University of Delaware Athletics
University of Delaware Baseball Travels to Rutgers for Final Mid-Week Game of the Season
5/1/2013 7:05:00 PM | Baseball
The Blue Hens are in the midst of a two-game losing skid and have lost six of their last seven games as Delaware now sits in fourth place in the Colonial Athletic Association with a 12-9 record. Rutgers has lost four-straight games and is fifth in the Big East Conference with an 8-7 league mark.
Delaware looks to avenge