Livingston, N.J.) hit a one-out single to the hole on the left side and stole second to move into scoring position. A groundout to second off the bat of Cegles moved Garlick over to third and the Scarlet Knights tied it up when Garlick came around to score on a Donny Callahan (Sparta, N.J.) bloop single to center field.

Reliever Matt Patterson (Passaic, N.J.)ran into a jam in the eighth with runners on first and second and handed the ball over to closer Jason Downey (Ballston Lake, N.J.). Downey’s first batter, Billy Boockford hit a hard grounder through the hole on the left side just out of the reach of the diving Betteridge at shortstop to score Jeremy Barnes from second base for what proved to be the game-winning run.

Wieland (1-0) then retired the Scarlet Knights in order in the ninth to earn the victory with one run allowed on two hits and a pair of strikeouts in two innings of relief work for the Irish. Patterson (2-1) was tagged with the loss with three runs let up on one hit in 1.1 innings of relief. Junior Matt Giannini (Millington, N.J.) didn’t factor in the decision, despite six solid innings of work on the mound for the Scarlet Knights.   

Rutgers scored its first two runs with in the third and fourth thanks to RBI singles from Betteridge and Garlick.

RU left a total of 10 runners on base in the contest, stranding Betteridge at third in the fifth inning. 

The Scarlet Knights registered 13 hits on the day, including seven combined hits from the bottom third of its order, consisting of Luis Feliz (New Brunswick, N.J.), Garlick and Cegles. Betteridge and Garlick each had three hits to lead the way. 

Rutgers and Notre Dame will continue its series tomorrow with a 1:00 p.m. game at Frank Eck Stadium. Sophomore righty Kyle Bradley (Howell, N.J.) will be on the mound for the Scarlet Knights against senior lefty Wade Korpi for the Irish. 

ncoming Freshmen to Display Talent at WBCA High School All-America Game on Saturday

Media Release, April 4

PISCATAWAY, N.J. –  Incoming Rutgers women's basketball freshmen Jasmine Dixon (Long Beach, Calif.), Chelsey Lee (Miami, Fla), Brooklyn Pope (Fort Worth, Texas) and April Sykes (Crawford, Miss.) will participate in the 2008 Women's Basketball Coaches Association High School (WBCA) All-America Game on Saturday, April 5 at the Sun Dome in Tampa Bay, Fla.

In total, 20 seniors will participate in the 17^th annual prestigious event presented by Nike. The players will be divided into two teams of ten players. The college-style regulation game tips off at 4:30 p.m.

Rutgers has the most representation on the roster, tied with Tennessee with four players each on the roster.

The four along with future Scarlet Knight Nikki Speed (Pasadena, Calif.) appeared in the McDonald's All American game on March 26 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.  Speed was chosen an honorable mention on the WBCA All-America team.

The future collegiate players will be available for autographs following the game.  The Nike Co-Captains for the event are the WNBA Minnesota Lynx's Lindsey Harding and Indiana Fever's Tamika Catchings.

Ninth-Inning Rally Falls Short as Rutgers is Edged at Monmouth 6-5

Media Release April 2

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Down, 6-4, Rutgers rallied with a run in the ninth and came 90-feet short of tying it up before Monmouth escaped with a 6-5 victory over the Scarlet Knights in NCAA Baseball action at MU Baseball Complex Wednesday afternoon.

Facing the two-run deficit and down to their final three outs, the Scarlet Knights (8-15) rallied. Senior Vic Cegles (Phoenix, Ariz.) reached on an infield error and Donny Callahan (Sparta, N.J.)Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) brought in one run with a sacrifice fly to deep left-center field to make it 6-5. The Hawks (9-8) decided to turn to reliever Brett Brach with the heart of the Rutgers lineup due up and MU clinging to a one-run lead. A Tom Edwards (West Caldwell, N.J.) groundout to first pushed the Scarlet Knights' tying run within 90 feet of home, but Brach got Vinnie Sangemino (Nutley, N,J.) to strike out to end the game. followed with a single before Monmouth closer Justin Esposito moved both runners into scoring position with a wild pitch. Sophomore

In a game that saw 12 different pitchers combined, Rutgers was forced to use seven different hurlers. Starter Tony Wargo (New Providence, N.J.) worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the first and was replaced by freshman Dale Hering (Montgomery, N.J.) midway through the second.

Monmouth loaded the bases again in the frame, this time with nobody retired. The Hawks scored their first run courtesy of a Wargo wild pitch. After re-loading the bases, Wargo was relieved by Hering, marking the righty's collegiate debut. Hering's first batter, Ryan Terry, gave Monmouth its second run with a single through the left side. The Hawks scored two more runs on a hit batsman and a fielder's choice before Hering was replaced by Matt Patterson (Passaic, N.J.). Patterson ended the frame with a strikeout to the first batter he faced.

A pair of singles by Vic Cegles (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) put runners on first and third for the Scarlet Knights with one out in the fifth and Tom Edwards (West Caldwell, N.J.) drove in RU's first run of the game with a line-drive single to right field. After a personnel change for both sides sent Andy McDonnell to the mound and Sangemino to the plate, RU loaded the bases when the Scarlet Knight pinch hitter drew a walk. Jarred Jimenez (Monroe, N.J.) tied it up on one swing with a bases-clearing triple to the gap in left-center field.

With the score tied at 4-4, reliever Billy Murphy (Cranford, N.J.) went out for his third inning of work in the sixth. A pair of walks and a passed ball put Monmouth's Kyle Higgins 90 feet from scoring the go-ahead run. The Scarlet Knights turned to Ryan Beard (Point Pleasant, N.J.) on the mound and Beard got Andy Meyers to hit into a fielder's choice, but Higgins crossed home plate as MU re-gained the advantage. The Hawks threatened for more in the inning, but Beard got an inning-ending double play.

Higgins used a two-out single to left field in the seventh to drive home a sixth run and give Monmouth a two-run cushion.

The run would prove to be crucial as the Hawks were able to hold off the Scarlet Knights' late rally for the narrow victory.   

Nick Vallillo (1-0) earned the win in three innings of relief work for Monmouth, while Murphy (0-1) was charged with the loss, despite two solid innings of relief work for Rutgers. Brach put the clamps on the RU rally for his second save of the season.

The victory gave Monmouth its first win over Rutgers since 2002, ending a seven-game winning streak for the Scarlet Knights over the Hawks.

Rutgers travels to South Bend, Indiana on Thursday for a three-game series with Notre Dame this weekend. The Scarlet Knights and Irish will open the series with a 5:00 p.m. game on Friday. 

Rutgers freshman Jaren Matthews, Big East Baseball player of the week

Media Release

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers freshman first baseman Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) was named the BIG EAST Baseball Player of the Week, the league announced on Monday.

Matthews earns his first collegiate honor after enjoying a .412 batting average with an .882 slugging percentage in five games last week. The freshman had three doubles, a triple and a home run and drove in 10 runs last week. In the series-opening victory over West Virginia, Matthews had a pair of doubles. He came up with the bases loaded in the second and cleared them with a three-run double to left-center field. Later in the game, he hit his second double and came around to score. In Saturday's victory over WVU, Matthews drove in four runs. He hit his fourth home run of the season in the sixth and, in the seventh, with the bases loaded, he hit another three-run double to right-center field. In Sunday's game, the freshman was walked three times, with one intentional base on balls. In a Tuesday win over Rider, Matthews drove in three runs and scored the game-winning run in a 4-3 victory over the Broncs. He tripled to drive in his third run in the eighth to tie it and scored the go-ahead run later in the inning.

The freshman has started all 22 games at first base and has hit No. 5 in the Scarlet Knights' order all season. He ranks fourth on the Scarlet Knights in hitting and leads the team in home runs. He ranks sixth in the BIG EAST with 26 runs batted in and leads the conference with 11 RBI during league action. 

Rutgers, 8-14 overall and 2-4 in the BIG EAST this season, won its first series of the season with two victories in its three-game series against West Virginia at Bainton Field. The Scarlet Knights split their midweek games against Rider (won 4-3) and Princeton (lost 1-0).

He is the second Scarlet Knight to be honored with one of the league's weekly honors this season. Sophomore Casey Gaynor (Toms River, N.J.) was named the inaugural BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week for the 2008 season on Feb. 25.

Rutgers will conclude its nine-game homestand with a Tuesday contest against Wagner at 3:30 p.m.

                                                                                       

Rutgers Falls to No. 1 Connecticut

Media Release

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) -- Connecticut's Maya Moore struggled to get open all night against Rutgers' smothering defense. Then, given a rare open look from long range, the fabulous freshman shot the Huskies back into the Final Four.

 

Matee Ajavon finished with 18 points.

Moore hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with less than 3 minutes left to propel top-seeded UConn past the No. 2-seeded Scarlet Knights 66-56 on Tuesday night in the Greensboro Regional championship.

Renee Montgomery and Ketia Swanier each scored 15 points to lead the Huskies (36-1), who rallied from a 14-point deficit to win their 15th straight game and reach their ninth Final Four -- but first since winning the 2004 national championship.

"I would say maybe it's our turn," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "Also, I think the price some of these kids have paid, the last four years and this year in particular, they were destined and due. They've risen to every challenge they've faced and I couldn't be prouder."

Moore finished with seven points -- just her second single-digit performance of the season -- but her final basket couldn't have come at a better time. With the game tied at 49-all, she took a feed at the top of the key and, with two-time Big East defensive player of the year Essence Carson sagging off of her, pulled up and swished a 3 to put UConn ahead to stay.

The Huskies then were perfect on 14 free-throws in the final 2-plus minutes to snap their three-year hiatus from the biggest stage in women's college basketball.

"When you think about, what's a Final Four mean to me," Auriemma said. "I don't care if I never go to another one, but for these kids to get to their first, that's what coaching is all about."

Connecticut will face Stanford in the semifinals. The Huskies beat the Cardinal 66-54 in the Paradise Jam tournament in the Virgin Islands in November

Matee Ajavon scored 18 points on 8-of-23 shooting to lead Rutgers (27-7), the defending Greensboro Regional champion which was denied its second consecutive Final Four berth.

Carson finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds but was held scoreless in the second half, and Kia Vaughn added 11 points for the Scarlet Knights, who gave UConn its only loss of the season two months ago before the Huskies beat them by 20 points in the regular-season finale.

This time, two of the Huskies' highest-profile players struggled on the offensive end for much of the night, but came through when it counted most.

Moore had trouble getting touches while being swarmed by defenders Brittany Ray and Heather Zurich and managed just seven shots, making three.

Montgomery, who scored at least 20 points in each of the teams' two previous meetings, was just 4-of-14 from the field and made only one of her nine attempts from behind the arc. But twice in the second half she knocked down tying jumpers, including one with 7 1/2 minutes left that highlighted the 15-5 run that gave UConn its first lead.

Kaili McLaren, whose layup less than a minute later put the Huskies ahead for the first time, finished with 10 points, and Tina Charles added 12 rebounds.

Rutgers raced out to a huge, early lead when Epiphanny Prince's free throws with about 8 minutes left capped the 17-5 run that made it 25-11, but the Scarlet Knights largely did it with their trademark tough defense: They held the Huskies to two baskets during an 8-minute stretch, and during that span they forced UConn into 2-of-9 shooting and generated six turnovers with their half-court trap.

Eventually, UConn made it a game again by erasing that deficit with a 19-5 run that bridged halftime. The Huskies outscored Rutgers 12-3 during the final 4 1/2 minutes of the half to pull to 32-27 at the break -- their season-low for scoring in a first half.

Montgomery's first tying jumper came with 18 1/2 minutes left, producing the first tie since it was scoreless.

Rutgers Baseball game postponed

Media release April 1

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Rutgers-Wagner baseball game, scheduled for today at 3:30 p.m., has been postponed due the rainy weather that has entered the area. The Scarlet Knights and Seahawks will make up the game on Tuesday, April 22 at 3:30 p.m. at Bainton Field.

Rutgers will next travel to West Long Branch, N.J. to take on Monmouth in a 3:00 p.m. game on Wednesday. 

Rutgers Baseball: West Virginia wins in extra innings 8-7

Media Release

PISCATAWAY, N.J.  – West Virginia broke a 7-7 tie with a run in the 10th and held off the Rutgers baseball team for an 8-7, extra-inning victory over the Scarlet Knights Sunday afternoon at Bainton Field.

West Virginia's Austin Markel led off the 10th with a walk and a wild pitch by Ryan Beard (Point Pleasant, N.J.) moved him into scoring position, where Dan Dibartolomeo drove him home with a single through the hole on the left side for the game-winning score. Rutgers (8-14, 2-4 BIG EAST) came close to tying it up when Luis Feliz (New Brunswick, N.J.) opened the 10th with a single and, after being sacrificed over, reached third with two outs. However, West Virginia reliever Chris Enourato got a hot-hitting Donny Callahan (Sparta, N.J.) to hit a comebacker for the final out of the game as the Mountaineers (20-6, 4-2) earned their first win in Piscataway in over a decade. Rutgers had won the last 14 games against WVU at home. It is the Mountaineers' first win in the Garden State since April 5, 1997.

West Virginia built a 3-0 early lead with two runs in the first and another in the second. The Scarlet Knights opened the second with a Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) single and a Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) walk and both runners were sacrificed over into scoring position. A Feliz sacrifice fly plated Gossard, before Matthews came home on a wild pitch.

An infield error cost the Scarlet Knights a run in the third as the Mountaineers opened a two-run cushion with a 4-2 advantage.

Rutgers stormed back with a three-run fifth inning to surge out to a 5-4 advantage. As they did yesterday, the Scarlet Knights scored all their runs in the frame with two outs, as Gossard found the gap in right-center field to score Callahan (single) and Jarred Jimenez (Monroe, N.J.) singled through the left side to plate Tom Edwards (West Caldwell, N.J.) (walk) and Gossard.

The Mountaineers countered, however, with a three-run top of the sixth. Following a one-out double, Rutgers went to its bullpen, bringing in Billy Murphy (Cranford, N.J.) to replace starter Kyle Bradley (Howell, N.J.). A Justin Parks single to center scored one run and a Jedd Gyorko double down the left-field line plated two more as the Mountaineers went back on top, 7-5.

Rutgers loaded the bases in the seventh and Enourato struck Jimenez to score a run, but the WVU hurler prevented further damage, getting Feliz to ground into an inning-ending double play.

The Scarlet Knights got their tying run one inning later when Cegles was hit and moved to third on a Callahan double to the gap in left-center field before a sacrifice fly off the bat of Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) brought him home. The Scarlet Knights threatened for more but stranded Callahan on third in the frame as RU headed to the ninth tied with WVU to set up the extra-inning dramatics.

Beard (0-2) suffered the loss, despite tossing 4.1 innings of solid relief with the lone run given up in the 10th. Enourato (2-0) earned the win with one earned run (two total) on two hits with four strikeouts in 5.1 innings of relief 

Rutgers concludes its nine-game homestand with a Tuesday game at Bainton Field against Wagner, coached by former Rutgers standout Joe Litterio. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

Carson Powers Rutgers to 53-42 Win Over George Washington

Media Release March 30

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Senior Essence Carson (Paterson, N.J.) matched a career-high with 25 points to pull Rutgers to a 53-42 victory over sixth-seeded George Washington in the Greensboro Regional semifinals of the 2008 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship.

The second-seeded Scarlet Knights (27-6) will face the top-seed Connecticut, a 78-63 winner over Old Dominion. The contest is slated for a 9:00 p.m. tip on ESPN with a Final Four berth on the line.  The meeting will be the third of the season for the BIG EAST rivals.

Carson went 9-of-15 from the field and grabbed seven rebounds for Rutgers. Sophomore guard Epiphanny Prince (Brooklyn, N.Y.) was the only other Scarlet Knight in double figures with 12 points.  Junior center Kia Vaughn (Bronx, N.Y.) corralled 11 rebounds.

Jessica Adair led the Colonials (27-7) with 16 points.

The lead see-sawed in the first eight minutes of play with GW closing to two (10-8) following a lay-in by Whitney Allen. Rutgers responded by making seven of its next 11 field goal attempts and putting together a 16-2 run to take a 26-10 lead with 4:06 to go before the break.  The spurt included seven points by Carson.

RU led 28-16 at the half.

The teams traded points to start the second before a jumper by Prince stretched the advantage to 33-20 with 18:51 remaining. The Colonials closed the gap with a 10-0 run. A 12-footer by Antelia Parrish cut the deficit to three (33-30) with 14:18 showing.

Rutgers answered with a triple from sophomore Brittany Ray on the left side and made it an eight-point game on a kiss off the glass by Carson.  The lead moved back to 10 (40-30) for Rutgers after a fast-break lay-up by Prince which was commenced from a steal and an assist from senior Matee Ajavon.

The Colonials pulled to 46-42, following an offensive put-back by Adair at the 3:40 mark. Carson stepped by, draining a 13-footer from the left side for two-plus the foul to give RU a 49-42 lead with 3:20 to play.  GW would not score again.

Rutgers shot over 50 percent for the third straight game, posting a 51.3 percent showing on the afternoon. 

Rutgers Baseball Hosts West Virginia This Weekend

Media Release

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Rutgers baseball team welcomes West Virginia to Piscataway this weekend for a three-game series at Bainton Field. The Scarlet Knights and Mountaineers will open the series with a 3:30 p.m. game on Friday, followed by 1:00 p.m. games on Saturday and Sunday.

Rutgers has had success against West Virginia in the Garden State, winning the last 12 games played at Rutgers. The Mountaineers' last victory in New Jersey was more than a decade ago when they defeated the Scarlet Knights, 8-6 on April 5, 1997. RU and WVU did not meet last season on the diamond per league scheduling which includes each school playing only nine of the other 11 schools in the conference each season.

Rutgers is 6-13 overall after a split in midweek games against Rider (won 4-3) and Princeton (lost 1-0). The Scarlet Knights opened BIG EAST play against St. John's last weekend, dropping all three games to the Red Storm. 

Senior catcher Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) leads the Rutgers offense with a .351 average, including a team-high seven doubles. He had his season-long 10-game hitting streak snapped in the Scarlet Knights' last game against Princeton on Wednesday.

Sophomore righty Casey Gaynor (Toms River, N.J.) will start Friday's opener, junior righty Matt Giannini (Millington, N.J.) will get the ball on Saturday and sophomore righty Kyle Bradley (Howell, N.J.) will on Sunday. Despite a 1-4 record, Gaynor has been sharp with 34 strikeouts in 34.1 innings, and has let up two runs or less in three of his five starts. Giannini worked a season-long six innings last Saturday in a no decision against St. John's. Bradley is expected to make his first start on the weekend after hurling 5.1 innings in Rutgers' victory over Rider on Tuesday.

West Virginia is 19-4 this season, including a 3-0 record in the conference. The Mountaineers swept Pittsburgh last weekend in their first league action. Earlier this week, WVU knocked off Coppin State, 26-3, and took a double-header from Morehead State, 10-5, and 16-6. West Virginia enters the weekend on an 11-game winning streak.

The Mountaineers own a .364 team batting average, led by freshman second baseman Jedd Gyorko. The newcomer is hitting .474 with three triples and four home runs.

West Virginia is expected to go with the rotation of junior righty Josh Whitlock (5-0, 2.34 ERA) on Friday, senior lefty Matt Yurish (1-1, 8.14 ERA) on Saturday and sophomore lefty Steve Morrison (4-0, 1.47 ERA) on Sunday.

Sophomore righty Chris Enourato has been the Mountaineers' top closer with four saves this season in 6.1 total innings of relief without an earned run allowed.   

Rutgers owns a 31-17 advantage over West Virginia in the all-time series with a series sweep in the last meeting between the teams in 2006.

College Baseball: TCNJ's Ramos-Dominko Fanned 12, TCNJ Improves to 12-2 Overall

3/27/2008 6:22:49 PM

 

Ramos-Dominko went the distance and fanned 12 on Thursday.

Box Score

Ewing, NJ – Ranked sixth in Division III, The College of New Jersey’s baseball team opened action in the New Jersey Athletic Conference on Thursday, hosting the Scarlet Raptors of Rutgers University-Camden. TCNJ would open conference play with a 5-1 home win. TCNJ improves to 12-2 overall and 1-0 in the league, while RUC drops to 6-10 overall with an 0-1 mark in the league. The Lions open the NJAC as the league’s three-time defending champions.

TCNJ’s right handed junior pitcher Dan Ramos-Dominko (Hampton, NJ/North Hunterdon) fanned a career-high 12 batters in posting his second win of the year. Ramos-Dominko fanned six batters the last time he took the mound in Arizona and now has 23 strikeouts on the season after Thursday’s outing. He worked a complete game, yielding just one earned run off four hits with a pair of walks to improve to 2-0.

TCNJ jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning after junior second baseman Adam Tussey (Brooklawn, NJ/Gloucester High School) was hit by a pitch and junior short stop Jeff Toth (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville) tripled and put the Lions on the scoreboard. TCNJ’s junior Vince Mazzaccaro (Gloucester City, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) came up with a RBI single before senior catcher Rich Gawlak (Plainsboro, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro South) added the final RBI of the inning, all coming off RUC’s senior Andrew Lihotz (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast).

RUC pulled within two runs, down 3-1 after sophomore Steve Myers (Millville, NJ/Millville) broke up Ramos-Dominko’s shutout bid in the top of the second with an RBI single.

Lihotz worked eight innings for RUC and drops to 1-2 after allowing five earned runs off seven hits with a walk and two strikeouts.

TCNJ returns to action on March 28 for a 3:30 p.m. road contest at Rowan University, while Rutgers-Camden hosts Montclair State University on March 29 in a noon doubleheader.

College Basketball:Scarlet Knights Advance to Sweet Sixteen for Fourth Straight Year

Media Release March 25

DES MOINES, Iowa  – For the second time in as many games, junior Kia Vaughn (Bronx, N.Y.) paced four players in double figures as Rutgers moved to the Greensboro Regional semifinals with a 69-58 win over Iowa State in the second round of the 2008 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship.

Vaughn had a season-best 23 points, topping her previous season high reached versus Robert Morris (22 points) in first round action on Saturday.  The center scored 17 points in the first half, including a string of 11 straight.

Sophomore guard Epiphanny Prince (Brooklyn, N.Y.) had 17 points highlighted by a 3-of-5 performance from behind the arc.

Senior guard Matee Ajavon (Newark, N.J.) added 16 points and seven assists.  Senior Essence Carson (Paterson, N.J.) chipped in 10.  The upperclassman combined for 10 of the team’s 11 assists and six of the squad’s 11 steals.

Junior Heather Ezell paced ISU (21-13) with 19 points, followed by Amanda Nisleit with 15.

The second-seeded Scarlet Knights (26-6) will face sixth-seeded George Washington at the Greensboro Coliseum on Sunday, March 30. The teams met earlier in the season with RU posting a 67-42 road victory on Nov. 18

Tickets for the regional games in Greensboro will be available by calling the Rutgers Athletics Ticket Office at 866-445-GORU.  Tickets are $26 per session

Rutgers led 39-31 at the break but ISU cut the lead to four three times in the first six minutes of the second half. They trailed 45-41 following a lay-in by Kelsey Bolte.

Rutgers responded with a pair of three-pointers by Prince, both from the far baseline and each off a feed from Ajavon. The last triple pushed the Scarlet Knights ahead, 51-41 with 12:47 remaining.

A bank shot by Ajavon with 10:33 to go gave RU its largest lead of the second half at 55-44. The Cyclones would not go away, scoring 10 of the game’s next 14 points. A three-pointer by Nisleit off an inbounds possession with 5:00 on the clock cut Rutgers’ lead to five, 59-55.

Ajavon and Carson responded with the next two buckets for RU to push the advantage back to nine with less than four minutes remaining.

After the Cyclones took a 4-3 lead at the 16:17 mark of the first half, Rutgers pieced together an 8-0 run to push ahead by seven. Four different players scored during the spurt for RU. The lead for ISU would be its only of the night.  The Scarlet Knights led by as many as 12 in the first half.

Rutgers shot 54.2 percent from the field, including a 55 percent showing in the second half.

Ajavon, Carson and Prince were three of the 40 women’s basketball players nationwide named as finalists for the 10-member State Farm Coaches’ All-America Team, it was announced by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association on Monday evening.

The All-America squad will be announced on April 5, at 9:45 a.m. in Tampa, Fla.

Womens Basketball: Vaughn, Prince Leads Rutgers in NCAA First Round Rout

Media Release, March 22

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Rutgers got the fresh start it was looking for, thanks in part to an overmatched opponent.

Kia Vaughn led four players in double figures with 22 points and second-seeded Rutgers routed 15th-seeded Robert Morris 85-42 on Saturday in the first round of the Greensboro Regional.

The Scarlet Knights, who stumbled into the NCAA tournament on a two-game losing streak, will play seventh-seeded Iowa State in the second round Monday night. The Cyclones held off Georgia Tech, 58-55, in Saturday's opener in Des Moines.

Rutgers (25-6) put Robert Morris on its heels early, opening the game with a 15-2 run. The Colonials (23-10) made a brief surge by hitting six of their next eight shots, but Rutgers closed out the first half with a 30-12 spurt that squashed any notions of a comeback.

The lone bright spot for Robert Morris came when Sade Logan tied the Division I record for 3s in a season, 126, set by Alabama State's Lisa McMullen in 1991. But Logan was just 3-of-15 from the field and 2-of-9 from 3-point range.

Brittany Ray hit a pair of 3s to make it 35-16, and Vaughn hit a jumper in the paint to push the Scarlet Knights ahead by 23 late in the first half. Ray then put the exclamation point on a dominant first half by Rutgers, hitting a 3 just before the buzzer to give the Scarlet Knights a 48-21 lead.

Rutgers shot 21-of-34 from the field in the opening half and held Logan, the Colonials leading scorer, to just two points. Kendra Williams had 11 to lead Robert Morris, which saw its winning streak snapped at 17 games.

Epiphanny Prince scored 21 points, shooting 4-of-4 from 3-point range, Ray had 14 and Rashidat Junaid added 13 for Rutgers.

The Colonials got within 51-31 early in the second half, but Rutgers reeled off 10 straight points to go back up by 30.

Robert Morris's dribble-drive motion offense -- a guard-oriented attack made popular by the Memphis men's team -- was no match for Rutgers' superior size and athleticism. The Colonials shot 12-of-60 from the floor, including 4-of-33 in the second half, and scored a season-low for points.

St. John’s Tops Rutgers Baseball, 12-9

Media Release March 22

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers rallied from an early deficit with four runs each in the fifth and sixth innings to tie it at 9-9, but St. John's plated a run in the seventh and two more in the ninth to earn a 12-9 victory over the Scarlet Knights in BIG EAST baseball action at Bainton Field Saturday afternoon.

With the win, the Red Storm (16-4, 3-0 BIG EAST) swept the series from the Scarlet Knights (5-12, 0-3 BIG EAST), marking the first time since the 2006 season (May 18-20 at Connecticut) RU was swept in a league series. It was the first time since the 2004 season (May 21-23 against Villanova) the Scarlet Knights were swept at home.   

Down 6-0 in the third, Rutgers plated its first score when Tom Edwards (West Caldwell, N.J.) hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to left field.

RU then stormed back against the Red Storm with a four-run fifth inning to cut the St. John's lead to 6-5. The inning started with three-straight walks issued by reliever Nick Cenatiempo to Donny Callahan (Sparta, N.J.), Brett Garlick (Livingston, N.J.) and Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) to load the bases. Following a pitching change, Edwards drove in his second run of the day in similar fashion as his first RBI with a sacrifice fly to left. With two outs in the inning, RU collected three-straight run-producing singles from Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.), Jarred Jimenez (Monroe, N.J.)Jayson Hernandez (Belmar, N.J.) to cut the SJU advantage to one.                   and

St. John's used a pair of infield fielding errors to quell the Rutgers rally with a three-run sixth inning and build its lead to 9-5.

The Scarlet Knights set the stage for another big inning in the sixth, loading the bases on a Garlick single, and a pair of walks by Betteridge and Edwards. Then, cleanup hitter Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) did just that with a line-drive single to left-center field that drove in two runs before a failed putout at second as Gossard attempted to advance on the throw home sent the ball back into the outfield and allowed a third run to score and Gossard to move all the way to third. A Matthews sacrifice fly to left later scored Gossard on a close play at the plate for the tying run.

With reliever Kevin Lillis (Fair Haven, N.J.) on the mound to start the seventh, the Scarlet Knights were victimized by another error as Paul Karmas reached base to leadoff the inning and scored the go-ahead run later in the frame on a Gil Zayas hard-hit grounder that snuck just inside the left-field foul line for a double to put St. John's back on top, 10-9.

The Red Storm added two insurance runs in the ninth off Scarlet Knight relievers Matt Patterson (Passaic, N,J.) and Jason Downey (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) to make it 12-9 and SJU reliever Colin Lynch held off Rutgers in the ninth to post his second save of the series.

Miguel Valcarcel (1-0) picked up the win for St. John's in 2.1 innings of relief work as the Red Storm used six pitchers in the contest. Lillis (2-1) suffered the loss with the one run in the seventh. 

Rutgers continues its nine-game homestand with a Tuesday game against Rider at Bainton Field. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m. 

College Baseball: St. John’s Holds Off Rutgers, 2-0, in BIG EAST Baseball Action

Media Release

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Rutgers baseball team loaded the bases to stage a two-out, ninth inning rally, but St. John's reliever Colin Lynch ended the Scarlet Knights' threat with a game-ending strikeout as the Red Storm held on for the 2-0 victory Friday afternoon at Bainton Field.

Rutgers fell to 5-11 overall and 0-2 in BIG EAST play, while St. John's improved to 15-4 overall and 2-0 in league competition.

For the second-straight day, the St. John's pitching staff limited the Rutgers offense, with the Scarlet Knights collecting three hits on the afternoon. This time, it was starter George Brown with seven innings of three-hit ball with three strikeouts for the Red Storm. Sophomore Casey Gaynor (Toms River, N.J.) worked six solid innings for Rutgers to match SJU's effort.

In a pitcher's duel, the Red Storm were the first to strike, with the first score of the game in the fifth inning. Gil Zayas of St. John's hit a screaming line drive to the gap in left-center field for a one-out double in the frame and Tim Morris followed with a blooper just inside the left-field line for double to plate Zayas for the game's first run.

The Red Storm broke through again in the sixth. St. John's got three-straight singles to leadoff the inning and loaded the bases against Gaynor. Greg Hopkins then found a hole on the left side for SJU's fourth-straight hit, allowing the game's second run. The Red Storm sent a second runner to the plate on the play, but a well-executed relay, starting with the throw from left fielder Jarred Jimenez (Monroe, N.J.) to cutoff man Tom Edwards (West Caldwell, N.J.), and an accurate toss to catcher Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.), got the runner out as Gossard applied the tag at the plate.

A pair of excellent defensive plays by shortstop Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) highlighted the Scarlet Knights' play in the field. In the fourth, Chris Anninos lined a hard shot that was corralled by the leaping shortstop. Betteridge made a nice diving stop and rolled over to throw to second base for the force out on a ball deep up the middle in the top of the eighth.

Gaynor (1-4) was saddled with the loss surrendered the two runs on eight hits with a pair of strikeouts in his six innings of work, while senior Matt Patterson (Passaic, N,J.) and junior Jason Downey (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) combined to hurl three scoreless innings in relief.

Brown (4-0) picked up the win, while Lynch picked up his fourth save of the season with the strikeout against the only batter he faced at the end. Lynch replaced hard-throwing reliever Justin Gutsie, who loaded the bases in the ninth.

Rutgers and St. John's will close out their series with a 1:00 p.m. game on Saturday. Junior righty Matt Giannini (Millington, N.J.) will be on the mound for the Scarlet Knights against righty Jared Yecker for the Red Storm.

St. John's tops Rutgers in BIG EAST Baseball Opener

Media Release March 20

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – In a battle of BIG EAST Regular-Season Champions from a year ago, St. John's used 12 runs and a strong performance from ace Scott Barnes to defeat Rutgers, 12-5, Thursday afternoon in the series opener at Bainton Field.

The Red Storm scored six runs in the first three innings and Barnes stifled Rutgers with 10 strikeouts and five runs on five hits in seven innings of work.

The Scarlet Knights dropped to 5-10 overall and 0-1 in the BIG EAST, while the Red Storm improved to 14-4 overall and 1-0 in league play.

In the first, Daniel Benedetti followed a leadoff single from Brian Kemp with a double to the gap in left-center field to give St. John's a quick 1-0 lead.

After a quiet first inning, Rutgers erased its early deficit in the second when senior Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) drew a five-pitch walk to lead off the frame and freshman Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) followed with a two-run home run over the right-field fence. The home run is his third in his 10-game Scarlet Knight career.

The Red Storm climbed right back on top, however, with a five-run third inning with the most of the damage coming on a two-run triple from Carlos Del Rosario and a two-run home run from Gil Zayas to make it 6-2.

An inning later, the Scarlet Knights cut into the Red Storm's lead with a three-run fourth frame. Matthews continued his hot hitting with a blooper to center for leadoff double and, later in the inning with runners on second and third, Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) delivered a high fly down the left-field line that reached the wall for a two-run triple. Sophomore Brett Garlick (Livingston, N.J.) then drove Betteridge home on the next play with a grounder deep n the hole near the shortstop for an RBI single.

A Red Storm threat was quelled in the fifth when third baseman Tom Edwards (West Caldwell, N.J.) made a nice stop on a sharp grounder down the line with runners on and got the out at first to prevent a run-producing extra-base hit.

After a scoreless fifth and St. John's holding on to a 6-5 lead, the Red Storm built a four-run cushion with three runs in the sixth. Middle reliever Kyle Bradley (Howell, N.J.) put the first two runners on in the frame and a bunt was mishandled at first base, allowing the first run to come across. SJU later plated two more runs in the inning to build a 9-5 advantage.

Tim Morris drove in a 10th run – the fifth-straight game with 10 runs or more for St. John's – with an RBI single in the seventh and added an RBI triple in the ninth as St. John's cruised to the 12-5 victory. 

Rutgers starter Steve Holt (Toms River, N.J.) suffered his first loss of the season after giving up six runs on seven hits with two strikeouts in three innings. Barnes picked up the win to improve to 2-1, while reliever Ryan Cole struck out five in two innings of relief for SJU. Every Red Storm batter had a hit in their 15-hit attack.

Rutgers and St. John's will resume their series on Friday with a 3:05 p.m. game at Bainton Field. Sophomore righty Casey Gaynor (Toms River, N.J.) will be on the mound for the Scarlet Knights against senior lefty George Brown for the Red Storm. 

The Chase for a Athletic College Scholarship....is it worth it?*

Source http://www.redlinedc.com

Excluding the glamour sports of football and basketball, the average N.C.A.A. athletic scholarship is nowhere near a full ride, amounting to $8,707. In sports like baseball or track and field, the number is routinely as low as $2,000. Even when football and basketball are included, the average is $10,409. Tuition and room and board for N.C.A.A. institutions often cost between $20,000 and $50,000 a year.

The chase for a scholarship has another side that is rarely discussed. Although those athletes who receive athletic aid are viewed as the ultimate winners, they typically find the demands on their time, minds and bodies in college even more taxing than the long journey to get there.

There are 6 a.m. weight-lifting sessions, exhausting practices, team meetings, study halls and long trips to games. Their varsity commitments often limit the courses they can take. Athletes also share a frustrating feeling of estrangement from the rest of the student body, which views them as the privileged ones. In this setting, it is not uncommon for first- and second-year athletes to relinquish their scholarships.

“Kids who have worked their whole life trying to get a scholarship think the hard part is over when they get the college money,” said Tim Poydenis, a senior at Villanova receiving $3,000 a year to play baseball. “They don’t know that it’s a whole new monster when you get here. Yes, all the hard work paid off. And now you have to work harder.”
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College Womens Basketball: Scarlet Knights to Face 15th-Seed Robert Morris in NCAA Tournament First Round

Media release March 17

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Rutgers women's basketball team, which received the No. 2 seed in the Greensboro Regional, will look for another magical run in the NCAA Tournament as the Scarlet Knights will open play against 15th-seed Robert Morris on Saturday, March 22 in Des Moines, Iowa. Tip-off is scheduled for approximately 2:30 p.m. EST at the Iowa Events Center and will be televised nationally on ESPN2.

Tickets for the 1^st and 2^nd Rounds are $16 per session and can be purchased by calling the Rutgers Athletics Ticket Office at 732-445-2766 or 866-445-GORU.

Rutgers, appearing in its 19^th NCAA Tournament and 10^th under head coach C. Vivian Stringer, is 11-4 all-time in first round NCAA Tournament games. RU has won three straight in opening round play and has not lost in the first round since falling to Chattanooga on March 20, 2004. Additionally, the Scarlet Knights are 5-0 in first round action on a neutral court.

The Scarlet Knights (24-6), who are ranked No. 7 in both of the latest polls, enter the tournament on their first two game losing streak of the year. RU is led by All-BIG EAST first team selections Epiphanny Prince (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Matee Ajavon (Newark, N.J.). Prince leads the team in scoring with 13.7 points per game and is third in the BIG EAST with 2.5 steals a game. Ajavon, who is second in the league with 4.9 assists per game, ranks second on the squad in both scoring and steals.

Robert Morris (23-9), which has won 17 consecutive games, captured the Northeast Conference regular season and tournament titles for the second consecutive season to earn its berth in the tournament. The Colonials have won 20 or more games in each of the last four seasons, but fell to North Carolina State, 84-52, as the No. 13 seed in the first round of last season's NCAA Tournament.

Junior guard Sade Logan leads the Colonials and is second nationally in scoring at 25.2 points per game. Logan, the Northeast Conference Player of the Year, leads the nation in three-pointers with 124 on the year. Robert Morris has played two teams that made this year's NCAA Tournament, losing 73-58 at No. 5 seed Nebraska and falling 82-74 at No. 13 seed Miami of Ohio.

This will be the first-ever meeting between Robert Morris and Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights have earned a bid into the NCAA Tournament in each of the last six seasons. 

If Rutgers should advance, they would face the winner of the No. 7 Iowa State (20-12) and No. 10 Georgia Tech (22-9) game on Monday, March 24. Ironically, the Scarlet Knights have either played on a lower seed opponent's home court or in their home state in five of the last six NCAA Tournaments.  BRACKET

Rutgers Drops 10-1 Baseball Game at Florida Atlantic

Media Release March 18

BOCA RATON, Fla.  – The Rutgers baseball team dropped a 10-1 contest at Florida Atlantic Tuesday evening at FAU Stadium. A hot-hitting Owls squad collected 15 hits and three runs each in the fifth and sixth innings to break open a 2-0 ballgame en route to the victory.

Rutgers ends its spring break trip south with a 5-9 record on the season. Florida Atlantic improved to 12-6 on the year.

The Owls scored a single run in the first and in the third before exploding for three runs in the fifth on a pair of home runs from Mike McKenna and Travis Ozga.

A leadoff single from Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.), followed by a line-drive double just inside the left-field line from Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) put runners on second and third and gave RU life with one out in the fifth. However, FAU starter Adam Morrison got Donny Callahan (Sparta, N.J.) down on strikes and handed the ball over to reliever Glen Troyanoowski who struck out Matt Meyerkopf (Florham Park, N.J.) to end the threat. 

FAU built its lead to 8-0 with three more runs in the sixth. The first two came across when McKenna found a hole in the left side with a two-run single with the bases loaded off of newly-inserted Matt Patterson (Passaic, N.J.).

The Scarlet Knights threatened again in the seventh and this time came through. Senior Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) led off the inning with a sharp line drive to the gap in right-center field for a single off new FAU pitcher Lou Morey. Rutgers then loaded the bases three batters later with one out after Jayson Hernandez (Belmar, N.J.)was hit by a pitch and Betteridge walked. Callahan drove in the Scarlet Knights’ lone run of the game with a deep fly out to right field to plate Gossard.

A two-run seventh for the Owls brought it to 10-1 where it stood the rest of the way.

Junior Jon McCue (Hillside, N.J.) suffered his first career loss in his 19th career appearance. He worked 5.1 innings, surrendering seven runs on 11 hits with four strikeouts. Junior Jason Downey (Ballston Lake, N.J.) rebounded from a leadoff double to strike out the next three batters in a one-inning appearance in the eighth.   

Troyanowski improved to 2-0 with the win in 1.1 hitless innings in relief of Morrison, who worked 4.2 scoreless frames with three strikeouts. 

Meyerkopf, a red-shirt freshman who saw his first collegiate plate appearances on Sunday with a 2-for-2 effort against Iowa, made his first career start in left field on Tuesday. True freshmanD.J. Anderson (Randolph, N.J.)made his first career start in the field (started two games as the team’s designated hitter), replacingTom Edwards (West Caldwell, N.J.), who was injured during pregame drills, at third base. Making his second career start was red-shirt freshmanJoey Ianiero (Bloomsburg, Pa.), who started at second base against the Owls.

Rutgers returns north where it will begin defense of its 2007 BIG EAST title when it hosts fellow league champion St. John’s in a three-game series at Bainton Field in Piscataway Thursday through Saturday. The Scarlet Knights and Red Storm will open the series with a 1 p.m. game on Thursday, and play a 3 p.m. game on Friday and a 1 p.m. game on Saturday.   

College Baseball: Rutgers, 9th Inning Rally Comes Up Short

March 16, 2008

                                                                                                                     

BOX SCORE

                     

DeLAND, Fla. – Rutgers scored six runs in the ninth and brought the tying runner to the plate but the Scarlet Knights' ninth-inning rally came up just short as Iowa used an eight-run seventh inning to defeat RU, 16-14 in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Conrad Park, near the campus of Stetson University.

Rutgers fell to 5-8 on the season, while Iowa improved to 5- 7. The Hawkeyes took the final two games two in the series over the Scarlet Knights.

College Baseball:Scarlet Knights Win Opener, 8-6, Fall In Nightcap, 9-2

Rutgers Baseball Opens Spring Break Trip With Double-Header Split of Iowa
 

source Media Release

3/15/2008 6:48:54 PM

DeLAND, Fla.  – Rutgers scored three runs in the ninth inning to break a 5-5 tie and held on to defeat Iowa, 8-6 in the series opener Saturday afternoon at Conrad Park, near the campus of Stetson University. Iowa posted a 9-2 victory in the nightcap to earn the split. The Scarlet Knights (5-7) and Hawkeyes (4-7) will meet in the rubber game Sunday at 1:00 p.m.   

Tied at 5-5, entering the ninth inning of game one, Rutgers plated three runs, head-lined up senior Donny Callahan's (Sparta, N.J.) RBI double down the right-field line that produced the game-deciding run for RU.

Sophomore Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) opened the ninth with a single and moved into scoring position on a Hawkeye passed ball. He came within 90 feet of the go-ahead run after being sacrificed over. Sophomore Brett Garlick (Livingston, N.J.) scored Betteridge with a single to center field to put the Scarlet Knights on top, 6-5. Garlick stole second to move into scoring position and senior Callahan's double drove him home. A third run scored when freshman Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to center field. The Scarlet Knights left the bases loaded in the frame, but not before platting three runs to build an 8-5 advantage.

Iowa loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the ninth and got a run across on a single against newly-inserted Jason Downey (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) before the closer registered a pair of strikeouts. Second baseman Joey Ianiero (Bloomsburg, Pa.) ended the threat with a great stop on a hard-hit grounder to get the game-ending put out at second base.

Early on, Rutgers erased a 2-0 deficit with a three-run second inning thanks to RBI singles from Vic Cegles (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Callahan.

A well-executed double-steal with runners on the corners plated a run with two outs in the third, but Iowa countered with a score of their own in the bottom half of the frame. The Scarlet Knights used an RBI double to right field off the bat of Tom Edwards (West Caldwell, N.J.) to plate a run in the fourth as the Scarlet Knights took a 5-3 lead.

The Hawkeyes came right back, however, scoring a pair of runs in their side of the fourth to tie it up at 5-5 and four scoreless frames ensued, setting up the ninth-inning dramatics.

Rutgers starter Steve Holt (Toms River, N.J.) had his third no-decision of the season with five runs on nine hits and a strikeout in 3.2 innings of work. The duo of Kyle Bradley (Howell, N.J.) and Kevin Lillis (Fair Haven, N.J.) combined for 4.1 innings of scoreless middle relief. Lillis picked up the win to move to 2-0 on the season, while Downey earned his second save of the year.

The Hawkeyes banged out 15 hits and scored nine runs to down the Scarlet Knights, 9-2, in the nightcap of Saturday's double-header. After allowing seven runs combined in three previous appearances, starter Casey Gaynor (Toms River, N.J.) surrendered six on Saturday in six innings of work to fall to 1-3. The sophomore struck out six to improve his BIG EAST-leading strikeout total to 32 on the season.

Rutgers scored both of its runs on a two-out, two-run single from Betteridge in the fourth to plate.

Iowa standout Caleb Curry lead the Hawkeyes with a 3-for-5 game in the nightcap, driving in three runs and scoring another, while Iowa starter Michael Jacobs gave up two runs (one earned) on six hits in seven innings for the win to improve to 2-2.

Rutgers and Iowa will conclude the series with a 1:00 p.m. game tomorrow at Conrad Park. Junior righty Matt Giannini (Millington, N.J.) will be on the mound for the Scarlet Knights against junior righty Nick Erdman for the Hawkeyes.

  &copy2008   Rutgers Athletics.

Rutgers to Face No. 15/18 Army in Texas Stadium

3/14/2008 4:40:52 PM  Media Release

DALLAS, Texas – The Rutgers men's lacrosse team, coming off two straight defeats, will look to get back on track Saturday as the Scarlet Knights will take on No. 15/18 Army as part of the 2008 Patriot Cup. The game, which is RU's fourth straight against a top-20 opponent, will be held in Texas Stadium in Dallas at 3 p.m. central time.

The 2008 Patriot Cup, a four-game lacrosse showcase featuring some of the nation's premier collegiate and high school programs, will include a college doubleheader of Rutgers vs. Army and Holy Cross vs. Navy with a pair of high school match-ups sandwiching the collegiate slate of games.

Rutgers (1-2) has dropped two consecutive decisions, including a 10-7 loss to No. 20 Fairfield on Saturday, March 8. Sophomore Gerhard Buehning (Essex Falls, N.J.) and freshman Kory Kelly (Princeton, N.J.) each netted two goals in the loss.

Army (2-2) is coming off a narrow 9-8 defeat to Cornell last Saturday. Junior attackman Brooks Korvin tallied three goals in the loss. The Black Knights also lost by only one goal to Syracuse earlier in the year.

The Black Knights lead the all-time series 49-20-1, but the Scarlet Knights topped Army last year, 10-9, in Piscataway. Rutgers outshot the Black Knights 37-29 in the win and junior Mike Dugan (Summit, N.J.) tallied two scores.

Proceeds from the 2008 Patriot Cup will benefit Wounded Warrior, a non-profit organization which seeks to assist those men and women of our armed forces who have been severely injured during the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations around the world.

The event will showcase the first lacrosse games played in Texas Stadium, which is home to the Dallas Cowboys.

  &copy2008   Rutgers Athletics.

 

10-Run Fourth Inning Guides Rutgers to 16-3 Victory over NJIT

Rutgers Athletics   News
  www.scarletknights.com
  Scarlet Knights Get First Victory at Bainton Field In 2008

3/12/2008 7:33:46 PM

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Rutgers baseball team erased a 3-2 early deficit with a 10-run fourth inning before an out in the frame en route to a 16-3 victory over the New Jersey Institute of Technology Wednesday afternoon at Bainton Field.

The Scarlet Knights (4-6) came back from a 2-0 first-inning deficit with one swing of the bat as sophomore Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) cleared the wall in left field for his first career home run in the second inning.

A Dom Hayes solo home run put the Highlanders (2-8) up, 3-2, in the fourth inning, but the lead was short-lived as Rutgers erupted for 10 runs in the bottom half of the inning and never looked back en route to the lopsided victory. Newly-inserted Highlander pitcher Mike Burgaleta issued three-straight bases-loaded walks to plate the first scores of the inning before being replaced by Chris Parenti. After a wild pitch scored a fourth run, Gossard hit an infield single to plate the fifth score of the frame. Three more runs came home when freshman Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) tripled to the gap in left center. A ninth run came across thanks to a ground-rule double from junior Luis Feliz (New Brunswick, N.J.), his second hit of the frame. NJIT inserted its third pitcher of the inning in Spiro Molfetas. After a sacrifice fly from Vic Cegles (Phoenix, Ariz.) scored the 10th and final run of the inning, the Highlander hurler retired the next two batters to end the long frame. 

Rutgers used a pair of NJIT errors and a wild pitch to plate two additional runs in the eighth.

Meanwhile, Rutgers starter Jon McCue (Hillside, N.J.) struck out six and allowed three runs on five hits in seven innings of work to pick up his first win of 2008. The duo of Kyle Bradley (Howell, N.J.)Ryan Beard (Point Pleasant, N.J.) worked scoreless frames in relief for RU. and

Burgaleta (0-1) was tagged with the loss after giving up six runs in the fourth. The Highlanders used six pitchers in the contest.

Senior Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.), Feliz and Betteridge each collected three hits to lead the Scarlet Knights' 10-hit attack. Wednesday also marked the collegiate debut of true freshman Mike Lang (Dumont, N.J.) and red-shirt freshman Matt Meyerkopf (Florham Park, N.J.). 

The 16 runs on Wednesday were the most scored this season and the most since May 5, 2007 when RU defeated Cincinnati at Bainton Field, 16-6.

Rutgers travels south to the state of Florida for a three-game series with Iowa in DeLand, Fla., the home of Stetson University. The Scarlet Knights and Hawkeyes will open the series with a double-header at noon on Saturday.

Rutgers Dugout Diaries Debuts

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Dugout Diaries, a comprehensive look into the 2008 Rutgers baseball season made its debut on Thursday. The weekly segment, which will appear every Wednesday on www.scarletknights.com, chronicles the Scarlet Knights' campaign through the eyes of All-BIG EAST infielder Tom Edwards (West Caldwell, N.J.).

Edwards will detail the highs and lows of RU's season as it begins its defense of the BIG EAST Regular-Season and Tournament titles from last season.

Follow this link to view the first installment of Dugout Diaries and click on the link on the right of the baseball page for each week's entry.

Texas AM Downs Rutgers University 12-3

March 9, 2008

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – No. 21 Texas A&M scored four runs in the first inning and didn't look back en route to a 12-3 victory over the Rutgers baseball team to take the three-game series with Sunday's victory in front of 2,942 fans at Olsen Field.

Rutgers (3-6) won Friday's opener, but Texas A&M (11-3) won the final two games to take the series from the Scarlet Knights.

After Rutgers stranded a runner on third with one out in the top of the first, Texas A&M jumped out to the early lead with a four-run first inning. Most of the damage came on a three-run home run to right field from Luke Anders.

Rutgers got one of those runs back with one swing of the bat in the top of the second as designated hitter Jarred Jimenez (Monroe, N.J.) lifted the third pitch he saw well over the fence in left field for his first career home run.

Senior Donny Callahan (Sparta, N.J.) doubled to the gap in left-center field in the fourth and Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) drove him home two plays later with a sharp line drive single to center field to cut the Aggies' lead in half at 4-2.

Texas A&M countered with three runs in the bottom-half of the frame, however, as the Aggies strung together three extra-base hits in the inning to make it 7-2.

The Scarlet Knights pushed across a third run in the fourth when Brett Garlick (Livingston, N.J.) followed a Joey Ianiero (Bloomsburg, Pa.) single with a single of his own up the middle to score Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.), who reached on a fielder's choice, from second base to make it 7-3. The Scarlet Knights threatened for more in the inning but stranded runners on second and third. 

The Aggies answered back again, however, in the bottom of the fourth with two runs on a pair of two-out hits to build a 9-3 advantage and end starter Matt Giannini's (Millington, N.J.) day after 3.2 innings.

A Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) leadoff double in the fifth gave RU life, but the hitter was stranded at third.

The Aggies added a run in the seventh off reliever Kevin Lillis (Fair Haven, N.J.) and used a pair of fielding errors in the eighth to plate two more runs off reliever Tony Wargo (New Providence. N.J.)

Giannini (0-3) took the loss with nine runs on nine hits and a pair of strikeouts in 3.2 innings, while Carson Middleton (3-0) got the win in relief with 4.2 scoreless innings.

Ianiero, a redshirt freshman, made his first career start at second base, while junior transfer Ryan Beard (Point Pleasant, N.J.) made his first appearance as a Scarlet Knight, with a scoreless eighth inning of work on the mound.

Rutgers returns east where it will host the New Jersey Institute of Technology on Wednesday at Bainton Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. 

No. 2 Rutgers Defeated by No. 7 Louisville in BIG EAST Quarterfinals, 57-56

source http://scarletknights.com

The Cardinals will play either South Florida or West Virginia in Monday's semifinals.

Rutgers, which won the only other meeting of the season between the two schools, 70-57, had been considered a candidate for top seed in the NCAA tournament.

POSTGAME NOTES

With The Loss…

— Rutgers falls to 18-12 all-time in the BIG EAST Tournament, including a 14-4 mark in neutral-site contests.

— The Scarlet Knights move to 8-5 in quarterfinal games.

— This is the first time RU hasn't reached at least thesemifinals since the 2003 season.

Matee Ajavon…

— Tied for the team lead in scoring with 13 points, nine in the first half. This is the ninth time Ajavon has led or tied for the team lead in scoring this season.

— Led the team for the 18^th time this season with a game-high eight assists.

Kia Vaughn…

— Scored eight of her 12 points in the second half.

— Led the team for the 20^th time this season with seven rebounds.

Epiphanny Prince…

— Scored 10 of her team-high tying 13 points in the second half. Prince has led or tied for the team lead in scoring on 14 different occasions.

— Tied her season-high with three three-point field goals.

Lead Changes

— There were 27 lead changes in the game, the most all season for Rutgers. The previous high came against Stanford in the season opener, when there were 15 lead changes and 11 ties.

On the Boards…

— Rutgers was out-rebounded 34-23 in the game. This marks only the ninth time this season that the Scarlet Knights have been beaten on the boards, falling to 5-4 in those contests. RU trailed 13-6 on the offensive glass.

— The Scarlet Knights only pulled down 13 rebounds in the first half, tying their second lowest in any half this season. Against West Virginia on Jan. 29, RU recorded 12 rebounds in the first half.

D-Fence…

— Rutgers has held its opponents to under 59 points in 23 games this season and 61 or fewer in 27 contests.

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Rutgers Newark over Stevens Institute of Technology 7-4

3/9/2008

       

HOBOKEN, N.J. (March 9, 2008) – Sophomore outfielder Mark Rasulo went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a pair of runs scored as the Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team fell to Rutgers University of Newark Sunday afternoon in Hoboken, N.J. The Ducks struck early having posted three runs in the first two innings, however the bats went dead and four errors in the field proved to be to much as the game went to the Scarlet Raiders in a 7-4 outcome.

Rutgers-Newark opened things up in the top of the first after freshman infielder Matt Connors (Hasbrouck Heights, N.J.) walked to reach base. Some small ball by the Scarlet Raiders put Connors in scoring position as he stood 90 feet from home. A wild pitch from senior righty Scott Picerno allowed Rutgers-Newark to put the first run on the board.

In the bottom half of the inning, the Ducks responded as Rasulo led things off with a single to left field. He then stole second and was bunted over by freshman infielder Matt Glassman. With Rasulo now on third, freshman infielder Ken Meerendonk knocked him in with a single to right field.

The Scarlet Raiders added a pair runs in the top of the second off the bats of Connors and junior outfielder Brian Gill (Manasquan, N.J.). Stevens retaliated in the bottom of the inning with two runs of its own. Freshman catcher Denis Ackermann led the inning off with a single to right field. The following batter, sophomore outfielder Anthony Andrews, singled to left center. With one out and men on first and second, freshman outfielder Brian Skocypec drove in Ackermann with a single to right centerfield. The ensuing batter, sophomore infielder Eddie Daniele loaded the bases for the Ducks off a bunt down the left side. Rasulo singled up the middle to score Andrews from third. Glassman hit into a double play to stop the bleeding and keep the game knotted at 3-all.

After two scoreless innings, the Scarlet Raiders broke the tie with two runs in the top of the fifth. Senior infielder Dan Zika (Kenilworth, N.J.) and senior outfielder Doug Ford (Neptune, N.J.) crossed the plate for Rutgers-Newark. Two more runs in the top of the eight secured the win for the Scarlet Raiders as the Ducks were only able to post a late run in the bottom of the ninth to closeout the game 7-4.

For Stevens (2-6), senior first baseman John Frustaci batted 2-for-4 with an RBI. Skocypec also went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Picerno was tagged with the loss (0-3) as he threw for five innings with three earned runs on seven hits.

The Scarlet Raiders (1-3) were led by Connors, who went 3-for-3 with a double, RBI and two runs scored. Zika batted 1-for-3 with a pair of runs. Ford notched three hits on five at-bats and crossed the plate twice for Rutgers-Newark. Sophomore third baseman Joe Furnaguera (Springfield, N.J.) went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Junior lefty Kevin Matawa (Wood-Ridge, N.J.) earned the win as he threw for six innings giving up three earned runs on 11 hits. Freshman pitcher Billy Cerutti (Oceanport, N.J.) was lights out as he pitched for three innings, allowing just one run on one hit and struck out six batters.

The Ducks will return to action on Wednesday when they host SUNY College at Old Westbury, which is scheduled for a 3 p.m. start.

No. 21 Texas A&M Downs Rutgers Baseball, 12-3, in Series Finale

Media Release
  Jimenez Hits First Career Home Run For Scarlet Knights

3/9/2008 5:27:38 PM

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – No. 21 Texas A&M scored four runs in the first inning and didn't look back en route to a 12-3 victory over the Rutgers baseball team to take the three-game series with Sunday's victory in front of 2,942 fans at Olsen Field.

Rutgers (3-6) won Friday's opener, but Texas A&M (11-3) won the final two games to take the series from the Scarlet Knights.

After Rutgers stranded a runner on third with one out in the top of the first, Texas A&M jumped out to the early lead with a four-run first inning. Most of the damage came on a three-run home run to right field from Luke Anders.

Rutgers got one of those runs back with one swing of the bat in the top of the second as designated hitter Jarred Jimenez (Monroe, N.J.) lifted the third pitch he saw well over the fence in left field for his first career home run.

Senior Donny Callahan (Sparta, N.J.) doubled to the gap in left-center field in the fourth and Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) drove him home two plays later with a sharp line drive single to center field to cut the Aggies' lead in half at 4-2.

Texas A&M countered with three runs in the bottom-half of the frame, however, as the Aggies strung together three extra-base hits in the inning to make it 7-2.

The Scarlet Knights pushed across a third run in the fourth when Brett Garlick (Livingston, N.J.) followed a Joey Ianiero (Bloomsburg, Pa.) single with a single of his own up the middle to score Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.), who reached on a fielder's choice, from second base to make it 7-3. The Scarlet Knights threatened for more in the inning but stranded runners on second and third. 

The Aggies answered back again, however, in the bottom of the fourth with two runs on a pair of two-out hits to build a 9-3 advantage and end starter Matt Giannini's (Millington, N.J.) day after 3.2 innings.

A Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) leadoff double in the fifth gave RU life, but the hitter was stranded at third.

The Aggies added a run in the seventh off reliever Kevin Lillis (Fair Haven, N.J.) and used a pair of fielding errors in the eighth to plate two more runs off reliever Tony Wargo (New Providence. N.J.)

Giannini (0-3) took the loss with nine runs on nine hits and a pair of strikeouts in 3.2 innings, while Carson Middleton (3-0) got the win in relief with 4.2 scoreless innings.

Ianiero, a redshirt freshman, made his first career start at second base, while junior transfer Ryan Beard (Point Pleasant, N.J.) made his first appearance as a Scarlet Knight, with a scoreless eighth inning of work on the mound.

Rutgers returns east where it will host the New Jersey Institute of Technology on Wednesday at Bainton Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. 

No. 21 Texas A&M Wins Pitchers Duel Over Rutgers, 2-1

Press release

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Despite another solid pitching performance from Rutgers starter Casey Gaynor (Toms River, N.J.), the Scarlet Knights came up just short of a series-clinching victory over No. 21 Texas A&M, falling to the Aggies, 2-1, Saturday night in front of 3,315 fans at Olsen Field.

Rutgers (3-5) and Texas A&M (10-3) will meet in the rubber game on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. (ET) as RU took the opener, 10-8.

Gaynor (1-2) had another stellar outing with eight strikeouts and just one walk in seven innings of work. Overshadowing the RU hurler's performance, however, was Texas A&M starter, Brooks Raley (2-0), who struck out 10 and yielded just three hits in 7.2 scoreless innings to pick up the win for the Aggies.

In the fourth, Texas A&M's Jose Duran collected the Aggies' second hit of the contest with a hard-hit grounder that short-hopped Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) at shortstop. Duran used a Gaynor wild pitch to move into scoring position and reached third on a groundout to second. With the Aggie runner 90 feet away, Brian Ruggiano laid down a well-executed sacrifice bunt to plate the first run of the contest. Rutgers avoided a possible second run when a sharply-hit line drive to the gap in left-center field off the bat of Darby Brown was corralled by a diving Donny Callahan (Sparta, N.J.) for the third out of the frame.  

The Aggies took a 2-0 lead with a run in the fifth when Keith McInnerney lined a one-out single up the middle and swiped second where Dan Carter drove him in with a single to right field.

Rutgers threatened in the sixth when Brett Garlick (Livingston, N.J.) drilled a ball off the wall in left-center field for a one-out double. RU could not get him home as Raley got out of it with a fly out to left field to end the inning.

Rutgers got a run in the ninth when pinch hitter Jarred Jimenez (Monroe, N.J.) tripled to the gap in right-center to lead off the frame and Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) scored him on a groundout to the shortstop. Reliever Travis Starling, however, picked up his fourth save of the season, getting Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) to ground out to end the game.

Callahan collected two of Rutgers' four hits on the night while Garlick's double and Jimenez's triple were the only extra-base hits recorded by either team in the game.

Rutgers and Texas A&M will conclude their series with a 1:00 p.m. game tomorrow. Junior righty Matt Giannini (Millington, N.J.) will be on the mound for the Scarlet Knights against sophomore righty Scott Migl for the Aggies. 

Late-Inning Rally Takes Down No. 21 Texas A&M, 10-8

Media Release

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Rutgers used a late-inning rally with five runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth and closer Jason Downey (Ballston Lake, N.J.) shut the door with five strikeouts as the Scarlet Knights took down No. 21 Texas A&M, 10-8, in the series opener Friday night in front of 3,304 fans at Olsen Field.

The win improved the Scarlet Knights to 3-4 on the season and gave them their third victory over a nationally-ranked team (also beat No. 25 Old Dominion and No. 22 Georgia Tech) in the young season. Texas A&M fell to 9-3.  

Facing a 5-1 deficit early on, Rutgers chipped away at Texas A&M's lead with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. A leadoff double from Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) set the stage for a run-producing groundout to first base by Donny Callahan (Sparta, N.J.) two plays later for RU's second run and a two-out RBI single to right field from Luis Feliz (New Brunswick, N.J.) plated the Scarlet Knights' third score of the game. 

Rutgers then continued its momentum and surged into the lead with a five-run seventh inning to make it 8-5. The frame started with a pinch-hit double to the gap in right-center field from Joey Ianiero (Bloomsburg, Pa.) and ended with an Ianiero pop out as the Scarlet Knights batted around in the inning. The damage had already been done as Ianiero stepped to the plate for the second time in the inning as the Scarlet Knights scored five runs all with two outs. A bases-loaded double from Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) scored the first two runs of the frame. Matthews followed with a sharp grounder up the middle to score a third run. RU then capitalized from three wild pitches from Aggie hurler Kevin Cravey – Texas A&M's third pitcher of the frame – to plate two additional runs for the 8-5 lead.

With Holt out of the game, RU turned to Kevin Lillis (Fair Haven, N.J.) in the bottom half of the seventh. He worked to three batters getting one out before lefty Matt Patterson (Passaic, N.J.) came out of the bullpen. Texas A&M countered with a righty pinch hitter and the move paid off as the Aggies got a run across on a fielder's choice. They turned to a pinch hitter again and newly-inserted Caleb Shofner found the gap in right field to score one run before a miscue in the Scarlet Knight outfield allowed the tying run to cross the plate to knot it up at 8-8.

Rutgers came right back in the eighth. New Aggie hurler Kyle Thebeau issued a leadoff walk to Callahan and Brett Garlick's (Livingston, N.J.) sacrifice bunt was fielded by the third baseman, who attempted to get the Callahann out at second but his throw sailed into the outfield to put runners on the corners. A well-executed bunt from Vic Cegles (Phoenix, Ariz.) scored Callahan for the eventual game-winning run and Rutgers added an insurance run on an RBI groundout from Gossard.

A double by Texas A&M's Blake Stouffer put runners on second and third with one out in the home half of the eighth and chased Patterson out of the game. Downey came in with the tying run on second and shut the door on the Aggies with a pair of big strikeouts to end the threat. Downey continued his dominance with three more strikeouts in the ninth for his first save of the season. He nearly struckout the side in order before giving up a single on a 2-2 count to the second batter of the inning. 

Rutgers starter Steve Holt (Toms River, N.J.) settled down from five runs in the first three innings to work a solid six-innings with four strikeouts and only one walk.

Patterson (1-0) got the win in an inning of scoreless relief, while Aggie reliever Kyle Thebeau (0-1) took the loss after surrendering the pair of runs in the eighth. 

Rutgers' 10 runs are the most scored by a Texas A&M opponent this season. The previous high run total was seven.

Rutgers and Texas A&M continue their series Saturday night with a 7:30 p.m. game. Sophomore righty Casey Gaynor (Toms River, N.J.) will be on the mound for the Scarlet Knights against freshman lefty Brooks Raley for the Aggies.

Scarlet Knights Face Nationally-Ranked Opponent for Third Straight Weekend

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Conference champions meet this weekend as 2007 BIG EAST Champion Rutgers heads to College Station, Texas for a three-game series with 2007 Big 12 Champion and No. 21 Texas A&M. The Scarlet Knights and Aggies open the series with a pair of night games with first pitch set for 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, followed by a 1:00 p.m. game on Sunday at Olsen Field. Game times are listed in eastern standard time.

Rutgers (2-4) continues the challenging early portion of its schedule with its third nationally-ranked opponent in as many weekends. The Scarlet Knights lost a 9-5, daylight-shortened game to Temple on Wednesday in their home opener. After splitting a doubleheader with then No. 25 Old Dominion on the road, RU took one of three at then No. 22 Georgia Tech last weekend.

Junior preseason All-BIG EAST selection Tom Edwards (West Caldwell, N.J.) leads Rutgers offensively. The Scarlet Knights' No. 3 hitter owns a .435 average (10-for-23) with seven RBI in six games this season. He was a perfect 4-for-4 last time out against Temple.

The Rutgers weekend rotation consists of senior righty Steve Holt (Toms River, N.J.) on Friday, sophomore righty Casey Gaynor (Toms River, N.J.) on Saturday and junior righty Matt Giannini (Millington, N.J.) on Sunday. In his first game in nearly two years after undergoing Tommy John surgery last season, Holt pitched seven strong innings last Friday in a no-decision at Georgia Tech. He registered three strikeouts and allowed just one earned run. Gaynor pitched into the eighth inning against the Yellow Jackets and posted a career-high nine strikeouts in a one-run loss last Saturday. Giannini struck out five in 5.2 innings last Sunday at Georgia Tech. He didn't surrender a run until the sixth inning and retired seven-straight at one point against the Yellow Jackets.

Texas A&M is 9-2 on the season and enters the series on an eight-game winning streak. Last weekend, Texas A&M captured the Aggie Baseball Classic with victories over Ohio State, Arkansas and Louisiana Tech. The Aggies defeated Nicholls State twice during the week. Senior third baseman Dane Carter is hitting .465 with four doubles, four triples and three home runs. Texas A&M's only losses came in the season's opening weekend as the Aggies dropped a pair to Northern Colorado.

The Aggies will go with freshman righty Barret Loux (0-0, 5.14 ERA) on Friday, freshman lefty Brooks Raley (1-0, 3.68 ERA) on Saturday and sophomore righty Scott Migl (1-0, 2.31 ERA) on Sunday. Reliever Travis Starling has not allowed a run in six appearances, spanning six innings and has three saves on the season.

This weekend marks the first meeting between Rutgers and Texas A&M on the diamond. Rutgers will be playing in the state of Texas for the first time since 1999 when the Scarlet Knights traveled to Lubbock, Texas for an NCAA Regional, hosted by Texas Tech. RU dropped a pair of games in the regional, falling to the host Red Raiders, 5-2, and Rice, 6-1.

Rutgers Women’s Basketball Set to Defend BIG EAST Title

HARTFORD, Conn. – The Rutgers women's basketball team will look to defend its conference tournament title as the 2008 BIG EAST Championships kick off on March 8 at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn. The Scarlet Knights, who won the 2007 championship, will be seeded second and play the winner of the Louisville/St. John's game Sunday, March 9. The game can be seen nationally on ESPNU starting at 6 p.m.

No. 4/5 Rutgers (24-5, 14-2) defeated No. 10 seed St. John's on January 5, 58-50, and topped No. 7 seed Louisville, 70-57, on Jan. 20. Both games were played in Piscataway. The Cardinals and the Red Storm will play in the first round on March 8 at 6 p.m.

Louisville (21-8, 10-6) is led by junior Angel McCoughtry, who leads the BIG EAST and is fourth in the nation with 23.8 points per game. The Cardinals are 1-2 all-time against Rutgers and in the only meeting this season, senior guard Matee Ajavon (Newark, N.J.) hit for a season-high 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting.

St. John's (16-13, 7-9) ended the season strongly with three consecutive victories. The Red Storm are led by Monique McLean, who averages 14.3 points per game (14^th in the BIG EAST) and Kia Wright, who is fourth in the conference with 4.24 assists per game. Rutgers has won 30 of the 33 all-time meetings with the Red Storm, including 16 straight.

Rutgers is 18-11 all-time in the BIG EAST Tournament, including a 14-3 mark in neutral-site contests. This year marks the second consecutive season and fifth time overall that RU has been the No. 2 seed.  GAME NOTES

College Baseball: Temple Explodes for 7 Runs to earn 9-5 win over Rutgers

Media Release March 6, 2008

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Temple exploded for seven runs in the seventh inning to earn a 9-5 come-from-behind victory over Rutgers in a daylight-shortened home opener for the Scarlet Knights at Bainton Field on Wednesday afternoon. The game was called due to darkness after one batter in the top of the ninth inning.

The loss was the first for the Scarlet Knights in a home opener since the 2001 season when RU dropped an 8-5 decision to Seton Hall on March 23 of that season.

In a game where every Rutgers starter got a hit, the top-third of the Scarlet Knights' lineup collected nine of the team's 13 hits in the contest. Junior Tom Edwards (West Caldwell, N.J.) led the way with a 4-for-4 effort that included a double and two RBI.

In the first meeting between the schools since 1995, Rutgers looked dominant early with a 4-0 lead through five innings. On the mound, Scarlet Knight starter Jon McCue (Hillside, N.J.) allowed just one hit through four innings with three strikeouts. RU put its first run on the board with an RBI double to left field from Edwards in the third inning.

The top of the Rutgers order came through with four consecutive hits with one out in the fifth inning to produce three more runs and make it 4-0 in favor of the Scarlet Knights. Senior Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) followed singles by Jarred Jimenez (Monroe, N.J.), Vic Cegles (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Edwards with a double to the gap in right-center field to produce the final run of the frame.

Temple cut the Rutgers lead in half with a pair of runs in the sixth, however Rutgers got one of those runs back when Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) led off the bottom half of the frame with a double, was sacrificed over to third and scored on a Jimenez infield single to make it 5-2.

The Owls did their damage in the sixth, starting with back-to-back singles to lead off the frame which sent McCue out of the game. They continued their momentum against relievers Tony Wargo (New Providence, N.J.) and Matt Patterson (Passaic, N.J.) with four more hits, including a three-run home run off the bat of Mike Kelch against Patterson to give Temple a 9-5 advantage. Sophomore hurler Kevin Lillis (Fair Haven, N.J.) came in for the final two outs of the frame.

Rutgers loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom-half of the seventh but newly-inserted designated hitter Brandon Boykin (Teaneck, N.J.) came up just short in beating out a grounder to third base for an infield hit, ending the frame.

Sophomore Kyle Bradley (Howell, N.J.)worked a perfect eighth for Rutgers, but the Scarlet Knights failed to produce any runs in the bottom half of the inning as the Owls held on to the four-run lead.

Following a single off newly-inserted Jason Downey (Ballston Lake, N.J.) to begin the ninth, the umpires made the decision to call the game due to darkness.

Wargo (0-1) was saddled with the loss, giving up three runs on one hit in the seventh, while Matt Blackburn (1-0) picked up the victory for Temple, giving up a run on two hits in the sixth. McCue gave up four runs on eight hits with the three strikeouts before leaving in the sixth.

 

College Baseball: Rutgers to host Temple Wednesday at 3 PM

Media release

PISCATAWAY, N.J.  – The Rutgers baseball team will host Temple on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. in its 2008 home opener at Bainton Field. The Scarlet Knights welcome back former Rutgers assistant coach Rob Valli, who now serves as the head coach of the Owls.

Valli was a member of the Scarlet Knights' coaching staff from 1999 to 2000, helping guide the program to the 2000 BIG EAST Championship and a pair of NCAA Tournament berths during his time "On the Banks." During his tenure with the Scarlet Knights, Valli worked with the catchers and hitters. Following a highly-successful stint as head coach at Gloucester County College that included the 2005 NJCAA National Championship, Valli moved on to Temple where he is in his third season as the head coach.

Wednesday marks the first meeting between Rutgers head coach Fred Hill and Valli. It is one of two local teams with Rutgers ties amongst the coaching staff that the Scarlet Knights will face this season. Wagner, which is coached by former Rutgers standout second baseman Joe Litterio (1990-93), visits Piscataway on April 1.

Rutgers (2-3) holds a 40-24-1 all-time record against Temple (2-4). The schools have not faced off since the 1995 season when Rutgers was a member of the Atlantic 10.

Junior right-handed pitcher Jon McCue (Hillside, N.J.) will be on the mound for the Scarlet Knights on Wednesday. He was a perfect 7-0 with a 2.62 ERA last season. McCue made one relief appearance this season.

Rutgers freshman first baseman Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) is coming off a productive weekend where he hit .364 (4-for-11) with his first two collegiate home runs against then No. 22 Georgia Tech. The true freshman ranks third on the team with a .286 (6-for-21) batting average through the season's first five games.

Temple senior Eric Fritz will be the starter for the Owls. The right-handed pitcher was 2-1 with a 9.39 ERA last season. He has made one appearance for the Owls in 2008.

Junior shortstop Mark Ortega leads Temple offensively with a .368 batting average, including a triple, home run and a pair of doubles.

The Scarlet Knights and Owls have both faced Old Dominion this season with Rutgers splitting a double-header on Feb. 24 and Temple taking one of three from the Monarchs last weekend.

No. 22 Georgia Tech Baseball Shuts Out Rutgers, 6-0

                        

Scarlet Knights Return North To Face Temple In 2008 Home Opener on Wednesday

                     

ATLANTA, Ga. – No. 22 Georgia Tech used a five-run sixth inning to break a scoreless tie and surge past Rutgers in the series finale in baseball action Sunday afternoon before 1,547 fans at Russ Chandler Stadium.

The Scarlet Knights (2-3) won the opener on Friday but were defeated in the final two contests as the Yellow Jackets (7-1) took the series from RU.

The early portion of the game was highlighted by a combination of great pitching and excellent defense as the Scarlet Knights and Yellow Jackets were scoreless through the first five innings.

RU starter Matt Giannini (Millington, N.J.) worked himself out of a jam in the second when GT put runners on the corners without recording an out. He struck out the next two hitters and induced a groundout to get out of the frame unscathed.

In the Georgia Tech third, with a man on first and one out, center fielder Luis Feliz (New Brunswick, N.J.) ran down a ball at the wall in center field for the catch and threw out the runner on first base from deep in the outfield for a double-play to end the inning.

Senior Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) led off the fourth with a double to center field but the Scarlet Knights could not get him home as Georgia Tech starter Zach Von Tersch retired the next three batters in order to get out of the inning.

A pair of nice defensive plays kept Rutgers off the base paths in the fifth as sophomore Jayson Hernandez (Belmar, N.J.) lined out sharply to third base and sophomore Brett Garlick (Livingston, N.J.) hit a line drive to right field that was caught by a diving Charlie Blackmon in similar fashion to Saturday's game-sealing catch by the Yellow Jacket outfielder.

Georgia Tech broke the scoreless tie, exploding for five runs in the sixth. After giving up a single to the Yellow Jackets' Chris House to lead off the frame, Giannini followed a sacrifice with a free pass to yesterday's hero for Georgia Tech, Blackmon. Tony Plagman made the Scarlet Knights pay with a three-run home run over the left-field fence. A Luke Murton double then signaled the end of Giannini's day as reliever Kevin Lillis (Fair Haven, N.J.) came in for RU. After another RBI double, senior lefty Matt Patterson (Passaic, N.J.) made his third relief appearance in the series. GT countered the Patterson move with its second pinch hitter of the at-bat to a right-handed hitter and the move resulted in an RBI single for the Yellow Jackets to complete a five-run, five-hit inning for the home team. 

Georgia Tech added a run in the seventh to make it 6-0 and Von Tersch (1-0) handed the ball over to the bull pen after a seven-strikeout, three-hit, scoreless outing in seven innings of work for the Yellow Jacket starter.

Giannini (0-2) worked 5.2 innings with five strikeouts to go along with four runs on six hits. Junior Tony Wargo (New Providence, N.J,) became the fourth Scarlet Knight pitcher as the righty recorded a scoreless eighth frame for Rutgers.

Several Scarlet Knights made their first plate appearances of the season as redshirt freshman Joey Ianiero (Bloomsburg, Pa.), true freshman Brandon Boykin (Teaneck, N.J.) pinch hit for RU in the eighth and ninth innings.

Rutgers travels home where it will host Temple and head coach Rob Valli, a former Rutgers assistant coach, on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. at Bainton Field in the 2008 home opener.

Women’s Basketball: Rutgers over Villanova 63-54

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Sophomore guard Epiphanny Prince (Brooklyn, N.Y.) had 19 points, 14 of those in the first half, to lead No. 5/5 Rutgers to a 63-54 win over Villanova on Saturday afternoon at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. Junior Kia Vaughn (Bronx, N.Y.) and senior Matee Ajavon (Newark, N.J.) added 16 and 14 points, respectively.

Vaughn paced the team, along with senior Essence Carson (Paterson, N.J.), with eight rebounds each. Ajavon had a season-high nine assists.

The Scarlet Knights (17-2, 7-0 BIG EAST) closed the contest on an 11-5 run over the final 5:35 of play to take the victory, its 12th straight.

"Personally, these games always give me a headache," head coach C. Vivian Stringer noted of her 794th victory.  "You see very quickly who can play and who can't. Villanova is very smart and they read defenses very well. He (Villanova head coach Harry Perretta) doesn't let you make a mistake. It was a good win."

Villanova (12-8, 2-5), trailing by six at the break, took a 38-37 lead with 13:53 remaining on a jumper by Laura Kurz. The advantage would be the last for the Wildcats as Ajavon responded with seven straight points to move RU ahead, 44-38. Villanova closed to three on four different occasions, lastly with 6:00 to play. A pair of three's by Ajavon and Prince and a 10-footer by Carson would make it 60-49 with 3:10 showing.

Rutgers shot 50.9 percent from the floor while Villanova was at a 48.9 percent clip, becoming the 27th straight opponent to shoot below 50 percent. The Wildcats were 10-of-20 from behind the arc, while the Scarlet Knights connected on 5-of-11 from downtown.

Trailing 8-6 after a three-pointer by Wildcats guard Maria Getty, Rutgers used an 11-2 surge to take a 17-10 advantage at the 11:49 mark of the first half. Vaughn scored six during the drive and Prince capped it with a triple from the far side. The see-saw battle was underway. RU went ahead 20-15 on another trifecta by Prince with 9:49 to go in the first only to see 'Nova respond with a flurry of three's. VU's Lisa Karcic gave the visitors a 22-21 lead on 3-pointer - the fourth of the game - with 6:40 on the clock.

Prince scored six straight - the first in traffic, the second a steal and subsequent lay-up and finally an up-and-under left-side drive – to push RU ahead by five. Junior Heather Zurich capped the 8-0 run with a mid-range jumper for a 29-22 edge.

Yet another three-pointer by the nation's top three-point team closed the deficit to four before Rutgers stretched it to six-point game (33-27) at the break.

For the second straight game, Rutgers had fewer than 10 turnovers in a game (9).

The Scarlet Knights are next in action on Tuesday, Jan. 28 when they travel to West Virginia. Five of the next six opponents are either ranked at the present or have been ranked at some point this season.

"In this five-game stretch coming up, this is make or break time," Stringer said after the game. "We could lose any of those; it's certainly possible to win all of those. We were confident going into this game, so I'm glad that we won."

Women’s College Basketball Fairfield 59 Rider 43

January 18 2008 -

• Click Here for Box Score

FAIRFIELD, Conn.—Despite 10 points from sophomore Tammy Meyers, (Willingboro) the Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game at Fairfield Friday night. “We didn’t do anything very well tonight,” said head coach Lynn Milligan.

Meyers also had three steals and three rebounds in 31 minutes of action.

“Fairfield zoned up on us and stayed in it and that slowed us down,” said Meyers.  “I got some good looks in the first half because we got points of transition and when you don’t have to work as hard on every possession, you conserve energy for our defensive effort.”

“Tammy is working on being more consistent,” Milligan said. “We are looking for her to have better options and to not have to make some of the tough decisions when she gets into the paint. She is a talented player for us and off the dribble, she is very strong.”

Down 13-10, Fairfield (12-5, 2-4 MAAC) went on an 18-0 run, six points by senior Meka Werts (Queens, N.Y./Christ the King) opening up a 15 point lead 28-13 with 4:54 left in the first half and the Stags led 32-16 at intermission. Werts finished with 11 points.

“I have no explanation for the scoring droughts,” Milligan said. “We obviously practice our offense and we are not comfortable taking the shots. If you have that little bit of hesitation and that little bit of doubt, you are not going to make the shot. We are working everyday to try to get everyone’s confidence back up.”

Trailing 6-2, Fairfield went on an 8-0 run, four points each by senior Sabra Wrice (Riverside) and Baendu Lowenthal (Riverside) to take a 10-6 lead with 12:42 left in the first half. Wrice finished with a game-high 20 points with Lowenthal adding 14 points and eight rebounds for the Stags.

Rider (5-12, 0-6 MAAC) answered with a 7-0 run, four points by Meyers to take a 13-10 lead with 10:09 left in the opening period.

Also for the Broncs, junior Shaunice Parker (Waldorf, Md./West Lake) had 10 rebounds in 29 minutes of action.

The Stags held a 51-32 rebound advantage including 20-10 on the offensive glass.

Fairfield has won six straight and 17 of 18 against Rider and leads the all-time series 22-2.

Winless this season on the road (0-6), Rider has lost five straight overall and the Stags have won two in a row.

The Broncs travel to Riverdale, New York for a MAAC game against Manhattan at 7:00pm on Monday night before returning home to face the Stags for the second time in seven days next Friday night. “I am actually happy to get Fairfield again in such a short period of time,” Milligan added. “I don’t think we showed them who the real Rider is tonight.”

“We have to be hungry and want to win,” Meyers said. “We want to get that road goose egg off the board. We will be ready for Fairfield next Friday. We were prepared, we just didn’t execute.”

-RU-

Rider University wrestling team is competing at the Virginia Duals National Tournament

College Wrestling
Rider University 45, Duquesne University 3
#3 Oklahoma State University 39, Rider University 9

HAMPTON, Va.--The Rider University wrestling team is competing at the Virginia Duals National College Tournament this weekend. On Friday, the Broncs defeated Duquesne before losing to the top seed, third ranked Oklahoma State.

Senior T.J. Morrison (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cedar Cliff), ranked 11^th in the nation at 197, won both of his matches for Rider, as did his younger brother, sophomore 157 Rob Morrison (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cedar Cliff). Both won a bout by pin. “They both competed very hard and had tough matches,” said Rider head coach Gary Taylor. 

The eighth seed in the 16-team tournament, Rider won nine of the 10 bouts against Duquesne, with pins by sophomore Fred Rodgers (Perkiomenville, Pa./Boyertown), junior Jason Lapham (West Chazy, N.Y./Beekmantown), T.J. Morrison and junior Ed Bordas (Montgomery, N.Y./Valley Central).

Against the top seed, third ranked Oklahoma State, T.J. Morrison won in overtime and Rob Morrison won by fall. “T.J. was behind and evened it up, then he was behind again and evened it up again,” Taylor said. “T.J. took him down with eight seconds left and had to ride him the eight seconds because Foster had riding time. T. J. took him down in overtime for the win. It was a nice win.”

“Jason (Lapham) lost a close match to the kid who just beat the number one wrestler (from Iowa) in the country,” Taylor said. “Jason led most of the match but was trailing 6-5 and had to take some chances to get a take down. He looked real good in both matches.”

The Broncs were competing without three injured starters, senior 149 Don Fisch (Williamstown, N.J./Delsea), junior 184 Doug Umbehauer (Shamong, N.J./Lenape) and sophomore 174 Mike Miller (Wilmington, DE/Brandywine). Rider lost four of the six bouts at those three weights.

“Donnie injured his neck at Bloomsburg and it stiffened up on him,” Taylor said. “Doug (ranked 11^th in the nation) and Mike didn’t even make the trip.”

Rider (1-6) takes on either Bucknell or Lehigh Saturday morning at 10am in the consolation bracket.

Rice’s Career Day Leads Rutgers to International Bowl Victory

Media release: January 5, 2007

TORONTO, ONTARIO – Junior All-America RB Ray Rice (New Rochelle, N.Y.) had one of the finest individual outings in college football history, rushing for a career-high 280 yards and four touchdowns to help the Scarlet Knights to their second-straight bowl victory. Saturday afternoon's 52-30 International Bowl victory marked the first time in 138 years of football at Rutgers University that the school won back-to-back bowl games (RU defeated Kansas State in the Texas Bowl, 2006).

The 52 points scored were the most in the school's bowl history. Including both individual and team marks, Rutgers set a total of nine bowl records at the International Bowl. Rutgers finished the season with 426 points on the year, setting the single season record (387 in 2006). The Scarlet Knights' eight wins in 2007 also marked just the second time since 1980 that RU have recorded an eight-win season and the 12th time in school history.

For his performance, Rice was named the International Bowl's Most Valuable Player. It was the second time in his bowl career that he received MVP honors after taking home the trophy at the 2006 Texas Bowl. Rice's 280 yards were the third most rushing yards in NCAA Bowl history and gave him his school record eighth-straight 100- yard game and sixth 200-yard game of his career. He has eclipsed the 100 yard rushing mark 25 times in 38 career games.

Rice entered the game with 1,732 yards on the season and with 280 for the game, he amassed a total of 2,012 yards, becoming the 13th player in NCAA history to go over the 2,000 yard mark in a single campaign. He also became the first BIG EAST player to rush for more than 2,000 yards and set both a conference and school record in single-season rushing (2,012). It was also Rice's first four-touchdown game of his career. He has scored multiple touchdowns in 13 games.

The Scarlet Knights got off to a hot start, opening the game with a touchdown score on the first drive for the fourth time this season. After an 18-yard kickoff return by freshman RB Mason Robinson (Somerville, N.J.), Rice broke off a 21-yard run to midfield. Junior QB Mike Teel (Oakland, N.J.) proceeded to complete two-of-three passes, including a 36-yard touchdown strike to sophomore WR Tim Brown (Miami, Fla.) as RU took a 7-0 lead.

On the touchdown pass, Teel tied former Scarlet Knight signal-callers Mike McMahon (2000) and Ryan Hart (2005) for the most TD passes in a season with 18. Teel went on to set a new record with two more passing touchdowns, finishing with 20 for the season. Teel completed 16-of-23 passes for 303 yards, his sixth 300 yard game of the season. He also set the second-best single-season passing record with 3,147 yards. The three touchdowns against Ball State marked his eighth multiple touchdown game of the year.

Rutgers forced a pair of punts on Ball State's next two possessions before taking over the ball on their own 30 yard line. The Scarlet Knights then drove 70 yards on six plays to take a 14-0 lead. During the drive, RU benefited from a pass interference call against Ball State to start things at midfield. Teel then completed a 22-yard pass to junior WR Tiquan Underwood (Lawrenceville, N.J.), but it was Rice who would do the most damage as he gained 33 yards on five carries.

Rice found pay dirt for his 21st rushing touchdown of the season, tying JJ Jennings for the most touchdowns in a season. With the one-yard run, Rice also tied the school's single-season rushing record with 1,794 yards which he set during the 2006 season. As a team the Scarlet Knights also established a new single season scoring mark with 388 points, eclipsing the previous record of 387 set last season.

Ball State would add a 47-yard field goal to close out the first quarter, pulling to within 11 points (14-3). Rutgers then opened the second quarter with a 12-play drive that went 48 yards, culminating with a 53-yard field goal by senior PK Jeremy Ito (Loma Linda, Calif.). The field goal was one of record-setting proportion as it marked the most field goals completed in a season (23) in school history. In addition to it tying Ito's career long (53 yards vs. USF, 9/29/06), the field goal was also the second longest in school history and the fifth longest in school history.

The Cardinals tacked on another field goal from 24 yards out to make it 17-6.

Rice helped the Scarlet Knights get out to an 18-point lead (24-6) with his second one-yard touchdown scamper of the afternoon. Rice had a hand in each of the six plays which went 40 yards, including an eight yard reception. With that second touchdown, Rice set a school single-season record with 22 rushing touchdowns.

Just before the halftime whistle, Ball State added its third field goal of the game as the Scarlet Knights entered the locker room with a 15-point lead (24-9).

After forcing a Ball State punt to begin the third quarter, the Scarlet Knights reclaimed possession, but was pinned on its own two yard line to start the drive. Rutgers again turned to its workhorse-back, who carried twice for eight yards, before exploding through the left side of the line for a career-best 90-yard touchdown carry.

The Cardinals cut into RU's lead with a six-yard touchdown pass from Nate Davis to Dante Love, making the score 31-16. Rutgers and Ball State traded possessions before the Scarlet Knights would increase their lead to 38-16 with Rice's fourth rushing touchdown of the game. Rice carried five times for 50 yards, while Teel completed a pair of passes from 21 yards during the drive.

A fumbled snap by BSU's Davis was recovered by senior LB Brandon Renkart (Piscataway, N.J.), leading to the Scarlet Knights next touchdown. RU made quick work of its next opportunity as Teel and Underwood connected for a 35-yard completion in the end zone on the first play of the drive. Rutgers forced a turnover-on-downs on the Cardinals next possession as the offense once again showed its quick strike ability with another Teel touchdown pass.

After a seven yard completion to Rice, Teel hooked up with sophomore WR Kenny Britt (Bayonne, N.J.) for a 47-yard touchdown reception to give the Scarlet Knights their largest lead of the game 52-23 (29 points). Britt ended the game with six catches for 125 yards, the sixth 100-yard receiving game of his career, tying him with Underwood for third place in school history.

BSU responded with a touchdown score of its own, but it proved to be too late as the Scarlet Knights came away with the 52-30 win.

         Game Notes

Saving Database Access More Crucial Than Stadium

NJLA Blog Source

Dec. 7, 2007 Courier News On Line

The recent controversy over the Rutgers administration's current attempt to spend $130 million on improvements to Rutgers Stadium goes beyond the state's fiscal situation noted in recent columns.

It even goes beyond the Board of Governors' decision to eliminate a number of varsity sports to provide opportunities to the true student-athletes at Rutgers.

Unless action is taken, Rutgers stands to lose access to 11 important databases currently available through the New Jersey Knowledge Initiative (NJKI), a NJ State Library program to fund science, technology and business databases to higher education, small businesses and public libraries.

The cost to maintain access to the databases is only $1 million per year, less than 1 percent of what President McCormick wants to spend on improving the football stadium.

It is clear that President McCormick and the Rutgers Board of Governors have lost sight of the university's primary purpose -- to be a top-rate academic institution.

As a Rutgers alumnus and current student, I am embarrassed by the actions of President McCormick and the Rutgers Board of Governors. It is time to bring back a Department of Higher Education that can provide effective oversight into institutions' spending plans.

ROBERT CHECCHIO

Dunellen

ClearysNotebook: Ray Rice Named Second Team All-American

Source Media Release

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – For the second consecutive year, Rutgers junior RB Ray Rice (New Rochelle, N.Y.) has been named a Second Team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation. The Walter Camp All-America team is selected by the head coaches and sports information directors of the 119 Football Bowl Subdivision schools and is the nation's oldest All-America team, now in its 118^th year.

Rice, a finalist for the Doak Walker Award which recognizes the top running back in the nation, became the first Scarlet Knight in 138 years of football to rush for three consecutive 1,000 yard seasons, including back-to-back 1,700 yard campaigns. He was also the first to rush for 20 touchdown seasons in consecutive seasons. For his career, Rice set the yardage mark in school history with 4,646 yards on the ground and has 24 100-yard games in 37 contests.

The Scarlet Knights return to action January 5, 2008 in the International Bowl vs. Ball State. Kickoff is set for 12 noon from the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario with national television coverage on ESPN2. For complete information on Rutgers' third straight bowl appearance and ticket information, visit RutgersBowl.com.

Ray Rice 2007 Postseason Honors
·  Doak Walker Finalist
·  Maxwell Award Semifinalist
·  Unanimous First Team All-BIG EAST selection
·  The Sporting News Second Team All-American
·  Walter Camp Football Foundation Second Team All-American
·  College Football News All-BIG EAST
·  Rivals.com First Team All-American
·  Rivals.com First Team All-BIG EAST

ClearysNotebook: Former Rutgers Football Player and Coach Jim Taiga Dies

source press release

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Former Rutgers football player and assistant coach James J. (Jim) Taiga passed away on Friday, Dec. 7, at Ocean Medical Center in Brick. He was 82.

Taigia played for the Scarlet Knights as a two-way lineman in 1948-50 under head coach Harvey Harman. Taigia was an offensive line coach under head coaches John Bateman and Frank Burns from 1968-1982.

Taigia served in the Navy as a chief petty officer before enrolling at Rutgers. He received his undergraduate degree from Rutgers in 1950, and his masters in education in 1954. Prior to joining the Rutgers football coaching staff in 1968, he was a teacher and coached football at Rahway HS, Piscataway HS and Hillside HS.

As a two-way guard for the Scarlet Knights, "Chief" helped the team compile an impressive 21-6 record in his three seasons on the varsity, including 8-1 in 1947. The 1948 team went 7-2 and was captained by Burns, who Taigia later coached with.

As an assistant coach, Taigia played a key role in teams that compiled a 105-56-1 mark n 15 years. Rutgers posted winning records in 11 of those 15 seasons, including an 11-0 mark and a No. 17 national ranking in 1976. Taigia's offensive line helped pave the way for 287 points that season.

Relatives and friends may call from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. on Dec, 10, at the Quackenboss Funeral Home, 156 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick. The funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Dec. 11 at the funeral home, followed by burial at Elmwood Cemetery, North Brunswick.

 

Rutgers women surge past No. 3 Maryland, 68-60

by M.A. Mehta/The Star-Ledger

Monday December 03, 2007,  9:18 PM

       

Epiphanny Prince erupted to key a second-half comeback that vaulted No. 4 Rutgers past No. 3 Maryland, 68-60, tonight in the Jimmy V Classic at the RAC.

Prince flashed the skills that make her one of the most lethal guards in the country, draining 3-pointers and finding open teammates during a 15-4 Rutgers run that helped the Scarlet Knights (5-1) erase a 10-point second-half deficit and extend their winning streak to five games.

Maryland (10-1) suffered its first loss of the season thanks to Rutgers' stingy second-half defense that forced 20 turnovers and held the Terrapins to five field goals.

       

Prince scored 15 of her game-high 22 points after halftime and added 10 assists. Matee Ajavon added 15 points for the Scarlet Knights, who shot 43 percent (26 of 60) from the field.

Rutgers Accepts Bid to International Bowl

ORONTO, Ontario - For the first time in school history, Rutgers will appear in a bowl game for the third consecutive season as the Scarlet Knights officially accepted a bid to the International Bowl Thursday. Rutgers will face a Mid-American Conference opponent, January 5, 2008 at Rogers Centre in Toronto with live television coverage on ESPN2.

"Rutgers is a great addition to our game," International Bowl Executive Director Ken Hoffman remarked. "We're proud to have such a celebrated school add to the history of the International Bowl. They have a large alumni following and will bring many fans into the city for bowl week."

The Scarlet Knights (7-4, 3-3 BIG EAST) close out the regular season tonight at Louisville. With a win over the Cardinals and a victory in the International Bowl, Rutgers could finish with 20 victories combined over the last two seasons. Two victories to close out the 2007 season would also give the Scarlet Knights an average of nine victories per season over the last three years.

"We're thrilled to accept this invitation to play in the International Bowl and I know our team is excited about the opportunity to play in a bowl game for the third consecutive year," said Rutgers Athletic Director Robert E. Mulcahy III.  "Toronto is a wonderful city and our alumni and fans are sure to have a great time there." 

The International Bowl is the only NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision game played outside of the United States.  This year the game kicks off at noon on Saturday, January 5, 2008.

Tickets are available online (RutgersBowl.com), by phone (1-866-445-GORU) and in-person at the Rutgers Ticket Office. Tickets are priced at $40. Travel information will be available soon at RutgersBowl.com.

The International Bowl website is located at www.internationalbowl.org.

Davis Earns Freshman All-America Honors

True Freshman Offensive Guard Honored by Two Media Outlets 

11/27/2007 4:18:12 PM 

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers true freshman offensive guard Anthony Davis (Piscataway, N.J.) was named a First Team Freshman All-America by Rivals.com and a Second Team Freshman All-America selection by Scout.com. Davis has played in all 11 games for the Scarlet Knights in 2007, including six straight starts at right guard.

In his six games starting at right guard, Rutgers has averaged 210.7 rushing yards per game. RU averaged 173 rushing yards per game without Davis as a starter. The team has averaged 404.7 yards of total offense per game since Davis was inserted in the starting lineup.

Davis has yet to allow a sack this season for the Scarlet Knights. He is the first Freshman All-America selection for the Scarlet Knights since Ray Rice (New Rochelle, N.Y.) and Courtney Greene (New Rochelle, N.Y.) in 2005.

Davis and his teammates return to action Thursday, November 29 at Louisville. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.

&copy2007 Rutgers Athletics. 

Rutgers over Army 41-6; Rice gains 243 yards

by Tom Luicci

Saturday November 10, 2007,  7:12 AM           source www.nj.com

       

WEST POINT, N.Y. - Bolstered by Ray Rices record rushing game and the effective-enough play of backup quarterback Jabu Lovelace, Rutgers became bowl-eligible for the third straight year with a 41-6 victory over Army Friday night at Michie Stadium.

Lovelace saw the most extensive action of his career when Mike Teel was forced to the sidelines after taking just seven snaps, having apparently aggravated the thumb injury to his throwing (right) hand. The severity of the injury, and how it might affect him for next Saturday's game against Pittsburgh, were not immediately revealed by Rutgers, which improved to 6-4.

       

Teel left after going 1-for-4, suffering an interception that was returned for a touchdown and having two passes batted down.

But it didn't matter because Rice was in top form, rushing for a school-record 243 yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries. It was the fifth 200-yard rushing game of Rice's career.

Lovelace, used mostly as a runner, directed a season-best rushing attack against an Army defense that came in ranked 109th nationally against the run. He rushed for 81 yards and two scores as Rutgers flirted with 400 yards rushing overall.

The Black Knights (3-7) have now allowed an opposing back to top 200 yards against them three times in the past five weeks.

Rice scored both of his touchdowns in the second half as the Scarlet Knights controlled the game despite going 3-for-12 passing. Army couldn't function at all against the Rutgers defense.

Read more on the Rutgers blog.

Renkart Named to ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Team

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers senior linebacker Brandon Renkart (Piscataway, N.J.), a finalist for the 2007 Draddy Trophy, was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District team, as voted by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Renkart now advances to the national ballot for ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honors.

Renkart was named in October as a finalist for the Draddy Trophy, which recognizes athletic accomplishments, academic honors and community service. He heads into Friday's game at Army as Rutgers' third-leading tackler with 57 stops to go with 6.5 tackles for loss. He is majoring in civil engineering.

It marks the second consecutive season Renkart has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District team. The Piscataway native has also been the recipient of the Rutgers Scholar-Athlete Award, an honor given annually to the top student-athlete on the Rutgers football team.

source Rutgers Media Release

University of Connecticut over Rutgers

Source Rutgers University media release  

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. – Special teams proved to be the difference maker as a blocked punt and kickoff return for a touchdown provided No. 16 Connecticut (8-1, 4-0 BIG EAST) the momentum to defeat Rutgers (5-4, 2-3 BIG EAST) 38-19 on Saturday night at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn.

Rutgers rolled up 511 yards of total offense, but was held to four field goals in the red zone against the Huskies.

The Huskies took an early two-point lead in the first quarter as a result of a miscue by the Scarlet Knight special teams. Senior Jeremy Ito's (Loma Linda, Calif.) first punt of the day was blocked by UConn WR D.J. Henderson and eventually rolled through the back of the end zone for a safety. The blocked punt was the first for a Rutgers opponent since 2005 when West Virginia achieved the feat, while the safety was the first in over five seasons when Miami recorded a safety against the Scarlet Knights in 2002.

Ray Rice finished with 116 yards rushing and 31 yards receiving.
Photo by Tom Ciszek/NJSportsPhoto

Connecticut extended its lead on the subsequent possession as the Huskies began their next drive on their own 47 yard line after the free kick. UConn went eight plays for 53 yards, capping it off with a two-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Lorenzen to Steve Brouse to make it 8-0 as Tony Ciaravino missed the extra point.

Rutgers was able to get on the board and cut into the Huskies' lead with an eight-play, 72-yard drive that ended with a 30-yard field goal by Ito. Junior RB Ray Rice (New Rochelle, N.Y.) kicked off the possession with a 45 yard scamper through the left side – the fifth longest run of his career. The drive also featured a pair of runs, eight and nine yards, respectively by sophomore backup QB Jabu Lovelace (Tenafly, N.J.) as well as two completions from junior QB Mike Teel (Oakland, N.J.) to sophomore WR Kenny Britt (Bayonne, N.J.) totaling 23 yards.

UConn added a field goal by Ciaravino and a touchdown from Lorenzen to Terrence Jeffers on its next two tries as the Huskies ended the first quarter with a 15-point advantage (18-3).

Ito connected on a 28-yard field goal to begin the second quarter, cutting the Huskies' lead to 12 with the score at 18-6, however, UConn responded on the following kickoff as Tyvon Branch returned the kick 97 yards for a touchdown. It was the first kickoff return for a touchdown given up by the Scarlet Knights since last season when Jajuan Spillman of Louisville (11/9/06) ran a kick back 100 yards.

Rice, who carried the ball 16 times for 97 yards in the first half, was able to find the end zone with 4:24 left on the clock until halftime. Teel connected on a pair of passes during the drive, including a 19-yarder to Britt, while Lovelace split time with three carries for 16 yards. Rice concluded the 11-play, 70 yard march with a four-yard carry over the goal line to bring the Scarlet Knights to within 12 (25-13).

He ended the game with 116 yards on 21 carries, marking the 21st time in his illustrious 34-game career that he has gone over the century mark in rushing. Rice also moved into second in BIG EAST history with his 21 100-yard games.

RU forced UConn's first punt of the game on its next possession and took over on its own 19 yard line. Rutgers moved the ball 69 yards as Teel completed eight passes to five different receivers. The Scarlet Knights looked to cut further into the Huskies lead as Teel connected on a touchdown strike to junior WR Tiquan Underwood (Lawrenceville, N.J.). Unfortunately for Rutgers, the score was nullified by an illegal shifting penalty and the drive ended with another field goal by Ito to make the score 25-16 at the half.

After a three-and-out for Connecticut to begin the second half, Rutgers bounced back with a 27-yard field goal by Ito. Lovelace helped orchestrate the drive as he carried four times for 21 yards. His pass attempt in the end zone to senior TE Chris Rudanovic (Sussex, N.J.) was broken up, leading to Ito's fourth field goal of the game. The four field goals tied his career high and was the fourth time in his career that he has nailed four field goals in a game.

UConn visited the end zone on its next possession to make it 32-19 as running back Dennis Brown capped off the seven-play, 74-yard drive with a 33 yard touchdown run in the third quarter. The Huskies tacked on six more points in the fourth a pair of field goals by Ciaravino, as they secured the 38-19 home-victory.

Rutgers received solid play from its two starting wide receivers as Underwood finished the game with 11 catches for 114 yards, while Britt added eight receptions for 122 yards. Underwood now has six 100- yard performances for his career – all coming this season – which is second-best in Rutgers history, just behind former Scarlet Knights Marco Battaglia and Tres Moses, who each recorded seven 100-yard games during their careers. For Britt, it marked his fourth 100-yard effort, good for sixth in the history books.

The Scarlet Knights return to action on Friday, Nov. 9, for its second-straight road contest. Rutgers will take on Army at 8:00 p.m. in West Point, N.Y. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2.

College Field Hockey: Lock Haven University 3, Rider University 1

NEC Championship Game

LOCK HAVEN, PA— The Rider field hockey season came to an end with a loss to top seeded and tournament host Lock Haven in the Northeast Conference Championship game, held at the Charlotte Smith Field on the Lock Haven campus Saturday. “At the beginning of the season we were very young, with only four starters back from last year, so we are very proud that we made it this far,” said Rider head coach Lori Hussong.

Rider was picked to finish fourth in the NEC preseason poll.  “Obviously you always want to win the championship, but I felt that we improved a great deal this season, we learned a lot, and hopefully that will carry over to next year,” Hussong said.

Junior Tricia Crotty (Lewistown, Pa./Indian Valley), a Second Team All-NEC forward, gave Rider a 1-0 lead on Rider’s first and only shot of the game 26:40 into the first half. The goal was Crotty’s team-high tenth of the season and 32^nd of her career, eighth highest ever at Rider. “The defense hit it up to Walk, who dribbled it for a while and hit it to me,” Crotty explained. “I beat one player, did a move and just shot it. Luckily it went in. I was so excited because usually the first goal is big. It gives you the momentum. I was hoping once we got the first goal we would get another one right away.”

The goal was set up by senior Steph Walker (Lyman, Maine/Massabesic), a First Team All-NEC forward who dribbled 20 yards with the ball before passing to Crotty, who scored from 10 yards out. “(Freshman) Lindsay Rajeski (New Egypt) got the ball by completely pressuring the Lock Haven player,” Walker said. “I called for it in and she sent it to the inside. I saw Trish right ahead so I took it to her, having to lift it over the defenders stick, and Tricia just got it and pulled it in and shot it into the cage. I was very excited when it went in. It helped our players believe we are in this game.”

Walker graduates with 90 career points, sixth highest ever at Rider. “Walk raised the level of our game,” Hussong said. “If she had been injury free during her career her numbers would be even greater. She went out playing the best field hockey she has ever played and I’m really happy for her.”

Walker was twice a Second Team and twice a First Team All-NEC selection in her outstanding career.

Walker, Crotty and junior Julie Vaccarelli (Oceanport, N.J./Shore Regional), a Second Team All-NEC defender, were named to the all-tournament team.

Lock Haven senior midfielder Blair Wynne (Arima, Trinidad & Tobago/Sangre Grande) the NEC Player of the Year and NEC Offensive Player of the Year, scored a goal and an assist to lead the Lady Eagles to their second consecutive NEC Title. “We played hard, but Lock Haven is just so offensive,” Hussong said.

Wynne took a long shot that freshman Amy Hordendorf (Topton, Pa./Brandywine Heights) the conference Rookie of the Year, deflected into the net to break a 1-1 tie five minutes into the second half.

Wynne scored an unassisted goal with 18 minutes remaining for the final score. Wynne, who was also named Player of the Year in 2005, was named the tournament MVP.

Megan Bullock took a pass from Alana Lewis (Trinidad & Tobago/Southeast Port of Spain) the NEC Defensive Player of the Year, and scored on an 18-yard blast to tie the score at 1-1 with 4:40 left in the first half.

The Lady Eagles out-shot Rider 18-1 for the game.

Lock Haven had seven corners to Rider’s zero. “I felt if we could have held them off and not given them as many corners as they had, we would have had a better chance,” Hussong said.  Two of Lock Haven’s goals were scored off of penalty corners. “When you give a team like Lock Haven that many corners they are going to score.”

Rider senior Jen LoCastro (Cherry Hill, N.J./Camden Catholic), the NEC Goalie of the Year, made six saves.

Rider finishes the season with an 11-9 record. “Making it to this game was a huge accomplishment and a testament to everyone’s hard work and dedication throughout the season,” Walker added.

Lock Haven (17-5), also the 2006 NEC Champion, will now play the winner of the NorPac November 6, at either Stanford or California.

Lock Haven is 29-2 in NEC regular season play, one of those two losses coming to Rider in 2005.

The Broncs are now 1-5 against Lock Haven since the series began in 2004. Rider defeated Lock Haven 2-1 at Rider during the 2005 season. Lock Haven won the initial contest 2-1 here at Lock Haven during the 2004 season, and the Bald Eagles beat Rider 2-1 twice here on the Charlotte Smith Field in 2006, during the regular season and in the NEC semi-finals last year. This year at Rider the Haven prevailed 4-1.

The Broncs won the final three games of the regular season and entered the championship game on a four-game winning streak with five wins in the last six games.

Rider reached the finals for the seventh time in eight years by defeating Sacred Heart 3-1 Friday in the semi-finals. No other NEC team has reached the playoffs eight straight years, and none made it to the finals seven times in eight years as Rider did.

-RU-

Paw Prints - Rutgers Scarlet Knights (5-3, 2-2) @ UConn Huskies (7-1, 3-0)

November 2nd, 2007 (8 hours ago) by Ian ·  

This week

The UConn Huskies will host the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Saturday night at 7:15 PM at Rentschler Field.

Here are the rosters for the Huskies and the Scarlet Knights.

The Line/Prediction

According to Yahoo Sports Odds, UConn is favored by 2 points. The over/under is 46 points.

My prediction is UConn 31 Rutgers 21

Tickets

As of the time of this post, the game is a sellout.

Tickets to game, if available, may be purchased through Ticketmaster. You can check the availability here.

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Rutgers-Camden Athletic Hall of Fame Ceremonies

 

Pictured are Bill Bramble, left and John "Rocky" Gianvito who were inducted recently into the Rutger-Camden Athletic Hall of Fame.

Also inducted at the ceremonies were Terry Cole, along with basketball stars Cetshwayo and Kamilah Byrd.

Photo: Inductees and presenters (click to enlarge)

The 2007 class was the second group to be inducted into Rutgers-Camden's Athletic Hall of Fame. The inaugural class was honored in 2005 and the school did not have an induction ceremony in 2006.

Gianvito is a former resident of Brooklawn and a graduate of Gloucester City High School. At the ceremonies his children presented him with a collage of box scores, press clippings and season and career records.

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West Virginia over Rutgers; Rice rushes for 142 yards

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Despite a 142-yard rushing effort from Heisman Trophy candidate Ray Rice (New Rochelle, N.Y.), the No. 25-ranked Scarlet Knights suffered a 31-3 loss to No. 6 West Virginia Saturday afternoon at a rain-soaked Rutgers Stadium. WVU running back Steve Slaton and quarterback Pat White combined for four scores as the Mountaineers earned the victory before the venue's ninth straight sell out crowd and a national television audience.

Rutgers (5-3, 2-2) took the field dressed in all black uniforms looking to capture consecutive wins over ranked opponents for the first time in school history. The poor weather, however, did little to enable the charged environment from which the Scarlet Knights fed in their win over No. 2 South Florida. Rutgers entered the game having scored on 26 of its 27 trips inside the 20, but came away empty on two trips inside the red zone versus the Mountaineers.

Joe Lefeged just misses sacking WVU QB Pat White. Photo by Jim O'Connor/NJ Sport Pics

"It's very obvious the things we didn't do today," said Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano. "We didn't tackle well and we didn't catch the football. We dropped too many passes to count, and some of them were touchdowns. We dropped three touchdown passes. Are they tough catches, some of them are, but they are catches we need to make. Tackling just wasn't Rutgers-like."

The Scarlet Knights also committed four turnovers in the contest, while the visitors did not lose a single miscue. West Virginia (7-1, 2-1) scored 14 points off Rutgers turnovers.

"The positives for the game were that not one player stopped playing their very hardest," said Schiano. That's how we want to play when things are going against us."

Rice made school history on the game's first offensive play. A two-yard gain up the middle, the carry provided him 1,001 yards on the year, making the junior the first Scarlet Knight to ever exceed the century mark in three seasons. The rush would also be the first of 16 carries for 63 yards by Rice in the initial stanza.

West Virginia posted the contest's first points. Facing a first-and-10 at RU 38, Slaton changed fields on the slick surface and raced right. With the Scarlet Knights attempting to recover from their initial pursuit, he raced into the end zone with the aid of some opportunistic downfield blocking provided by his receivers. The score capped a six play, 63-yard drive and provided the Mountaineers a 7-0 advantage with 4:33 remaining in the opening quarter.

WVU would extend its lead to two touchdowns courtesy of a special teams' misfortune that befell the Scarlet Knights. After forcing the Mountaineers backwards after they advanced to the home 32, Rutgers was poised to field a punt. The kick, however, deflected off the back of Ramy Nubani (Upper St. Clair, Pa.), who was running toward his return men to provide blocking on the anticipated return. West Virginia recovered at the RU 31. Five plays later, the visitors held a 14-0 advantage after one yard touchdown run by White.

The reliable leg of Jeremy Ito (Loma Linda, Calif.) enabled the Scarlet Knights to light the scoreboard. Named the Lou Groza Star of the Week for his three field goal performance versus USF, Ito split the uprights from 39 yards with 4:39 remaining in the second quarter. The kick culminated an 11-play, 45-yard drive and marked the 70^th field goal of his career. He became one of just 19 players in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision history to record 70 field goals.

A 42-yard field goal by Pat McAfee as the clock expired sent the Scarlet Knights to the locker room at the midpoint facing a 17-3 deficit. The kick concluded an 11-play, 60-yard effort and was the third score for the visitors in five first half possessions.

The rain, which was steady and driving, subsided prior to the start of the second half. Rutgers was in receipt of the half's initial possession and drove into the red zone for the first time, to the WVU 14. A holding penalty, however, sent the home squad backward, where it was forced to settle for a 41-yard field goal attempt. The try, however, was wide right.

With the miss, the Mountaineers re-gained possession and drove downfield in purposeful fashion. A one-yard Slaton touchdown run capped a nine play, 75-yard drive that consumed just 3:18 off the clock. The junior's second scoring jaunt placed the Scarlet Knights in a deep, 24-3, hole with 3:59 remaining in the third quarter.

West Virginia. closed out the scoring on a seven play, 66-yard drive that was 3:04 in length. Each of the Mountaineers' four touchdown drives consumed 3:18 or less of the game clock.

The Scarlet Knights return to the gridiron next Saturday (Nov. 3) evening at Connecticut in a 7:15 p.m. kick-off at Rentschler Field. The game will be televised live on ESPNU.

Source Press release

College Field Hockey: Rider 3 Sacred Heart 1

• Click Here for Box Score

October 21, 2007

Northeast Conference Game

FAIRFIELD, Conn.—Youth was served early and a veteran wrapped it up. The Broncs clinched the number two seed in the upcoming playoffs with a 3-1 Northeast Conference road win at Sacred Heart Sunday afternoon, on the strength of a solid scoring effort from the 2007 freshmen class. “The freshmen have been great all year,” said head coach Lori Hussong. “Immediately after we inserted Allison Vogel and Michaela Franey into the game, they both scored and that was a huge lift for us, especially on the road in a conference game.”

Rider (9-8, 6-1 NEC) opened the scoring with freshman Allison Vogel (Oceanport, N.J./Shore Regional) hitting the back of the cage 11 minutes in and the Broncs scored again off a penalty corner one minute later when rookie Michaela Franey (York, Maine/York) scored off an assist from freshman Margaret Ecke (New Egypt).

“We just went out and played strong and hard,” said Franey who notched her second goal of the season. “On my goal, the ball came from Ecke at the insert and I just took a shot at the top of the circle and it went in the far right post.”

“We really pulled together,” Vogel said. “Everyone hustled and fought and it was a good win. On my goal, Franey actually brought the ball into the circle and a defender hit it and I just picked it up off the defender and shot it into the far corner. Scoring early really gave us the momentum and from there we played really hard and really well together.”

The Broncs led 2-0 at the half. “It’s always important for us to get a lead early,” Hussong said. “We haven’t scored as many second half goals this season so we need to score early to have a chance to be successful and win the game.”

Rider has scored 16 first-half goals while being held to nine in the second half this season.

After the Pioneers cut the lead to 2-1 with 25 minutes remaining, Bronc junior Tricia Crotty (Lewistown, Pa./Indian Valley) closed the scoring with 17 minutes left, notching her team-leading seventh goal of the season. Junior Diana Celebre (Lake Grove, N.Y./Sachem) and sophomore Erin McGinniss added the assists.

Crotty’s 29 career goals are eighth best all-time at Rider.

Rider senior goalie Jen LoCastro (Cherry Hill/Camden Catholic) made six saves as Sacred Heart out-shot Rider 15-11 and held an 8-5 penalty corner advantage.

“J-Lo had another nice game,” said Hussong. “Our defense also had a solid game and cleared the ball out of the circle better than we have been. That created more scoring opportunities for us.”

The Broncs have won two straight and three of their last four games and snapped the Pioneers four-game winning streak. Rider leads the overall series against Sacred Heart 11-6.

The NEC pairings will be announced by the conference office next week with the tournament hosted by regular season champion Lock Haven November 2-3.

“Our goal going into today was to lock up the second seed,” said Hussong. “Since we have to play at Lock Haven for the tournament, we didn’t want to face them in the semi-finals if at all possible. We can play with any team in the tournament and the conference this season was very tough. No matter who we face, it will be a close, competitive game.”

Lock Haven eliminated Rider 2-1 in the conference semi-finals in 2006, also at Lock Haven.

“We are improving each day,” said Franey. “We are playing with ‘Rider pride’ and I think we are back on track and ready for the playoffs.”

The Broncs conclude the regular season schedule at home vs. former NEC rival Fairfield on Thursday.

-RU-

Rice 189 yards as Rutgers Knocks Off S. Florida 30-27

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) -- It's not easy being No. 2 -- just ask South Florida.

The Bulls became the third second-ranked team to lose in the last three weeks, having their unexpected unbeaten run snapped by tricky Rutgers 30-27 on Thursday night.

Third-string quarterback Andrew DePaola threw a 15-yard touchdown pass off a fake field goal to give the Scarlet Knights the lead in the third quarter and Rutgers also used a fake punt to set up a field goal in the first quarter.

Ray Rice provided a more conventional 181 yards on 39 carries for Rutgers (5-2, 2-1 Big East) and Mike Teel threw two touchdown passes to Tiquan Underwood.

"We just went out there and played our best football," Rice said.

The Bulls (6-1, 1-1) had their eight-game winning streak come to an end, no doubt to the delight of Boston College, LSU, Oklahoma and the rest of the teams hoping to grab the second spot in the BCS standings USF held this week.

Matt Grothe threw for 247 yards and a touchdown and ran for 58 yards, but Rutgers' defense swarmed South Florida's multitalented quarterback in the second half and sacked him seven times in the game.

A week after No. 2 California lost to Oregon State and two weeks after then-No. 2 Southern California was upset by Stanford, the Bulls became the 11th Top 10 team to fall to an unranked opponent this season.

Though Rutgers, which started the season ranked 16th, but fell out after two straight losses last month, might not be unranked much longer.

Jeremy Ito lined a career-long 51 yard field with 11:59 left in the fourth quarter to give Rutgers a 30-20 lead.

Grothe's gang wasn't done. He led the Bulls on a 70-yard touchdown drive that Mike Ford capped with a 1-yard run with 9:16 left to make it 30-27.

When USF linebacker Ben Moffitt recovered Rice's fumble near midfield with 4:11 left, the Bulls were in business at the Rutgers 40. But Damaso Renkart sacked Grothe on the first play, and the Bulls were forced to punt.

Rutgers was unable to kill the clock and the Bulls got one more shot to keep their perfect season alive, starting at the Rutgers 49.

On the first play, freshman Joe Lefeged came on a safety blitz and sacked Grothe from the blind side. On fourth-and-22, Amarri Jackson caught a pass down the sideline beyond the first down marker, but the play was wiped out by an offensive pass interference call because the receiver pushed off.

The last gasp came on a fourth-and-37 from the Rutgers 24. Grothe heaved a desperation pass into traffic and Rutgers defensive back Zaire Kitchen intercepted.

For the second straight season Rutgers came up with a huge victory on a Thursday night at home. Last year it was No. 3 Louisville, at the time the highest ranked opponent Rutgers had ever beaten.

Not anymore. This win set off another celebration, though not quite as wild as last year's after beating Louisville, with fans again flooding the field.

After reaching the rankings for first time in the 11-year history of South Florida football earlier this season, the Bulls shot up the charts behind a quick and hard-hitting defense and Grothe's dynamic playmaking.

In this topsy-turvy season, the Bulls' national title hopes can't quite be put to rest. But they took a major hit.

The Scarlet Knights, last season's surprise team from the Big East, gave their season a much-needed jolt.

With Rutgers up 20-17 midway through the third quarter, Rutgers defensive back Devin McCourty blocked a field goal to preserve the lead.

Rice and Teel responded with a drive that stalled at the USF 15. Ito came out to attempt a 32-yard field goal, but Rutgers coach Greg Schiano had something else in mind.

DePaola, the holder, took the snap and rolled right, barely avoiding a sack, and floated a pass into the outstretched arms of Kevin Brock. The tight end scooted into the end zone with 4:09 left in the third to give Rutgers a 27-17 lead.

"We haven't done a lot of that around here," Schiano said. "Thank God it worked."

Rutgers used a trick play on its first drive, too.

Ito lined up to punt but instead lofted a perfect pass over a USF defender to James Townsend for a 36-yard gain to the Bulls 13. That set up Ito's 26-yard field goal.

Rutgers scored more points than any team had hit up USF for this season and kept defensive end George Selvie, the nation's leader with 11.5 sacks, away from Teel.

USF hadn't allowed a runner to reach 100 yards in the 14 games since Rice went for 202 in the Scarlet Knights' 22-20 win last year. Rice had 94 at halftime Thursday night.

"When my number's called," Rice said, "I'm going to do whatever it takes."

Joe Lefeged (Germantown, Md.) BIG EAST Football Defensive Player of the Week

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers true freshman free safety Joe Lefeged (Germantown, Md.) was honored as the BIG EAST Football Defensive Player of the Week, while junior running back Ray Rice (New Rochelle, N.Y.) was named to the Conference's honor roll, the league office announced on Monday. 

Joe Lefeged

Lefeged, who has played in all six games in 2007, registered a career-high six tackles in Saturday's 38-14 victory over Syracuse in the Carrier Dome. He sacked SU quarterback Andrew Robinson twice, causing a Robinson fumble, which RU recovered on his second sack of the afternoon.  In addition to his two sacks, the safety also applied pressure to Robinson in the fourth quarter, causing the Orange quarterback to throw an interception to fellow true freshman Jonathan Freeny (Margate, Fla.).

Rice amassed a season-high 196 yards on 36 carries and scored three touchdowns in the win over the Orange. He has now scored a touchdown in 13 consecutive games – the longest streak in the nation. Rice has ran for at least 100 yards in 18 games in his career, one shy of the school record set by "JJ" Jennings from 1971-73. The running back moved into third place in BIG EAST history in rushing yards (3,735) and into a tie for fifth place in league history in rushing touchdowns (38). The junior also tied his career high (for the third-straight week) with four receptions for 29 yards at Syracuse.

It marked the second time this season a Scarlet Knight was honored with one of the league's Player of the Week awards. Junior wide receiver Tiquan Underwood (Lawrenceville, N.J.) was honored on Sept. 3 following his performance against Buffalo.

Rutgers hosts No. 2 USF on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in front of a sold-out Rutgers Stadium and a national television audience on ESPN.

Source Rutgers press release

Rutgers, Down Early cruises past Syracuse, 38-14

Source http://www.nj.com by Alex Delanian

Saturday October 13, 2007, 4:05 PM

 

 

Chris Faytok/The Star-LedgerRutgers Jean Beljour #32 is hit after a reception by Syracuse defensive end Jameel McClain #52 and Syracuse safety Dowayne Davis during the second half of the game between the Rutgers and Syracuse at the Carrier Dome.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - After spotting Syracuse an early two-touchdown lead, Rutgers came roaring back behind strong rushing from Ray Rice, a steady effort from Mike Teel, a special teams touchdown and a big-play defense to record an easy 38-14 victory at the Carrier Dome.

The win snapped a two-game losing streak for Rutgers, which improved to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the Big East. More importantly, the Scarlet Knights appear to have regained the look they had last season, perhaps just in time for Thursday's showdown with No. 6 South Florida in Piscataway.

Rice ran for 196 yards and three touchdowns on 36 carries; Teel went 20-for-29 for 310 yards and two scores; and Kenny Britt caught six passes for 176 yards and a score.

But for all the offense, it was special teams play that made the difference.

Trailing 14-7 early in the second quarter, Devon McCourtey broke through the line untouched to cleanly block a punt, which Rutgers recovered on the 1 yard line. Rice scored one play later to tie the score.

On its next possession, Rutgers used a 42-yard crossing pattern from Britt - who simply outran Syracuse for the final 20 yards - to take a 21-7. Jeremy Ito added a 25-yard field goal to give Rutgers a 24-14 halftime lead.

 

 

Chris Faytok/The Star-LedgerRutgers head coach Greg Schiano winds up to pump his fist in the air after leading his team in singing the Alma Mater after the game between the Rutgers and Syracuse at the Carrier Dome .

Rutgers put the game out of reach in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. Rice scored on a 2-yard run for a 31-14 lead, then - one play after an interception - Teel found tight end Kevin Brock on a 32-yard score for a 38-14 lead with 13:03 remaining.

Rutgers dug itself an early hole. Teel's first pass was intercepted and returned 51 yards to the Rutgers 21 Three plays later, Andrew Robinson found Mike Williams for a 16-yard score just two minutes into the game.

On its next possession, Syracuse (1-6, 1-2) drove 84 yards on seven plays, scoring on a 15-yard run from Curtis Brinkley for a 14-0 lead.

 

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Rutgers v Syracuse 12 noon Saturday on ESPN Regional

PISCATAWAY, N.J.  – The BIG EAST Conference announced Monday that the Oct. 13 football game between Rutgers and Syracuse will kickoff at noon and will be the ESPN Regional BIG EAST Game of the Week. The game will be televised locally on MSG and 6ABC (digital station only) in Philadelphia.

The game will also mark the 40^th television appearance in the last 41 games for the Scarlet Knights.

The Rutgers Athletic Ticket Office also announced Monday that a limited number of tickets are available for Rutgers away games.  Tickets are available for games at Syracuse (October 13), at Connecticut (November 3), at Army (November 9) and at Louisville (November 29).  Tickets may be purchased online at www.scarletknights.com or by calling the Rutgers Athletic Ticket Office at 866-445-4678.

Rutgers-Camden ready to induct second Athletic Hall of Fame class

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CAMDEN – The two all-time scoring leaders in the history of Rutgers University-Camden's basketball programs, the first brother-sister combination and one of the school's all-time great baseball players will be enshrined as the 2007 inductees of the Rutgers-Camden Athletic Hall of Fame at the induction dinner on campus Saturday, Oct. 6.

    The second class of the Hall of Fame features baseball star John "Rocky" Gianvito, basketball all-time leading scorers Terry Cole and Bill Bramble and the sibling duo of basketball stars Cetshwayo and Kamilah Byrd. The 2007 class will be the second group to be inducted into Rutgers-Camden's Athletic Hall of Fame. The inaugural class was honored in 2005 and the school did not have an induction ceremony in 2006.

    The first Hall of Fame class featured three-sport star Tara Harris (basketball, softball, tennis), baseball and basketball player Gar Miller, former Rutgers-Camden Dean of Students, Associate Provost and golf coach Barry Millett, basketball stars Ray Pace and Karla Robinson, former Athletic Director and basketball coach Wilbur "Pony" Wilson and the 1977 men's soccer team which played in the NAIA national tournament and finished sixth in the country.

    The Hall of Fame Induction ceremonies will begin with a 6:30 p.m. reception at the Rutgers-Camden gymnasium, followed by a 7:30 p.m. dinner and induction ceremony in the Campus Center. Tickets to the event, at $25 apiece, can be purchased by calling the Rutgers-Camden Athletic Department at 856-225-6197.

 

2007 RUTGERS-CAMDEN ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME

 

    BRAMBLE, BILL (1964-68 basketball) – The all-time leading scorer in Rutgers-Camden men's basketball history with 2,110 points and a 24.3 average, Bill Bramble also holds school records for field goals (839), field goal attempts (2,012), free throws (432) and free throw attempts (580). His 602 points and 136 free throws during the 1967-68 season both rank second on the school's single-season lists, while his 81.0 free throw percentage that season ranks third. He also set the single-season mark with a 28.7 scoring average that year, helping him earn honors as the 1968 Basketball Club of South Jersey Player of the Year.

    In addition to the highest single-season scoring average of 28.7, Bramble's 26.2 average during the 1966-67 season is third among the all-time records and helped Rutgers capture the 1967 Delaware Valley Conference championship. The team also won a DVC title during his freshman season in 1964-65.

    Among his other single-season accomplishments, Bramble has the top three seasons for field goal attempts (549 in 1967-68, 512 in 1966-67 and 490 in 1965-66), the fifth-, sixth- and seventh-highest totals of field goals (233 in 1967-68, 223 in 1966-67 and 204 in 1965-66) and the second- and third-highest number of free throws (136 in 1967-68 and 130 in 1966-67).

    Bramble scored 30 or more points 16 times in his four-year career. On two occasions he scored 45 points in a game (Feb. 17, 1966 against Salisbury State and Dec. 1, 1966 against Philadelphia Bible), a record that stood until Dan Rucker scored 46 in 1978. Bramble added a 44-point game against Philadelphia Bible on Jan. 4, 1968, giving him three of the top four single-game point totals in program history. In his 45-point effort against Salisbury State, Bramble had 20 field goals, the second-highest total in program history.

    Bramble, who attended Camden Catholic High School, captured four All-Delaware Valley Conference honors and was a four-time All-Philadelphia Area Small College player at Rutgers. The team went 62-25 during his four years, the best four-year run in program history.

 

Rutgers-Camden 2007 Athletic Hall of Fame Class                        

    BYRD, CETSHWAYO (1990-1994 basketball; 1991-94 baseball) A two-sport standout at Rutgers-Camden, Cetshwayo Byrd was a four-year letterman in basketball who is a member of Rutgers-Camden's exclusive 1,000-point scoring club. His 1,300 career points rank sixth on the school's all-time list.

    Byrd also played three seasons of baseball from 1991-94 as a shortstop, first baseman and designated hitter. Despite missing his sophomore year due to injury, he was a .297 career hitter in 63 games, adding six doubles, two triples, five home runs, 35 RBIs and a .432 career slugging percentage.

    Cetshwayo, who joins his sister Kamilah as a 2007 Hall of Fame inductee, was a force on the basketball court. In addition to his 1,300 career points, he collected 590 rebounds (sixth all-time) for a 13.3 rebounding average (18th). He also added 40 career blocked shots (seventh).

    Byrd's 98 games played is the second-highest total in program history, and he is third with 545 career field goals. His single-game high of 36 points against Jersey City State (Dec. 4, 1993) produced 18 field goals, tied for the third-highest single-game mark in program history.

    A two-time basketball team co-captain, Byrd earned All-New Jersey Athletic Conference Honorable Mention as a junior. That accomplishment set the stage for a huge finish to his collegiate career.

    During his senior year in 1993-94, Byrd was honored as both the basketball team's MVP and the Samuel Strauss Award as the club's Most Dedicated Player. As the team captain, he averaged 17.3 points and 7.5 rebounds that season, when he earned All-NJAC Second Team honors. He capped the school year by hitting .333 with 27 RBIs and three home runs in 31 baseball games. Those back-to-back banner seasons helped him earn Rutgers-Camden's honor as the 1993-94 Male Athlete of the Year.

    A 1994 graduate of Rutgers-Camden with a BA in Sociology, Byrd is a Special Education teacher and a coach at Pennsauken High School. He serves as an assistant varsity football coach at Pennsauken, has been named as the Indians' new head varsity basketball coach and also is the junior varsity baseball coach.

 

    BYRD HINSON, KAMILAH (1993-97 basketball) One of the top shot-blockers and rebounders in Rutgers-Camden women's basketball history, Kamilah Byrd Hinson finished her career with 291 blocked shots (second on the all-time list, but first when she graduated), 874 rebounds (fourth) and 9.1 rebounds per game (seventh) in 96 career games (sixth).

    She also collected 624 career points during her four-year career, averaging 6.5 points per game.

    The sister of fellow 2007 Hall of Fame inductee Cetshwayo Byrd, Kamilah is tied for the program's single-game record with 11 blocks, set against Rutgers-Newark Feb. 20, 1996. She also had four 10-block games during her illustrious career.

    Among her single-season accomplishments, Byrd Hinson collected 341 rebounds (third all-time) during 1996-97 and 322 (sixth) in 1995-96. She averaged 14.0 rebounds during the 1995-96 campaign, the second-highest single-season mark in program history, and 13.1 per game in 1996-97 (seventh). She also had the second- and third-highest totals for blocks in a season (134 in 1996-97 and 119 in 1995-96). Her field goal percentage of 50.5 in 1996-97 ranks third on the all-time charts.

    During her junior year in 1995-96, Byrd Hinson was named the team Most Valuable Player, and she won the Samuel Strauss Award as the program's Most Dedicated Player the next season. Her senior year also saw her earn All-New Jersey Athletic Conference Second Team honors, get recognized as the NJAIAW Woman of the Year from Rutgers-Camden and earn one of the Arthur Ashe Jr. Women's Basketball Sports Scholars Awards for her outstanding academic and athletic achievements. She capped the 1996-97 school year at the annual athletic awards banquet by earning Rutgers-Camden Female Athlete of the Year and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors.

    Byrd Hinson graduated from Rutgers-Camden in 1997 with a BA in Spanish, then received her Masters of Education degree in School Leadership from Wilmington College (Delaware) in August, 2001. She currently teaches Spanish at Collingswood High School.

 

    COLE, TERRY (1979-83 basketball) – A four-time MVP of the women's basketball program out of Pemberton High School, Terry Cole owns Rutgers-Camden career records for points (2,240), scoring average (25.5), field goals (921) and free throws (398), is fourth in free throw percentage (65.8) and ninth in games played (88). She produced the top four games for both points and field goals in program history, including the high of 26 field goals and 53 points against Ramapo (Feb. 26, 1983). She also had 10 of the top 14 single-game scoring totals in program history and compiled an amazing 26 games with 30 or more points.

    The only female in school history to score over 2,000 points, and the school's overall all-time leading basketball scorer, Cole owns the top three single-season scoring averages (including a record 27.1 in 1980-81), the second and third-best single-season point totals (671 in 1981-82 and 614 in 1982-83), the second-best season free throw percentage (78.4 in 1982-83), the second and third-highest number of field goals in a season (283 in 1981-82 and 247 the next year) and the fourth-highest free throw total (120 in 1982-83). She shot 120-for-153 from the foul line that year, an accuracy rate of 78.4 percent (second all-time for a single season).

 

Rutgers-Camden 2007 Athletic Hall of Fame Class                        

    Cole was named the Rutgers-Camden Female Athlete of the Year twice (1981 and 1982), and was a two-time All-Regional and All-Conference performer during the 1981-82 and 1982-83 seasons. She also was the MVP of the 1981 Rutgers-Camden Holiday Tournament and was named to the NJAIAW All-Star Team during the 1981-82 season.

    As a senior, Cole nabbed numerous honors, including New Jersey Sports Writers College Division Player of the Year and the Philadelphia Sports Writers Player of the Week. She was named to the Philadelphia College Division All-Area Team and the New Jersey Sports Writers All-Star Team, and also was a member of the Kodak All-District team. She finished fourth in scoring and 12th in rebounding among all NCAA Division III players.

    Cole graduated from Rutgers-Camden in a 1985 with  BA in Sociology. Following graduation, she played for two teams (Sandwell and Sheffield) in the European Basketball League in England.

    Cole works as a Behavior Modification Therapist at Ancora Psychiatric Hospital and is a Lumberton resident. 

 

    GIANVITO, JOHN "ROCKY" (1957-58 soccer, 1957-58 and 1958-59 basketball, 1958-61 baseball) – One of the greatest baseball players in program history, John "Rocky Gianvito compiled statistics that still rank among the all-time career records despite the fact that his team never played more than 17 games in a season. Over four years, Gianvito played in 58 career games, a total reached in 1½  seasons by the current schedule. A hard-hitting centerfielder who also saw time on the mound, Gianvito compiled a .337 career batting average and ranks among the all-time leaders in home runs (8, tied for fifth place), triples (6, tied for eighth) and saves (2, tied for ninth). His totals for stolen bases (22, tied for 10th) and sacrifice flies (5, tied for eighth) also rank among the career leaders despite two seasons where those categories weren't even recorded. Gianvito is tied for the program single-game record with two triples (against LaSalle University, April 14, 1958) and still holds the mark with five walks in a game against Philadelphia Textile, May 2, 1961. His single-season stats include an amazing three seasons with a slugging percentage .545 or higher, including .646 in 1959 (seventh all-time) and .609 in 1960 (12th). He had a .413 batting average in 1960 (sixth all-time) on-base percentages of .552 and .509 (third and seventh) in 1961 and 1960, respectively, and 1961 totals of 22 walks (tied for 14th), 15 stolen bases (tied for 8th) and three sacrifice flies (tied for seventh).

    Gianvito earned MVP and Co-MVP awards for Rutgers baseball, hit a pair of career grand slams (including one measured at 450 feet against St. Joseph's University in 1958), stole second, third and home consecutively against Drexel University (1960) and won a pair of games in relief in 1961. His accomplishments helped the Raptors win three consecutive Delaware Valley Conference championships from 1959-61.

    During his freshman and sophomore years, Gianvito also earned two varsity letters in both soccer (goaltender) and basketball (guard).

    A 1961 graduate of Rutgers College of South Jersey, Gianvito was an Economics major. He received his Master's of Education in Educational Administration (Business) from Glassboro State College in 1980.

    The owner of his own marketing consultant business, Gianvito Consulting Services, he is a Medford resident.

Formerly of Brooklawn, Gianvito graduated from Gloucester City High School.

 

 

Rutgers Returns to Top 10 in National Rankings

PISCATAWAY, N.J.  – For the second time in school history, Rutgers will play a college football game ranked in the Top 10 as the 10^th-ranked Scarlet Knights host Maryland Saturday, Sept. 29 at 3:30 p.m. on ABC. The Scarlet Knights vaulted into the nation's top 10 in both major polls – No. 10 in the Associated Press Top 25 and No. 10 in the USA Today/Coaches Top 25, after yesterday's play in college football. The Scarlet Knights were idle this past weekend and moved up one spot in both polls from No. 11.

The No. 10 ranking in both polls is the second-best in school history, just behind last season's ranking of No. 7 in the Nov. 12 AP Top 25 and the No. 8 selection in the Nov. 12 USA Today/Coaches Poll Top 25.

Dating back to last season, Rutgers has been ranked in 17 consecutive polls, the longest stretch in school history.

Rutgers is one of four BIG EAST teams ranked in this week's AP Top 25, joining West Virginia, South Florida and Cincinnati.

ABC to televise Rutgers / Maryland Game

PISCATAWAY, N.J.  – The BIG EAST Conference and ABC Sports announced Monday that ABC will televise the Sept. 29 football game between No. 11 Rutgers and Maryland. Kickoff will be either 3:30 p.m. or 8 p.m., with ABC choosing to execute a six-day window to decide on the kickoff time. The official kickoff time for the game will be released Sunday.

It marks the first ABC broadcast from Rutgers Stadium since 2004 when the Scarlet Knights defeated Michigan State 19-14 on Sept. 4. In all, it will mark the fourth time in Rutgers history ABC will televise a game from Rutgers Stadium.

The Scarlet Knights made one appearance on ABC last season with a 21-16 season-opening victory at North Carolina.

Rutger's Coach Not Happy about Photos

by Tom Luicci

Thursday September 20, 2007,  5:00 AM

       

Greg Schiano has been as fiercely protective of his personal life through the years as Rutgers' offensive line has been with Mike Teel. His family almost never gets touched.

So it was interesting to see his reaction after practice on Wednesday when the Knights' head coach was asked what he thought about pictures of his new house being posted on the internet. The house, under construction, is a Kenny Britt fade route from Rutgers Stadium. And there it was, shown from three different angles, on rivals' Rutgers football message board.

 

Schiano was obviously not happy about it.

"What are you going to do?" he said tersely. "That's life."

Asked by a reporter if he was bothered by the pictures, Schiano, a private man in a very public job, indicated he was.

"I wish it didn't have to be that way," he said. "Usually, they keep that stuff -- I don't know who `they' are, but the adminstrators of the (message) boards and stuff -- I think they try to keep your personal life personal.

"I don't know if somebody sits there and watches all day."

There was nothing offensive about the pictures except that they were an obvious invasion of Schiano's privacy. It's a nice looking house. Spacious but not prententious. I admit it, I looked at the pictures when I heard they were on line.

But is that something that people -- Rutgers fans -- really care about? And at what point do those fans cross the line of being a little too zealous?

As miffed as Schiano was by the pictures, he was quickly able to shrug it off and even called over the beat writers to let them in on a rare private moment.

He told us that he suggested to his wife Christy that they install field turf on one side of the house so that his children -- three boys and a girl -- could play outside year-round. He wasn't looking for anything elaborate, he said. Just enough for the kids to get a good neighborhood football game together now and then.

"Know what she said?" Schiano asked, referring to his wife.

He then made the thumbs down gesture.

Sound reasoning didn't work either, since he tried arguing that the kids wouldn't drag mud in or have grass stains if they had a small field turf area.

The thumb stayed down.

By the way, since some segment of the Rutgers football nation apparently has to know, Schiano and his family should be in their new digs soon enough.

"Hopefully, sometime in October," he said. "It's getting there."

source http://www.nj.com

Rutgers Young to Miss Remainder of Season

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers sophomore running back Kordell Young (West Deptford, N.J.) will miss the remainder of the 2007 season due to a left knee injury suffered in the win over Norfolk State on September 15. Young will undergo surgery Tuesday.

"Mentally, I am handling it pretty well," said Young. "It is tough to miss the rest of the season, but on the bright side it gives me the opportunity to improve my upper body strength in the weight room and prepare for next season. I can take a lot from watching Ray (Rice) and I will continue to take mental reps on the sideline and stay focused."

Young was second on the depth chart at running back and was also one of the team's starting kickoff returners. In 2007, Young totaled 58 yards on 18 carries and averaged a team-best 32.0 yards on three kickoff returns.

No. 11 Rutgers returns to action Saturday, September 29 vs. Maryland. Kickoff is either 3:30 p.m. or 8 p.m. with live television coverage on ABC.

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Scarlet Knights Place Second at Rider Invitational

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. – The Rutgers men's cross country team competed at the Rider Cross Country Invitational Saturday, in Lawrenceville, N.J. The Scarlet Knights placed second in a field of four.

Rider won the event with 18 points followed by the Scarlet Knights in second (37), Seton Hall in third (82) and Siena in fourth (105).

Rutgers recorded several honorable performances including senior Alex Palmentieri (Northfield, N.J.), sophomore Simon Gordonov (East Windsor, N.J.), freshman Nick Miehe (Elmwood Park, N.J.), sophomore Michael Crum (Andover, N.J.) and senior Mike Snihur (Liverpool, N.Y.), who each finished in the top 10 overall.

Palmentieri led the group as he took fifth place in 26:06.50, followed by Gordonov in sixth (26:07.00), Miehe in seventh (26:12.30), Crum in ninth (26:26.80) and Snihur in 10th (26:27.40). Sophomore Jayram Sataluri (Holmdel, N.J.) and junior Brandon Smith (Colonia, N.J.) rounded out the scoring for the Scarlet Knights with Sataluri taking 11th in 26:29.50, while Smith placed 16th in 26:58.80.

                     

SOPHOMORE FULLBACK BRINGS DIFFERENT SKILLS TO Scarlet KNIGHTS

By KEITH SARGEANT
STAFF WRITER

Home News  Tribune

PISCATAWAY — Jack Corcoran , photo, may play the same position as Brian Leonard, but that doesn't mean Rutgers University's new fullback has the same role in the offense.

So despite the fact that Corcoran hasn't had a carry and only has one reception through two games, Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said Corcoran's lack of touches aren't indicative of his performance.

"You notice we're not doing the same things like we did with Brian," Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said. "It's not an apples to apples (comparison). It's not really comparing the same position, even though it is the fullback on paper. The things we're asking him to do are different."

Things like sacrificing touches for the greater good of the team and serving as lead blocker for a Heisman Trophy candidate, Corcoran said.

"Once you get to this level you have to adjust to certain things," said Corcoran, a sophomore who rushed for nearly 4,000 yards and scored a school-record 70 touchdowns in his career at St. Joseph-Hammonton. "It's not going to be the same in high school, where you get this many carries."

Heck, Corcoran said, if he was Rutgers' offensive coordinator he'd phase himself out of the game plan, too.

"If the receivers are open and they're getting the ball, I'm OK with that," the 6-foot-1, 230-pounder said. "If I was (quarterback) Mike Teel, I would hit those guys, too. Why hit a short pass when you can go for it all?"

It wasn't long after Rutgers' season opener against Buffalo that someone asked Corcoran if he could remember the last time he didn't touch the ball in a game. One of South Jersey's all-time leading rushers couldn't, conceding the possibility that it might've been the first game in which he failed to receive a single carry.

"Sometimes," he said, "you have to make sacrifices."

For now, Corcoran is satisfied serving as the lead battering ram for Ray Rice, Rutgers' standout tailback who's rushed for a nation-leading 359 yards through two games.

"I think it indirectly indicates how I'm doing," Corcoran said.

Schiano said Rice's gaudy statistics are a reflection of Corcoran's blocking ability.

"Jack is as good as anybody as a blocker," Schiano said. "Jack will lead up and splinter you."

But in the same breath, Schiano noted how Corcoran isn't much different than a typical first-year starter.

"He looks like a young fullback who does some things where you sit there and say, "Jack!' " the coach offered. "He knows. He just needs to learn to do it right. It's no different from where Brian started. He made mistakes, too."

Corcoran, however, isn't trying to live up to what Leonard did in his record-setting career at Rutgers. Not yet anyway.

Not in an offense with as many weapons as Rutgers has these days.

"When it comes," he said of his time to make an impact, "I'll be ready to make something happen."

Source http://www.thnt.com

Rutgers should avoid letdown in homecoming week

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By Greg Wiley
The Phanatic Magazine

Homecoming won't provide much of a test for Scarlet Knights.

Rutgers has been impressive in its first two games of the season, scoring a combined 79 points. That number could double come Saturday when the 13th-ranked Scarlet Knights host Norfolk State, a FCS (formerly I-AA) program, in its annual homecoming contest.

Norfolk State is not going to provide much of a test for Rutgers, but if Appalachian State's upset of Michigan proved anything, the Scarlet Knights have to be ready to play. Give a team like Norfolk State an inch and it'll make the most of the opportunity.

So, the moral of the story is score early, score often, and don't let up. Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano said during his weekly press conference that he hasn't even spoken to any of the reserves regarding seeing any playing time. As a matter a fact, the only thing that matters right now to Schiano is seeing his team play better on both sides of the ball.

 

"Twenty penalties in two games. We've dropped passes. Defensively we've  made mistakes. We can play better," said Schiano.

"Our football team right now is concerned with how good we can be," he said. "It's so early in the year that we haven't played to the level that we've expected of ourselves. So that's the challenge. The challenge is to find out how good we can be.

"When we play our best we can beat anybody in the country. We haven't  played our best."

Junior running back Ray Rice needs to continue to his outstanding start to the season. He leads the nation in total rushing yards with 359 and has six total TDs this season. As he goes so will Rutgers and if he wants to rack up some useful numbers come Heisman Trophy time, this is the game to do it.

Mike Teel has been solid at QB this season. He has completed 71.4 percent of his passes this season for 594 yards, five touchdowns and one interception.

Tiquan Underwood and Kenny Britt led the wide receivers. Underwood has 352 yards and two TDs on 16 catches, while Britt has tallied 158 yards and score on just seven catches.

Schiano didn't give much incite into Norfolk State. He said that defensively the team likes to blitz and that its blitz coverage is solid. He also said that offensively the team is much like his own, but with a lot less shifting.

The Spartans have played just one game this season, defeating Virginia State, 33-7. Last week they had a bye and therefore have had two weeks to prepare for the biggest game on their schedule.

Daryl Jones is the team's leading rusher, going for 125 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries in the opener. He also had 21 receiving yards. Dario Walker leads the Spartans with six receptions for 70 yards. Casey Hansen is under center for Norfolk State. He completed 22-of-42 passes for 245 yards with one interception in his first game.

Rutgers will have a bye week before taking the field again on September 29  at home against Maryland.

Source http://daily.phanaticmag.com

Rutgers-Norfolk State Game Available Nationally on ESPN GamePlan PPV

PISCATAWAY, N.J.  – Saturday's Rutgers-Norfolk State football game will be part of the ESPN GamePlan pay-per-view package for fans nationwide. MSG will televise the game locally along with Cox Cable in New Orleans, Charter Cable in St. Louis and Time Warner-Wisconsin. The game will be available via pay-per-view on cable systems and satellite television nationally.  

Rutgers, ranked No. 13 in both polls, has played on some form of national television for 16 consecutive games entering Saturday's game vs. the Spartans.

The Homecoming game vs. Norfolk State begins at 3:30 p.m. from a sold-out Rutgers Stadium. The Scarlet Knights have won nine consecutive home games, the sixth-longest active streak in the nation.

Obscene fans at Rutgers draw a penalty flag

Source http://blog.nj.com

Posted by Mark DiIonno September 11, 2007  9:56AM

The play came late in the game, when Rutgers expanded its lead over Navy to a comfortable level after a tight three quarters.

Navy's Reggie Campbell took the kickoff and ran full speed ahead up the middle with all the force his 168-pound body could generate. Campbell, almost always the smallest and fastest man on the field, hit a wall of XXXL-sized scarlet jerseys and was slammed to the ground at the bottom of the pile. He got up slowly, limping off. This gutsy kid, a slotback who already spent three quarters being chased and tackled by gangs of defensive linemen and linebackers, all weighing at least 100 pounds more than him, was then given a dose of Rutgers' student section class.

''You got f---ed up. You got f---ed up. You got f--ed-up," they chanted.

Reggie Campbell is a senior. After graduation in June he has a five-year commitment to the American military, which, like it or not, is at war.

"This is how you treat people who may die for this country?" said Bill Squires, an Annapolis graduate (Class of'75) who was on the sidelines for the Friday night game in Piscataway and was shocked by the obscene chants directed at the Navy players and fans throughout the game. "It was the most classless thing I've seen."

Navy was booed and peppered with "You suck!" chants when they stepped on the field for both halves. Toward the end of the second half, Rutgers students in the new bleacher section began to serenade the adjacent section of Navy fans and uniformed Midshipmen.

''F--- you, Navy. F---you, Navy. F--- you, Navy."

"There were wives and small children up there," said Squires, an academic recruiter for the academy who has been to dozens of away games and never seen such contempt directed at his team. "Our Midshipmen reacted the way they were taught. They didn't respond, but the band started playing 'Anchors Aweigh' to drown them out. Me, I felt like going up there and smacking somebody. I was mad, and it bothered me all weekend."

Booing, cursing, chanting obscenities, unfortunately, are now part of the game day experience. It's easily been three decades since fans across the country in all sports began spending more time and creative energy jeering the visitors and officials than cheering the home team. Rutgers is far from the worst. They're not even the worst in New Jersey, not with the Jets' fans still in town. Still, every penalty against the Scarlet Knights is greeted with a chant of "a--hole, a--hole, a--hole."

And now that Rutgers is winning, the long-suffering, self-effacing adult fans are being drowned out by a new generation of weight-room bully boys in scarlet T-shirts and red face-paint, who, from the safety of their seats, belittle the guys down on the field who take the hits.

Now that Rutgers is big-time, the old-time academic-and adult-minded fans are being elbowed aside by gangs of frat boys thrusting their fists and faces into the rolling ESPN cameras. What was it your old football coach used to say? Act like you've been there before. Not in the RU student section.

"At one point, I thought, we defend this country for people like this?" said Squires, who lives in West Orange. "I wasn't embarassed as a New Jerseyan. I was embarassed as a human being."

It was so noticeable that Rutgers athletic director Bob Mulcahy called down to Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk yesterday to make sure there were no hard feelings, according to John Wooding, an assistant AD at Rutgers.

Some will excuse the behavior as kids just being kids, out to have a loutish, drunken good time. Spewing obscenities at the visiting team is just part of the fun.

But you'd hope our Jersey kids would be smart enough to make an exception for the service academies, especially the weekend before the anniversary of Sept. 11, their generation's own Day of Infamy. You'd hope they'd be sensitive enough to realize that some of those Midshipmen may soon be among the young American men and women fighting and bleeding and dying in Iraq and Afghanistan. Young Americans, the same age as those safe in the stands watching a football game with their faces and bodies painted red.

At the very least, you'd think the Rutgers students would have some appreciation for the effort the undersize Navy players put out. They aren't like the players from Louisville or West Virginia or some of the other ranked powerhouses Rutgers now finds itself among. They are what Rutgers was not so many years ago. Students first, athletes second. Except better.

The new Rutgers is a big-time football school, with all the hype and manufactured drama. Coach Greg Schiano leads his team through pregame Scarlet Walk, chest out, stomach in, looking every bit the general except without gold braids, epaulets and a full rack of medals. The band plays. The cheerleaders and dance team girls wave pompoms. The conquering heroes go past, eyes front. At game time, the scoreboard TV shows the team coming down the tunnel to a soundtrack from Armageddon. An Army helicopter chop-chops overhead (your tax dollars at work).

Football has always marched to a militaristic or tribal drum beat, to whip up players to greater levels of violence. The game is always likened to war by coaches, players, announcers and writers who haven't been to war.

But to Reggie Campbell and his Navy teammates, Friday night's game wasn't war. It was a game. War is around the bend.

They deserved better.

And that red on the faces of some Rutgers' fans wasn't body paint.

Rice and Scarlet Knights down Midshipmen

Category Rutgers U

Piscataway, NJ (Sports Network) - Ray Rice scored three touchdowns and ran for 175 yards to lead the 15th-ranked Scarlet Knights over the Navy Midshipmen, 41-24, at Rutgers Stadium.

Rice, who scored one of his touchdowns receiving, became Rutgers' all-time leading rusher, surpassing Terrell Willis' previous record of 3,098 with a 19- yard run on the first possession of the game. He ended the contest with 3,273 career yards.

Mike Teel continued his strong start to the season, throwing for 266 yards and three touchdowns on 14-of-19 passing for Rutgers (2-0), which used a balanced attack to stay undefeated this season and improve their home win streak to nine games.

Kenny Britt added 99 yards and a touchdown receiving and Tiquan Underwood caught six passes for 104 yards for the Scarlet Knights, who have scored 79 points combined in their first two games.

Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada finished 5-of-12 passing for 35 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions for the Midshipmen (1-1), who failed to follow-up their season-opening 30-19 win over Temple with another victory. Kaheaku-Enhada did run for 35 yards and a score for Navy, which has dropped three straight to Rutgers.

Teel  hooked up with Shamar Graves on a 12-yard TD pass 6 1/2 minutes into the game. The three-play drive was highlighted by a 30-yard pass play from Teel to Britt that brought the ball to the Navy 10.

Rutgers  then cashed in on the first interception of Kaheaku-Enhada. Defensive end  George  Johnson came up  with the  pick at the  Navy 20. From there, Rice carried  the  ball three times,  capping it with a  four-yard burst for a 14-0 lead with 4:58 left in the opening quarter.

The  Midshipmen  finally got on  the board  by ending their ensuing possession with  a  three-yard pass play from  Kaheaku-Enhada to Reggie Campbell. The 11- play drive covered 57 yards and took nearly five minutes off the clock.

Jeremy Ito cap Rutgers' next possession with a 28-yard field goal to make it a 17-7 contest and then another interception of Kaheaku-Enhada led to seven more points by the Scarlet Knights.

This  time,  Ron Girault picked  off Kaheaku-Enhada in  the end zone, taking a potential  seven points away from the Midshipmen. Eight plays later, Rice took a  screen pass from  Teel and went 22 yards for the score with just 34 seconds left in the half for a 24-7 cushion.

Kaheaku-Enhada  ran in from two yards out to cap the first drive of the second half to draw the Midshipmen within 10 points.

Navy  was on  its way  to getting  seven more  points on  its next  drive, but Kaheaku-Enhada was picked off for a third time, a second time in the end zone, and  the Scarlet Knights again capitalized as Ito connected on a 20-yard field goal to end a 77-yard drive.

Navy's Matthew Harmon hit a 34-yard field goal with 3:59 elapsed in the fourth quarter to again make it a 10-point game.

However,  Rutgers put the game away when Britt hauled in a 53-yard TD pass and Rice ran in from two yards out.

Jarod Bryant capped the game's scoring with a four-yard run for Navy.

                               Game Notes

Attendance  was 43,514,  the third largest crowd in Rutgers history and fourth straight sellout...Rice has run for 359 yards and scored five rushing TDs this season. He has six TDs overall.

SOURCE http://www.sportsnetwork.com

Rutgers Shortstop Todd Frazier First Team All-American

PISCATAWAY, N.J.  – Rutgers junior All-American shortstop Todd Frazier (Toms River, N.J.) was named a First Team All-American by Baseball America, the organization announced today. Frazier was one of 15 named to the first team.

Frazier was selected by the Cincinnati Reds with the 34th overall pick in the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft last Thursday. Earlier this week, Frazier was named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association of America District II Player of the Year. Frazier, also a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace National Player of the Year Award, was one of nine District of the Year players from around the nation. In addition, Frazier was named a First Team All-American by both Collegiate Baseball and Rivals.com last week.

The shortstop painted himself throughout the Rutgers record book, finishing in the top-6 in every single-season offensive category, excluding triples. Frazier broke the Rutgers single-season record for home runs (22), home runs by a leadoff hitter (22), runs scored (87), walks (62), doubles (24) and total bases (187), all set this season. He also finished second in slugging percentage (.757), second in at bats (247), tied for third in runs batted in (65), fifth in hits (93), and tied for sixth in stolen bases (25).

Frazier has also placed himself on several Rutgers career record charts through just three seasons. He is the Scarlet Knights all-time leader in home runs (42) and runs scored (210), and second in walks (138) and total bases (434), and third in hits (241), slugging percentage (.625) and stolen bases (65), and fifth in runs batted in (152).

Frazier, who played with the USA Baseball National Team last summer and starred on the Toms River East American Team that won the 1998 Little League World Series title, was named the unanimous BIG EAST Player of the Year at the conclusion of the regular season. He finished the season ranked among the BIG EAST leaders in virtually every offensive category and was fourth in the nation in home runs (22), fourth in runs per game (1.38), eighth in walks per game (0.98) and 11th in home runs per game (0.35).

He led Rutgers to a 42-21 record and the BIG EAST Regular Season and Tournament Titles in 2007. The Scarlet Knights, who earned the No. 2 seed in the Charlottesville NCAA Regional, ended the regular season ranked No. 23 nationally.

Rutgers Players Recruiting Hill

source ZAGSBLOG

I just got back from Media Day at Rutgers for Sunday's New York/New Jersey All-Star Classic at Rutgers Stadium and here are a few brief notes. Also, look for a few features and other stories on the game in the coming days.

*The Will Hill Situation

As previously reported on ZAGSBLOG, Paterson Catholic DE and Rutgers recruit Al-Ghaffaar Lane is cousins with Will Hill, the multitalented junior athlete out of St. Peter's Prep.

The 6-3, 200-pound Hill is ranked No. 1 in the nation among athletes by Rivals.com, and is considering: Michigan, Rutgers, Florida, Ohio State, USC and Florida State. Lane said he hopes to get his cousin to join him at the New Jersey state school.

"I don't say every time, 'Come to Rutgers, come to Rutgers, come to Rutgers,'" Lane said. "It's already understood because we want to play with each other rather than against each other. So he has to do what's best for him."

Lane, Hill and Rutgers signee Al-Majid Hutchins out of East Orange Campus all grew up in East Orange, and Hutchins would also like to see Hill at RU.

"I sit back and let him make his own decision," Hutchins said. "I could only do so much. but it would be real good if he came here. He's probably a first-round (NFL) draft pick. He's physical, he's got the speed already and once he gets up here and gets coached up, there's no telling how good he can be." more

I just got back from Media Day at Rutgers for Sunday's New York/New Jersey All-Star Classic at Rutgers Stadium and here are a few brief notes. Also, look for a few features and other stories on the game in the coming days.

*The Will Hill Situation

As previously reported on ZAGSBLOG, Paterson Catholic DE and Rutgers recruit Al-Ghaffaar Lane is cousins with Will Hill, the multitalented junior athlete out of St. Peter's Prep.

The 6-3, 200-pound Hill is ranked No. 1 in the nation among athletes by Rivals.com, and is considering: Michigan, Rutgers, Florida, Ohio State, USC and Florida State. Lane said he hopes to get his cousin to join him at the New Jersey state school.

"I don't say every time, 'Come to Rutgers, come to Rutgers, come to Rutgers,'" Lane said. "It's already understood because we want to play with each other rather than against each other. So he has to do what's best for him."

Lane, Hill and Rutgers signee Al-Majid Hutchins out of East Orange Campus all grew up in East Orange, and Hutchins would also like to see Hill at RU.

"I sit back and let him make his own decision," Hutchins said. "I could only do so much. but it would be real good if he came here. He's probably a first-round (NFL) draft pick. He's physical, he's got the speed already and once he gets up here and gets coached up, there's no telling how good he can be." more

Baseball's Season Ends for Rutgers

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Rutgers Baseball team fell to defending National Champion Oregon State, 5-2, in an eliminiation game in the Charlottesville NCAA Regional Monday afternoon. Oregon State moves on to face top-seed Virginia, while the Scarlet Knights finish the season with a record-tying 42 wins.

Rutgers vs. Oregon State Game Postponed until Monday

Charlottesville: No baseball today

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Today's NCAA Championship Charlottesville Regional game between No. 23 Rutgers and No. 25 Oregon State, scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Davenport Field, has been moved to Monday, June 4 at 1:00 p.m. due to heavy rains in the area from Tropical Storm Barry.

The game, originally set for 1:00 p.m. Sunday, was pushed back to 6:00 p.m., but field conditions forced the postponement to Monday.

The Rutgers-Oregon State winner will advance to take on host Virginia on Monday at 6:00 p.m., needing to beat the top-seeded Cavaliers twice to qualify for next weekend's Super Regionals. A fifth game (if necessary) will be played Tuesday June 5.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Today's NCAA Championship Charlottesville Regional game between No. 23 Rutgers and No. 25 Oregon State, scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Davenport Field, has been pushed back to 6:00 p.m. due to heavy rains in the area from Tropical Storm Barry.

The second-seeded Scarlet Knights (42-20), who eliminated Lafayette with a 5-1 victory yesterday, and third-seeded Beavers (39-18), who suffered a 7-4 loss in 13 innings to Virginia last night, will face off at 6:00 p.m. for the right to face UVA Monday at 1:00 p.m. in the Regional Final. 

Meade Blast Keeps Rutger's Playoff Hope Alive

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – No. 23 Rutgers scored five runs in the eighth thanks to a pair of two-run home runs from Frank Meade (Linden, N.J) and Dave Williams (Franklin, N.J.) to take an 11-7 lead and held on to beat Lafayette, 11-10, in an elimination game in the NCAA Championship Regionals Saturday afternoon at Davenport Field.

RU will again face Oregon State, who fell to Virginia 7-4 in 13 innings, in an elimination game today at 1:00 p.m.

  FULL STORY

Rutgers Big East Baseball Champs

BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The No. 2 seed Rutgers Scarlet Knights withstood a furious comeback in the top of the ninth inning by the No. 8 seed Connecticut Huskies to win the 2007 BIG EAST Baseball Championship 7-6 at KeySpan Park.

Rutgers' BIG EAST Championship title was its third in school history. The Scarlet Knights also won the crowns in 1998 and 2000. All three titles and all five championship appearances have come under the direction of head coach Fred Hill.

Hill becomes one of only three coaches in BIG EAST history to have won at least three championship titles.

Junior shortstop Todd Frazier was the recipient of the Jack Kaiser Award as the Most Outstanding Player of the championship. In the final game, Frazier went 2-for-4, hit a home run and drove in one RBI. The Toms River, N.J. native also set championship records for the most runs (12) and hits (13). He finished the championship hitting .520 (13-for-25) with five doubles, three home runs and seven RBI.

Rutgers' senior pitcher Steve Healing picked up his second win of the championship. Healing worked 8.0 innings and struck out three batters.

continues

Rutgers Advances to the Finals

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Second-seeded Rutgers scored a run in the fourth and two in the fifth and Sean Spicer (Pearl River, N.Y.) pitched a complete game five hitter as the Scarlet Knights advanced to Saturday's BIG EAST Championship game with a 3-1 victory over third-seeded Louisville Friday night at KeySpan Park.

The Scarlet Knights, who entered the day needing to defeat the Cardinals twice to reach the finals, did just that with a 12-10 win earlier in the day before the 3-1 decision in the nightcap. RU reaches its fifth BIG EAST title game (2003, 2002, 2000 and 1998) in school history and first since the 2003 season, improving to 40-19 overall. The Scarlet Knights earn a championship date with the winner of Friday night's other semifinal game between USF and Connecticut Saturday at 1 p.m. in front of a national television audience on ESPNU.

Rutgers broke the scoreless stalemate in the fourth when junior National Player of the Year candidate Todd Frazier (Toms River, N.J.) singled down the left-field line to lead off the inning, was sacrificed over and scored two plays later on a Dave Williams (Franklin, N.J.) RBI double to the gap in right center.

continued

Rutgers Downs Louisville to Force Elimination Game in BIG EAST Tournament

UPDATE: The elimination game is over.....Rutgers 3 Louisville 1

BROOKLYN, N.Y.  – Down 7-5 in the seventh-inning, No. 2 Rutgers scored six runs en route to a 12-10 win over No. 3 Louisville in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Baseball Championship at Keyspan Park in Brooklyn. The win forces an elimination match between the Scarlet Knights and Cardinals today at 5:00 p.m.

Rutgers (39-19) struck quickly with runners on first and second in the opening frame, senior Dave Williams (Franklin, N.J.) hit a sharp grounder back up the middle to score Mike Bionde (Pompton Plains, N.J.) from second. The Scarlet Knights weren't finished in the inning however, loading the bases with two outs. Senior Tim Querns (Cherry Hill, N.J.) drew a full-count walk to bring home the second run of the frame and stake RU out to a 2-0 lead.

Louisville (40-19) responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning, highlighted by a two-out, two-run home run from Jorge Castillo to give the Cardinals a 3-2 advantage.

Louisville cleanup hitter Isaiah Howes hit a solo home run with two outs in the third to make it 4-2.

Rutgers rallied for three runs in the fifth to surge out to a 5-4 lead. Junior National Player of the Year candidate Todd Frazier (Toms River, N.J.) led off the inning with his second home run in as many days, clearing the left-field wall by a considerable distance. Following two outs, Williams and Tom Edwards (Caldwell, N.J.) hit consecutive singles to set up the next two runs with runners on second and third. With DH Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) at the plate, Louisville starter Colby Wark allowed Williams to score the tying run on a wild pitch before a passed ball later in the at bat gave the Scarlet Knights the 5-4 lead with Edwards crossing home.

Another two-out home run by Howes, this time a two-run blast, quickly gave the lead back to Louisville in the bottom half of the fifth. The Cardinals took a two-run advantage when Chris Dominguez led off with a single, stole second came around to score two plays later on a squeeze bunt.

Rutgers came right back with a sixth-run sixth inning, highlighted by a three-run home run from Frank Meade (Linden, N.J.) over the center-field fence with two outs in the frame.

Frazier led off the inning with his 57th walk of the season to break the school's single-season walk record (Craig Badger 1998). Bionde followed with a single and Ryan Hill's (Hillsdale, N.J.) attempt to sacrifice both runners over was scooped up by the pitcher, who elected to go for the lead runner at third. However, the throw was wild, allowing Frazier to come around and score. Williams collected his fourth hits of the day to drive in another run and Edwards recorded an RBI groundout to plate a third score before Meade's punishing blow.

RU extended its lead to five runs when Frazier came around to score from second base on a deep sacrifice fly from Hill. 

Louisville mounted a comeback, plating two runs in with two outs in the eighth, forcing Scarlet Knight reliever Kevin Lillis (Fair Haven. N.J.) in with the bases loaded. Lillis balked on his first delivery to allow a third run in, but came back to strikeout Howes to get out of the inning.    

Lillis sealed the victory with a 1-2-3 ninth to give Rutgers its first-ever victory in seven games against Louisville. 

Williams lead RU's 10-hit attack with a 4-for-4 performance, to improve his average to .529 (9-for-17) in the tournament for Rutgers.

Rutgers Advances to BIG EAST Semifinals With 11-0 Win Over Villanova

UPDATE: Rutgers played Louisville today at 10 A.M. Final Rutgers 12, Louisville 10.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The second-seeded Rutgers baseball team used three home runs and a complete-game performance from sophomore pitcher Matt Gianinni (Millington, N.J.) to defeat sixth-seeded Villanova, 11-0, in the BIG EAST Baseball Championship at KeySpan Park Thursday afternoon.

The Scarlet Knights (38-19) earn a re-match with third-seeded Louisville Friday morning at 10:00 a.m. RU needs to defeat the Cardinals twice on Friday to advance to Saturday's championship game. The Scarlet Knights and Cardinals met on Wednesday with the Cardinals posting an 8-1 win over the Scarlet Knights.   

Junior All-American Todd Frazier (Toms River, N.J.) led the Scarlet Knights offensively with a 4-for-6 day that included a home run and three doubles. Junior Ryan Hill (Hillsdale, N.J.) and sophomore Tom Edwards (Caldwell, N.J.) also hit homers for RU, while Giannini record the first complete-game shutout of his career.

"I was very pleased with the all-round effort our guys showed today," said Rutgers head coach Fred Hill. "Todd [Frazier] certainly had a magnificent day but we also had other guys perform well and Matt [Gianinni] was working his pitches well. We take it one game at a time and next up is Louisville."

Rutgers capitalized on a Villanova error to push across its first two runs with two outs in the third. With Dave Williams (Franklin, N.J.) (double) on third and Edwards (single) on second, Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) hit what appeared to be an inning-ending flyout but the second baseman kept drifting back into the outfield and the ball hit off the fielder's glove, allowing both Scarlet Knights to score.

Frazier doubled to leadoff the fourth, stole second and came around to score on a Mike Bionde (Pompton Plains, N.J.) RBI single. The Scarlet Knights weren't finished in the inning, however as Edwards singled home Bionde later in the frame off new pitcher Josh Eidell to make it 4-0.

RU added to its lead with four runs in the fifth highlighted by home runs by Frazier and Hill. Frazier's home run was a two-run blast – his school record 20th of the season and 40th of his career – that cleared the Cyclones' scoreboard in left-center field, traveling an estimated 470 feet. Hill followed two batters later with a solo shot to right field.

The Scarlet Knights continued their power hitting barrage when Edwards opened the sixth with an opposite-field blast – his seventh of the season – to make it 9-0.

RU tacked on two more runs in the ninth to make it 11-0 and after Villanova loaded the bases in the bottom-half of the ninth, Bionde preserved the shutout with a nice stop at second base and throw to first for the final putout of the contest.

Gianini scattered 11 hits with six strikeouts to earn the first complete-game shutout of his career. He improved to 5-4 on the year with his second victory over Villanova in less than a week. His counterpart, Bill Hoffman of Villanova, fell to 4-8 on the season with four runs (two earned) on seven hits and five strikeouts in 3.1 innings of play.

Frazier recorded 10 total bases on Thursday to break the Rutgers single-season mark with 166 this year. He recorded his 200th run, moving him into second place on the Rutgers all-time runs scored list. The All-American also moved into third place on the school's all-time hits chart with 231 in his career and stole his 64th career base to tie Eric Young (1987-89) for third place all-time.

Frazier and Williams each have 83 hits on the year, good enough for ninth-place in school history.

Rutgers opens Big East with rout of Notre Dame

The Times

LOCAL COLLEGES

BROOKLYN, N.Y -- Second- seeded Rutgers collected 18 hits and broke a 2-2 with a seven-run sixth inning en route to a 13-2, eight-inning victory over seventh- seeded Notre Dame in the Big East Baseball Tournament first round yesterday at KeySpan Park.

The Scarlet Knights (37-18) will face third-seeded Louisville at 5 p.m. today, Thursday.

Big East Player of the Year Todd Frazier went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs, Mike Bionde went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and a run, and Tom Edwards went 4-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs, backing winning pitcher Steve Healing.

Rider at NCAA regionals

LAWRENCE -- Five members of the Rider University track and field teams will compete in NCAA Division Regional I action Friday and Saturday at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Senior Jazmine Fenlator will compete in the women's shot put, discus and hammer, and senior David Payne will compete in both the 100 and 200 meter dashes. Sophomore Desmond Hamilton will compete in the men's long jump, sophomore Kelly Kajunski will compete in the women's high jump and junior Rebecca Clatch will compete in the women's javelin.

FOOTBALL Tigers: Friday Night Lights again

PRINCETON TOWNSHIP -- Princeton will play a Friday night game on ESPNU for a second straight season, this time Oct. 26 against Cornell (7 p.m.).

Rutgers, Camden Univ. Wins NJAC Softball Title

written by the by Courier Post

Rutgers-Camden University won its second straight New Jersey Athletic Conference softball championship Sunday with a 4-1 victory over Rowan University at Montclair State.

With the win, the third-seeded Scarlet Raptors, the defending NCAA Division III national champions, received an automatic bid to the Division III championship tournament. It is their fourth straight tournament appearance.

The conference title was their third in four years.

Junior first baseman Kathleen Dreitlein was the hitting star for Rutgers-Camden, a winner of nine straight games, with a two-run home run in the second inning. Senior hurler Megan Farrell (Bishop Eustace) allowed just three hits while striking out five en route to her 13th win in 18 games. She also went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI double.

Rutgers-Camden opens defense of its NCAA title Thursday in the regional at Fayetteville, N.C. The Scarlet Raptors, third-seeded in the regional, play sixth-seeded Christopher Newport (33-8) at 2 p.m. If they win that game in the double-elimination tournament, the Raptors play at 4 p.m. Friday against the winner of the Lynchburg-Marietta game.

Methodist College (32-8) of Fayetteville, N.C. is seeded No. 1 in the regional. Rutgers-Camden lost a pair of games earlier this season to Methodist (8-0, 5-1).

In the NJAC baseball tournament, Rowan University was eliminated  Sunday by Kean University 13-4 in a semifinal contest.

In other NJAC baseball news, Rowan sophomore third baseball Tom Ready (Triton) and Ramapo junior outfielder Nick Sbarra (Washington Twp.) were selected to the All-Conference first team.

The College of New Jersey senior third baseman Matt Zonies (Cherokee) and Richard Stockton sophomore outfielder Chris Discher (Cherry Hill West) were second-team honorees.

COLLEGE BASEBALL/Rutgers knocked out of 1st place/PRINCETON SPLITS

 

sTORY Written by Home News Tribune Online 04/30/07
STAFF REPORT

Notre Dame broke a 4-4 tie with two runs in the ninth inning to defeat the Rutgers baseball team, 6-4, in a see-saw battle in front of a Bainton Field record crowd of 1,024 on Sunday.

The loss dropped Rutgers (25-16, 13-5 in the Big East) out of first place in the Big East standings for the first time in more than a month, a game behind league leader St. John's and into a tie with Louisville.

Tied at 4-4, Notre Dame's Danny Dressman led off the ninth with a slow bouncer between the pitcher's mound and first base for a single and Jeremy Barnes hit a ball to the wall in center field for an RBI triple before scoring on a sacrifice fly to give the Irish (24-19, 8-9 in Big East) a 6-4 lead.

The Scarlet Knights threatened in the bottom of the ninth, putting two of the first three batters on with a Todd Frazier walk and a Ryan Hill single, and moved both into scoring position on a double steal with two outs. Notre Dame lefty reliever Sam Elam came in to face the lefty Tom Edwards and struck out the Scarlet Knight to give Notre Dame the victory.

With the score knotted at 2-2 in the top of the sixth, the Irish put a pair of runners on, but pitcher Casey Gaynor got Matt Weglarz to hit grounder to third base, where Tim Querns picked it up, stepped on third and fired the ball to second baseman Mike Bionde for the force at second and Bionde completed a triple play when he threw to first baseman Tom Edwards to get Weglarz.

Gaynor ended the day with five strikeouts and allowed four runs on five hits in a strong 7.2 innings. Chris Lillis (2-2) was charged with the loss, giving up two runs on two hits and a strikeout in 1.1 innings of relief.

PRINCETON SPLITS: Needing a sweep of the four-game series at Cornell to tie Penn for the Ivy League's Gehrig Division title, Princeton University's baseball team lost the final game of the weekend, 5-4 in 12 innings on Sunday to be eliminated from title contention.

The Tigers won the opener 7-5.

Frazier leads Rutgers with record-tying HR

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 04/23/07

 

The Rutgers University baseball team collected 13 hits, including a record-tying home run from junior All-American Todd Frazier (Toms River South), to complete a series sweep of the University of South Florida with a 10-5 victory on Sunday in Tampa, Fla.

It was the second sweep of the season for the Big East-leading Scarlet Knights (24-14, 12-3).

Frazier added to a 7-5 lead with an eighth-inning solo homer to right, tying school career and single-season home run records. The blast was his 14th of the season, tying the record Frank Meade set in 2006 and 34th of his career, equaling the mark his older brother, Jeff Frazier, totaled from 2002-04.

Starting pitcher Casey Gaynor (Toms River East) pitched into the fourth inning before being relieved by Matt Patterson, who pitched his way out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam.

Patterson got his first career victory. Brothers Kevin and Chris Lillis, both CBA graduates, pitched three scoreless innings.

MONMOUTH 19, FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON 8: The Hawks (22-12-1, 7-4) rallied from a three-run deficit to beat the host Knights in a Northeast Conference game. Monmouth tied a season high with its 19 runs. The Hawks did most of their damage during a six-run fifth inning.

Rowan U swept Rutgers in Double-header

Arms carry Profs to sweep

 

Gloucester County Times
Sunday, April 22, 2007

Starting pitchers Gary Winkler and Brian McLaughlin each went eight innings and allowed just one earned run as the Rowan University baseball team swept Rutgers-Newark in a doubleheader by scores of 5-2 and 12-1 Saturday in New Jersey Athletic Conference action.

The Profs improved to 16-14 overall, 6-7 in the NJAC, and are still in the fight for one of the six berths in the conference tournament with a week to play. The Scarlet Raiders fell to 11-21, 7-7.

SOFTBALL

Profs defeat Rutgers-Newark

Rowan University captured both ends of an NJAC doubleheader against Rutgers-Newark by scores of 6-3 and 4-1.

Amanda Riegel scattered six hits and fanned eight to win Game 1, while Kim Ryan and Heidi Smith (double, triple) each drove in a pair of runs.

Washington Township High School graduate Kristin Wallace was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs in the second game. Danielle Lawlor went the distance for her 10th win of the season.

Raptors split two with WPU

William Paterson took Game 1 of an NJAC doubleheader with Rutgers-Camden, 4-2, while the Scarlet Raptors rallied to take the nightcap, 5-2.

The Pioneers came back from a 2-0 deficit in the opener, scoring three times in the fourth. Ana Abourashed's two-run pinch-hit single gave them the lead for good. Deptford resident Megan Farrell took the loss, with only one of the four runs earned thanks to a pair of errors.

Brick's Healing beating odds at Rutgers

Asbury Park Press

BY KEITH SARGEANT
STAFF WRITER

One by one, the scouts behind the backstop at Rutgers' Bainton Field point their radar guns at Steve Healing as the right-hander delivers a pitch.

The ace of the Rutgers University baseball team's pitching staff, Healing, a Brick Township High School graduate, is having a good spring, compiling a 5-3 mark and a college baseball-solid 4.07 ERA midway through his senior campaign.

Most impressive to the scouts, however, is his command of the plate. Though Healing's fastball only tops out at 85, he has precise control, deftly weaving his "hard stuff" with a solid curveball and knee-buckling changeup.

With command like this, Healing would figure to be an intriguing prospect regardless of his subpar velocity. His pitching coach and head coach at Rutgers both expect Healing will get a look or two come June, when Major League Baseball holds its amateur draft.

Yet, Healing won't be holding his breath for his phone to ring.

"I would like to hope," Healing says, when asked about his chances of playing professionally, "but, realistically, I doubt it since I had two Tommy John surgeries before I was legally able to start drinking."

read more

Lineman Commits to Rutgers Football Team

Lineman commits to Rutgers football team

Yesterday, April 13, 2007,

Devon Watkis became the second player to commit to the Rutgers football team's 2008 incoming recruiting class, pledging his intentions to play for the Scarlet Knights after attending Wednesday's spring practice. The 6-foot-7, 275-pound offensive lineman turned down interest from Maryland, UConn, Duke and Syracuse after receiving a scholarship offer from Rutgers' coaching staff on Tuesday.

"The recruiting process was fantastic, but it was also a little stressful for me," said Watkis, currently a junior at Longwood High School in Coram, N.Y. "I think Rutgers is a great choice. Their program is really on the rise, their academics are terrific and they have great athletic facilities." Watkis is the second recruit for Rutgers' 2008 incoming class, joining Rashad White, a tailback from Teaneck who committed in mid-March. . . . Rutgers junior All-American Todd Frazier, a Toms River High School South graduate, has been included on College Sports Television's National Player of the Year watch list.

Frazier is listed among 23 candidates receiving votes along with a top-10 list on the network's Web site as voted on by a panel of 10 college baseball journalists from around the country. The junior ranks among the Big East leaders in virtually every offensive category. He leads the conference in home runs (13), runs scored (46) and total bases (97), ranks second in RBI (38), slugging percentage (.802), walks (31) and triples (2), fourth in on-base percentage (.510), sixth in stolen bases (13), seventh in hits (47) and ninth in batting average (.388).

Millett a hitting star at Rutgers-Camden

Courier Post

By CELESTE E. WHITTAKER
Courier-Post Staff

Autumn Millett has had some start to her senior season at Rutgers-Camden.

On the team's trip to Fort Pierce, Fla., last month, you would've thought the former Clearview Regional High School star was trying to earn a spot on one of the Major League Baseball teams nearby in spring training.

The senior outfielder was named the New Jersey Athletic Conference Player of the Week and Eastern College Athletic Conference Metro Player of the Week three weeks ago after hitting .708 with 19 RBIs, 19 runs scored, four doubles and four home runs in eight games at the Florida Coast Spring Training Camp March 13 to 16.

Millett, 21, hit safely and scored a run in all eight games as Rutgers-Camden (14-8) went 8-0. She had multiple-hit games in six of the eight games.

She already has 10 home runs this season, which ties her for the Scarlet Raptors' single season record, and Millett is already the school's career statistical leader in total bases (300), runs scored (141), RBIs (129), home runs (33) and walks (72).Read more

Softball Links:NCAA National Fastpitch Coaches Assn New Jersey Athletic Conference

 

RutgersWomens Basketball Season......Simply Unpredictable

Simply unpredictable

Everyone expected the Rutgers women's basketball season to be relatively unpredictable.

After all, the roster was half freshmen, junior point guard Matee Ajavon was months from getting into playing shape following surgery for a stress fracture, and when the season started, only sophomore center Kia Vaughn was playing her usual position.

It didn't take long for the craziness to start, but it sure took a long time for it to come to an end. And the end would be the craziest part of the entire season.

 

Rutgers 53, Duke 52

Press of Atlantic City GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) - Rutgers' season was over, or so it seemed. Less than a second remained, and the ACC's player of the year was headed to the free-throw line to shoot mighty Duke back into the regional finals.

That's when dependable star Lindsey Harding missed a free throw, which would have tied the game. She then missed another and the Blue Devils' season was done and Rutgers advanced to the Greensboro Regional final.

"I believed it was our destiny," Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer said. "When she missed the second shot, I still believed."

Read More

Rutgers Fans, Who do you believe?

Lautenberg helps New Jerseyans watch Rutgers football

(Inside Edge) Both of New Jersey's United States Senators are claiming credit for what is likely to be a popular decision among New Jerseyans: the National Football League is allowing cable television stations to broadcast the December 28th Texas Bowl between Rutgers University's Scarlet Knights and Kansas State University's Wildcats. Frank Lautenberg, put pressure on NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell; he serves on the Senate panel that regulates cable and broadcast television. read more

(Inside Edge) Both of New Jersey's United States Senators are claiming credit for what is likely to be a popular decision among New Jerseyans: the National Football League is allowing cable television stations to broadcast the December 28th Texas Bowl between Rutgers University's Scarlet Knights and Kansas State University's Wildcats. Frank Lautenberg, put pressure on NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell; he serves on the Senate panel that regulates cable and broadcast television. read more

Rutgers vs W Virginia

No. 13 Rutgers (10-1, 5-1) at No. 15 West Virginia (9-2, 4-2)
Date: Dec. 2, 2006
Kickoff Time: 7:45 PM
Site: Morgantown, W.Va.
Stadium: Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium (60,000)
Rankings:Rutgers (No. 13, BCS Standings; No. 13 Associated Press; No. 13, USA Today/Coaches; No. 13 Harris Poll) - West Virginia (No. 15, BCS Standings; No. 15 Associated Press; No. 15, USA Today/Coaches; No. 15 Harris Poll)

Television: ESPN (Mike Patrick, Play-by-Play; Todd Blackledge, Color; Holly Rowe - Sideline)
Radio: Each of Rutgers’ 12 games this season will be broadcast on the Rutgers Radio Network and can be heard on WOR (AM-710) and WCTC (AM-1450) with Chris Carlin as the play-by-play announcer and former Rutgers TE Tim Pernetti handling color analysis. Anthony Fuccilli will serve as the sideline reporter. Rutgers’ student station, WRSU (FM-88.7), will also broadcast the game. The game can also be heard on the Internet at www.scarletknights.com, the official athletics website of Rutgers University. Read more

Rutgers 38; Syracuse 7

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — With a game ball in one hand, a teary Brian Leonard used a knight's sword as a baton to direct the Rutgers band in the school alma mater in yet another celebration at the birthplace of college football on Saturday. Leonard become Rutgers' career scoring leader and the No. 15 Scarlet Knights moved within a win of earning their first BIG EAST championship with a 38-7 victory over Syracuse on Saturday.FULL STORY

Rutgers Rice one of three finalists for the Maxwell Award

BIG EAST FOOTBALL MIDWEEK REPORT

With two weekends remaining in the regular season, three teams with 4-1 league marks are charging hard to win the BIG EAST crown.

	Rutgers running back Ray Rice is one of three finalists for the Maxwell Award given the the national player of the year.

Nov. 22, 2006

BIG EAST Has A Three-Team Race: With two weekends remaining in the regular season, three teams with 4-1 league marks are charging hard to win the BIG EAST crown. West Virginia, Louisville and Rutgers are all 9-1 overall and 4-1 in league play. On Saturday, West Virginia hosts USF (ESPN2) at noon Eastern time, Rutgers hosts Syracuse (ESPNU), also at noon. At 3:30 p.m., Louisville plays at Pittsburgh (ESPN).

Can The BIG EAST Place Two In the BCS?: The BIG EAST and the Big Ten are the only two leagues in the country with three teams that have less than two losses. The BIG EAST champion automatically qualifies for a spot in one of the BCS bowls. Six conference champions go to five BCS bowls leaving four more spots for at-large teams. In this week's BCS standings, West Virginia is No. 7, Louisville is No. 8 and Rutgers is No. 15.

Trophy Finalists: Four BIG EAST players and one BIG EAST coach are among the finalists for some of college football's most prestigious awards. Each award list is down to only three candidates. The awards are: Lou Groza Award (outstanding placekicker), Maxwell Award (National Player of the Year), Outland Trophy (outstanding interior lineman), Doak Walker Award (outstanding running back) and the George Munger Award (outstanding coach). Read more

Rutgers vs Syracuse Sat.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The BIG EAST Conference and ESPNU announced Saturday that the Nov. 25 football game between Rutgers and Syracuse will kickoff at noon with live national television coverage on ESPNU. The game marks the final home game for 20 Rutgers' seniors at Rutgers Stadium.

The game marks Rutgers' seventh appearance on the ESPN family of networks in 2006 and the eighth of nine national television appearances this season. The nine national television appearances are a single-season school record for the Scarlet Knights. The regular season finale on Dec. 2 at West Virginia will air live on ESPN.

The Scarlet Knights (9-1, 4-1 BIG EAST) are in a three-way tie for first place in the BIG EAST.  Syracuse (4-7, 1-5) earned its first league win of the season Saturday with a 20-14 victory over Connecticut at the Carrier Dome.

Rutgers at Cincinnati Saturday Night ESPN

Ray Rice was named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award.

RUTGERS (9-0, 4-0 BIG EAST) at CINCINNATI (5-5, 2-3 BIG EAST)
Date: November 18, 2006
Kickoff Time: 7:45 p.m.
Site: Cincinnati, Ohio
Stadium: Nippert Stadium (35,000)

GAME NOTES

Television: ESPN (Mike Patrick, Play-by-Play; Todd Blackledge, Color; Holly Rowe, Sideline)
Radio: Each of Rutgers’ 12 games this season will be broadcast on the Rutgers Radio Network and can be heard on WOR (AM-710) and WCTC (AM-1450) with Chris Carlin as the play-by-play announcer and former Rutgers TE Tim Pernetti handling color analysis. Anthony Fuccilli will serve as the sideline reporter. Rutgers’ student station, WRSU (FM-88.7), will also broadcast the game. The game can also be heard on the Internet at www.scarletknights.com, the official athletics website of Rutgers UniversityFor the first time in school history, Rutgers will play a game ranked in the Top 10 as the seventh-ranked Scarlet Knights travel to Cincinnati to face the Bearcats on ESPN at 7:45 p.m. Rutgers will play in primetime on ESPN for the first time in consecutive weeks in school history after last Thursday’s thrilling, come-from-behind 28-25 victory over then third-ranked Louisville. Mike Patrick, Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe will be on the call Saturday for ESPN.

The Scarlet Knights are a perfect 9-0 overall and 4-0 in the BIG EAST. It marks the latest point in a season the Scarlet Knights have been alone in first place in the 16-year history of the BIG EAST.

Rutgers is ranked sixth in the BCS Standings, seventh in the AP Top 25 and eighth in the USA Today/Coaches Top 25.

Cincinnati (5-5, 2-3 BIG EAST) lost 42-24 at then 10th-ranked West Virginia last Saturday. The Bearcats had won two straight BIG EAST games before the setback in Morgantown last week.

Rutgers ranks in the top 25 in 11 different NCAA statistical categories, including fourth nationally in total defense (231.7 ypg), fourth in scoring defense (10.9 ppg) and 15th in rushing offense (187.8 ypg).

One of Four Undefeated Teams
Rutgers is one of four teams still undefeated in Division I-A football. Joining the Scarlet Knights are No. 1 Ohio State (11-0), No. 2 Michigan (11-0) and No. 13 Boise State (10-0).

Rutgers tickets available Nov. 18 for final home game Nov. 25

Student Ticket Policy Announced for Syracuse Game PISCATAWAY, NJ - Student tickets for the final Rutgers home football game of the 2006 season, against Syracuse on Saturday, November 25, will be distributed on Saturday, November 18.  The time of the game will be either noon or 3:30 and will be determined following this week's game at  Cincinnati. There will be 10,500 student tickets available and students with a valid ID may pick up tickets at the west gate of the stadium starting Saturday morning, November 18, at 9:00 am while tickets last.  Students will not be able to line up for tickets before 5:00 am. Students will be given the option of a ticket in the student section (107-115) or in temporary end zone bleacher seating under the scoreboard. Students may obtain one ticket per valid ID and must be present to be given a ticket (multiple tickets will not be given to students). Extra campus buses will be added on Saturday morning beginning at 4:30 am to accommodate those students wishing to receive tickets. The bus stops for these special buses will be on College Avenue: Rutgers Student Center, Scott Hall and the SAC building; Cook/Douglass: Red Oak Lane, Food Science, Biel Rd., Henderson apartments, Katzenbach, New Gibbons and College Hall; Rockoff Hall; Livingston: Livingston Student Center, the Quads and Towers A limited number of student parking passes will be available on Monday, November 20, starting at 8:30 am at the Rutgers Ticket Office at the RAC. You must have a valid ID and show your game ticket to purchase the parking pass.  Only one parking pass per student (multiple parking passes will not be sold to students). Residence Halls will be open on Saturday, November 25.  Dining Halls will open Sunday, November 26.   The exact times will be determined once a game time has been set.  "Our students were outstanding last Thursday night and showed a national TV audience what great student support we have," said Rutgers Director of Athletics Bob Mulcahy.  "We can't thank them enough and look for that same type of atmosphere to be at the Syracuse game." Rutgers students going to the game this Saturday at Cincinnati will be able to get their Syracuse student ticket at the Rutgers player/guest gate at Nippert Stadium with a valid Rutgers student ID.

Ito's Field Gold wins it for Rutgers

Rutgers Upsets No. 3 Louisville 28-25 on Last-Second Field Goal

By Bob Bensch

Nov. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Jeremy Ito's 28-yard field goal with 13 seconds remaining in the game gave Rutgers University a 28-25 win over third-ranked Louisville last night in a matchup of college football unbeatens. Left, Ito receives congratulations from his teammates.

Ray Rice ran for two touchdowns and 132 yards as 13th-ranked Rutgers (9-0, 4-0 Big East Conference) rallied from a 25-7 deficit in Piscataway, New Jersey. The win moves the Scarlet Knights into first place in the Big East, where the champion receives an automatic berth into one of the Bowl Championship Series postseason games.

``I'm ready to cry right now, I don't know how to hold it back,'' Rice said in an interview with ESPN. ``I'm so happy for my team right now. We deserve this.''

Ito's winning kick came after he missed a 33-yard field goal try with 17 seconds left. Louisville received an offsides penalty on the play, giving Ito another chance which the junior easily converted.

JaJuan Spillman returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown for Louisville (8-1, 3-1). The Cardinals went scoreless in the second half and were held to just 264 yards of offense, 232 yards under their season average, as their national championship hopes come to an end.

``You've got to be able to come in execute and make the plays,'' Louisville coach Bobby Petrino told reporters. ``We did a nice job early, but it changed on us fast.''

The win continues a turnaround season for Rutgers, which played in the very first college football game against Princeton in 1869. The Scarlet Knights have received their highest national rankings ever and are one of just four undefeated teams in major college football.

Believers

Rutgers had just 12 victories in coach Greg Schiano's first four seasons before winning seven last season and earning their first bowl game berth since 1978. The Scarlet Knights had lost 25 straight Big East games from 1999 to 2003.

``We have great kids that believe in what we're doing,'' Schiano said in an interview with ESPN. ``You don't come back like we did tonight unless you have believers.''

Anthony Allen ran for a touchdown and Brian Brohm threw a scoring pass to Jimmy Riley to help Louisville open a 25-7 lead midway through the second quarter.

Rice's 18-yard touchdown run pulled Rutgers within 25-14 at the half. Rice then added a 4-yard touchdown run early in the third and Ito's 46-yard field goal five minutes into the final quarter tied the game 25-25.

The Rutgers defense took the game over in the second half, forcing Louisville to punt on its first six possessions of the second half. The Scarlet Knights then sacked Brohm on the game's final play after Ito's kick.

Top-ranked Ohio State (10-0), No. 2 Michigan (10-0) and No. 14 Boise State (9-0) are the other undefeated teams in Division I-A football. The top two teams in the rankings will play in the BCS national title game on Jan. 8 in Glendale, Arizona.

To contact the reporter on this story: Bob Bensch in Trenton at [email protected] .

44,111 Fans Watch Scarlet Knights

For one night, New Jersey takes center stage

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) -- The biggest game in Rutgers' long football history produced what surely was the biggest celebration the school has ever seen.

A large portion of the record crowd of 44,111 wound up on the field in a wild scene following the No. 15 Scarlet Knights' 28-25 win over No. 3 Louisville Thursday night.

Fans streamed onto the field from all sides, including the temporary bleachers in the south end zone that had been erected specifically for this game. They covered the field as music blared and a cannon perched on a hill outside one corner of the stadium boomed.

A primary target of their affection was Jeremy Ito, the junior kicker who converted a 28-yard field goal with 13 seconds left for the decisive points. They pummeled him and eventually raised him off the ground and sent him bobbing along above the heads of crowd members screaming his name. Read more

Rutgers Football

South Jersey players boost Rutgers

Celeste E. Whittaker column

Rutgers has 11 South Jersey natives on its football team, including Young, wide receiver James Townsend (Holy Cross), fullback Jack Corcoran (St. Joseph), tight end/holder Anthony Cali (Northern Burlington), linebacker Ryan D'Imperio (Washington Township), linebacker Chris Quaye (Timber Creek) and defensive end George Johnson (Glassboro).Read more

Rice ready to run

Rutgers' Ray Rice Ready to Run 

submitted by VonBudel 23 hours ago (from http://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/l...)

Last week against UCONN, Rice's ankle got crushed late in the 4th quarter (after he should have been pulled) and he was forced to leave the game. But don't worry Rutgers fans, Ray Rice feels great and will be ready to go for Thursday's game against Louisville. A Rutgers assistant confirmed that Rice will be fine in a conversation with me on Saturday.

Rice has averaged almost 28 carries and 150 yards a game during Rutgers' 8-0 start. The "bye" week couldn't have come at a better time for Rutgers. Rutgers absolutely needs Rice (among other things) if they are to have a chance against Louisville in the first game ever between ranked teams at the newly coined 'R House'.

WVU proved that Louisville's run defense isn't very special last week as they gave up 350 rushing yards. An injured Slaton and QB White both had over 100 yards rushing. While Rutgers QB Mike Teel is no Pat White, or even Mike McMahon for that matter, the Rutgers defense is far better than that of the Mountaineers. Lets hope, for the good of Big East competitiveness and good TV, that the Rutgers defense lives up to its #1 national pass ranking and manages to slow down Brian Brohm.

This is being billed as the biggest game home game in Rutgers history since college football was born there over 100 years ago. Its bigger than when the Longhorns or the Fighting Irish visited, or even when the top rated Hokies or Hurricanes came to town. This is more than just a chance to spoil a good team's season. It is more important than staying undefeated or staying alive in the hunt for Big East championship or a BCS bowl game. This is a chance to validate that Rutgers is indeed a serious contender in college football and not just a benefactor of soft schedule and a weak conference.

If Rutgers gets blown out, New Jersey will jump off the bandwagon faster than it takes Tony Soprano to inhale a man sized serving of sausage and peppers. Top NJ high schoolers will snap out of it and sign with established programs like they have done forever. Rutgers will continue to make budget cuts on athletic programs. Schiano, if still offered the Miami job, will jump ship to fix the U. If that happens, Rutgers will soon be the Big East doormat once again.

Much more than a win, Rutgers needs to confirm the respect it has gained with an 8-0 start this year. If that means that Rutgers loses on a last second field goal, I'll sadly accept it.

R!!!!!!!!!
Visit Source: http://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/ledger....

Rutgers football/new challenge for local news

Rutgers Football Success New Challenge For Local Paper

By Joe Strupp

Published: November 06, 2006 3:35 PM ET

NEW YORK When it comes to covering big-time college football, Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. is not usually among those in the discussion. Neither is the Home News Tribune in nearby East Brunswick, N.J.

But this season, as Rutgers hits its longest undefeated stretch in decades, the team and its hometown paper are dealing with something unusual. At 8-0, Rutgers is nationally ranked for the first time in years and sits among just five undefeated Division I teams in the country.

For the Home News Tribune, a 54,000 daily circulation paper unaccustomed to reporting on a potential National Championship contender in its sports pages, the university's success has meant both increased readership, and more demanding coverage.

"By this time, we are usually turning our attention to basketball," said Sports Editor Jack Genung, who has headed the Gannett Co. Inc. paper's sports department for 10 years. "They have been so bad by this time each year. It is kind of new to us that Rutgers is having success like this."

Although four other undefeated teams remain in contention, along with a handful of top-ranked colleges with one loss, Rutgers is likely the only one with a local paper new to such successful football coverage.

The Ann Arbor (Mich.) News and South Bend (Ind.) Tribune, which cover the University of Michigan and Notre Dame University, respectively, may be similar in size to the Home News Tribune. But they are more familiar with covering a national contender in their own backyard.

Even undefeated Boise State University, covered by the Idaho Statesman Journal, has had more success than Rutgers in recent years, offering numerous undefeated stretches in just the past few seasons.

Rutgers' surprising turnaround has sparked increased coverage by Genung's troops this year. For the first time under Genung's oversight, the paper has two beat writers covering the football team instead of one, with a new policy of sending both to road games and usually adding a third reporter for home contests.

Read more

Rutgers/Louisville game

Perspective Piece: Louisville-Rutgers
		By Matt Zemek Staff Columnist Posted Nov 6, 2006 Heading into a second straight Thursday night matchup of Big East unbeatens, much of America is questioning the courage and the credentials of the No. 3 Louisville Cardinals. However, the nation's college football fans need to realize that this significant showdown will be decided by the quality of the other team in the fight.
Yes, it's undeniably true that Louisville is a less formidable football force when placed outside the cozy confines of Papa John's Stadium, the site of the Cards' titanic triumph over West Virginia on Nov. 2. When taken away from their Old Kentucky Home, the Cards are more susceptible to negative emotional flows and unfavorable bounces of the ball. Visions of a Louisville letdown, combined with an awareness of the Cards' vulnerability on the road, are leading many people to believe that Rutgers will spring the upset in Piscataway, N.J., and spoil Bobby Petrino's dream of playing for a national championship. Rutgers is definitely the trendy pick in these final days before kickoff. But while there's reason to question Louisville's chops, there's just as much cause--if not more--for questioning Rutgers' overall assemblage of talent and toughness. Read more

jim mcckay blog/rutgers

Sunday, November 5

Mitch Albom is an Idiot

I just got done watching ESPN's "The Sports Reporters" and once again, Mitch Albom was criticizing the Big East football conference and all things that don't revolve around the Big 10 Conference.

He claimed that there is no way that an undefeated Louisville Cardinals team, and wouldn't even entertain the possibility that an undefeated Rutgers team, should play in the BCS title game against the winner of Ohio State - Michigan. He continued to carp about how OSU-UM should play a rematch in the BCS championship game if their regular season game is close.

read more

Rutgers Football

Tickets For Rutgers-Louisville Game Going For $200 A Pop

By Peter Schrager

(Foxs Sports)Unable to get my hands on tickets for next Thursday night's Rutgers-Louisville game, I wandered on over to Craigslist to see if I could find some cheap ones there. What I discovered on the online auction site was alarming.

Tickets were being hawked for $200 apiece. Yes, tickets for a RUTGERS FOOTBALL GAME — not a Rolling Stones concert or a Yankees playoff battle — were being shopped for two bills each. A year ago, you couldn't GIVE Rutgers tickets away. Now, they were being sold for the same amount it costs for a cross-country flight.

In real life terms, $200 is a lot. You can take a girl out on a few dates with $200. You can help pay your rent with that. You can buy one of those cool throwback jerseys. Bills can be paid.

QB Mike Teel has led Rutgers to a perfect record and sent ticket prices flying in New Jersey. (Mel Evans / Associated Press)

In college? Well, $200 is a fortune. It's 30 trips to D.P. Dough. It's 40 Papa John's pizzas (with or without the garlic sauce — your choice). It's a semester's worth of books. It's six kegs for the "Dirty Old Man/School Girl" fraternity/sorority mixer next weekend. It's airfare for your squad's postseason bowl game.

There's an old saying I recall a guy in a dive bar once telling me: "A five at home is a ten on the road." I think he was talking about the opposite sex, and I'm pretty sure he was referring to himself. He was a Willy Loman-ish character, kept talking about "life on the road", and I suppose he was discussing the women that came with the territory of his job. Either way, "5 at home; 10 on the road" stuck in my head.

In the world of finance and personal income, it's "$200 in the real world; $1 million in college." Comparing the two is like apples and oranges.  Read more...

Rutgers Football

Friday, November 03, 2006

Big East Denies Venue Change Request By Louisville For Rutgers Game

(Jacks Sport Humor)The University of Louisville was a festive place Thursday night as the fifth-ranked Cardinals topped #3 West Virginia 44-34 in an undefeated Big East football showdown. After the biggest win in school history, the program seems to be in prime position to reach the BCS national championship game on January 8. However, Louisville must travel to fellow unbeaten Rutgers next Thursday night. The Cardinals have already been dealt a setback, as the Big East has denied Louisville’s request to move the game to a neutral site.


Like last night’s contest, the Louisville-Rutgers matchup will be the weekly Thursday night ESPN game. The home team has won eight of the ten Thursday night ESPN matchups this season, including the last five in a row. In four of those last five, the road victim was a ranked team. With those factors in mind, Louisville requested that next Thursday’s showdown be moved to Pittsburgh – roughly halfway between the two schools. Coach Bobby Petrino pointed out that ESPN will be in Pittsburgh the following Thursday night as the Panthers host West Virginia. He argued that broadcasting from Heinz Field a week early would benefit the network, since the practice run would help the Pitt-West Virginia telecast go more smoothly.


However, Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese rejected the request, so Louisville must tackle the same challenge that befell last night’s victim at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.

Read more....

Rutgers Football

No. 15 Rutgers Moves to 8-0 with

24-13 Victory Over Connecticut

PISCATAWAY, N.J.  - No. 15 Rutgers scored on all phases – offense, defense and special teams – en route to a 24-13 victory over Connecticut to continue its best start in 30 years and take over sole possession of first place in the BIG EAST. The Scarlet Knights improve to 8-0 overall and 3-0 in the BIG EAST, while the Huskies drop to 3-5 overall and 0-3 in the league.

Rutgers devised a seven play, 59-yard scoring drive to open the contest, capped by a five-yard run by Heisman candidate Ray Rice (New Rochelle, N.Y.) – his 13th touchdown of the fall.   Quarterback Mike Teel (Oakland, N.J.) completed passes of 23 and 22 yards to James Townsend (Delran, N.J.) and Brian Leonard (Gouverneur, N.Y.), respectively, to highlight the drive. Leonard's reception made him RU's all-time reception leader with 195 for his career.

The Scarlet Knights celebrate Quintero Frierson's touchdown recovery of a blocked punt in the fourth quarter. Photo by Tom Ciszek

The Scarlet Knights' defensive unit put up the next score as a rush by Jamaal Westerman (Brampton, Ontario) forced Huskies quarterback D.J. Hernandez to lose the ball. Manny Collins (Plainfield, N.J.) scooped up the loose ball, scampering 11 yards for the first touchdown of his career as RU surged to a 14-0 advantage with 13:19 showing in the second quarter.

Kicker Jeremy Ito (Redlands, Calif.) drilled a 51-yard field goal through the uprights to push Rutgers ahead, 17-0. The strike was the 46th of Ito's career, tying the Rutgers career mark held by Kennan Startzell (1976-79).

The shutout was broken on the second play of the second half when UConn freshman running back Donald Brown rumbled 65 yards for the Huskies' first score. 

The Huskies went back to work, completing an eight-play 42-yard drive prior to the close of the third quarter. Brown found the endzone for the second time with 13 seconds remaining in the third to pull the visitors to 17-13.

The RU special teams completed the cycle and put some distance on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter. Westerman blocked Chris Pavasaris' punt at the Huskies 20-yard line and linebacker Quintero Frierson (Coral Gables, Fla.) did the rest, recovering the ball in the endzone to give RU its second special teams TD of the season.

Freshman defensive back Devin McCourty (Nanuet, N.Y.) halted any UConn rally, recording his second career interception at the 2:40 mark of the fourth quarter.

The Rutgers defensive unit finished with six sacks on the night, highlighted by Westerman's 2.5. Sophomore DB Courtney Greene (New Rochelle, N.Y.) led the unit with a game-high 11 tackles in the contest.

No. 15 Rutgers will be idle next week before returning to action, Thursday, Nov. 9 against No. 5 Louisville at Rutgers Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

Rutgers rated 15th

AP TOP 25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL

(as of October 30)

1. Ohio St.
2. Michigan
3. West Virginia
4. Texas
5. Louisville
6. Auburn
7. Florida
8. Tennessee
9. Southern Cal
10. California
11. Notre Dame
12. Arkansas
13. LSU
14. Boise St.
15. Rutgers
16. Boston College
17. Wisconsin
18. Oklahoma
19. Clemson
20. Georgia Tech
21. Texas A&M
22. Wake Forest
23. Virginia Tech
24. Oregon
25. Washington St.

Rutgers 8-0

Mistakes sink Huskies

NEILL OSTROUT 

The Connecticut Post

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — The UConn football team may have discovered a running back, settled on a quarterback, and awoken a powerful defense, but none of it was enough to secure a much-needed victory.

Aided by one defensive touchdown and another from its special teams, 15th-ranked Rutgers beat UConn 24-13 before an announced crowd of 41,077 Sunday night at Rutgers Stadium.

UConn's Donald Brown, a redshirt freshman running back from nearby Atlantic Highlands, ran for 199 yards on 28 carries, including a 65-yard touchdown run on the second play of the second half that got UConn on the scoreboard and into high gear.

Brown's rushing total was the most by a UConn back since Chris Bellamy ran for 212 against Kent State on Oct. 18, 2003, and the most by a UConn freshman since Tory Taylor ran for 256 against Boston University on Nov. 4, 1995.

Starting in place of an injured Terry Caulley, who was in uniform but did not play due to an ankle sprain, Brown may have earned himself a great deal more playing time as the season winds down.

"He might be the frontrunner for next week," UConn coach Randy Edsall said, "Not next year."

As expected, D.J. Hernandez replaced Matt Bonislawski as UConn's quarterback and produced mixed results. He was 8-for-17 for 67 yards, with one fumble and an interception with 2:40 left in the game that sealed his team's fate.

UConn (3-5, 0-3) is now 0-9 in its brief Division I-A history against ranked opponents

Rutgers Football team making history

Rutgers Football Team Report
		By FoxSports.com There was a time when playing at home was no big deal for Rutgers. Heck, there was a time -- and not that long ago -- when playing anywhere was no big deal for Rutgers. All that's changed. The Scarlet Knights, who haven't played at home since Sept. 23, are now ranked No. 16 in the country. They're 7-0, and they look to win their eighth straight when struggling Connecticut comes to Piscataway ...
... on Sunday night. Sunday night. A big event. "Our fans have been waiting to have a home game," Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said. "It's a little unusual, we're playing on a Sunday night, but I don't think that's going to much matter. I think it's going to be a pretty exciting place." That's because Piscataway is an exciting place to be these days. The one-time home of the New Jersey Nets has actually become a football paradise

Rutgers 7-0

Rice Helps Rutgers Run Past Pittsburgh 20-10

Scarlet Knights Improve to 7-0

PITTSBURGH (AP) — There's nothing deceptive about a Rutgers offense that gives the ball to Ray Rice on nearly every other play. Trickery isn't a necessity with a runner like him.

Rice's 63-yard run set up his own short touchdown in the fourth quarter immediately after Pittsburgh had closed to within three points, and the No. 19 Scarlet Knights won their first big test of the season by beating the Panthers 20-10 Saturday.

Rice carried 39 times for 225 yards to nearly outgain Pittsburgh by himself and put Rutgers in position to make a major move up the AP poll if it can beat No. 6 Louisville at home on Nov. 9 — as long as it beats Connecticut on Oct. 29. Rutgers (7-0, 2-0) hasn't been unbeaten so deep into a season since 1976, when it was ranked as high as No. 17 but played mostly against Ivy League-type competition.

Sophomore WR Tiquan Underwood (Lawrenceville, N.J.) set a new personal career high for receptions in a game with five for 41 yards against Pittsburgh. (Photo by Charles LeClaire/WireImage.com )

"It feels good," said Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, whose team also has No. 4 West Virginia still to play. "It puts us in position to keep moving forward."

Pitt (6-2, 2-1 Big East) had won four in a row and likely would have made the Top 25 with a victory. But a Panthers offense averaging 37.6 points did almost nothing against a Rutgers defense that was No. 1 nationally in scoring defense and No. 2 in total defense.

The Knights did what they do best: Run the ball, control the clock and get the ball back quickly when they did give it up. They sacked Tyler Palko four times and limited what was the nation's most efficient quarterback — Palko had 17 touchdown passes and three interceptions — to 169 yards passing. Rutgers outgained Pitt 340-236, 268-67 on the ground.

Rutgers has one of the worst passing offenses of any nationally ranked team. With a runner like Rice and a defense like this, it hardly mattered.

"We put ourselves in bad downs and distances, and you can't do that against a good football team," Palko said. "We didn't play well enough to win a big game and they did."

Rice, a sophomore who already has four career 200-yard games, was the difference as the nation's No. 4 rusher went over the 1,000-yard mark for the second time in as many seasons — he now has 1,124 yards. After Pitt had drawn to within 13-10 on Palko's 8-yard pass to Oderick Turner early in the fourth quarter, Rice broke up the middle on the 63-yard run to the Pitt 27 that quickly swung the momentum back to Rutgers.

"That thing, it just parted, it just split and I had a burst and that was it right there," Rice said.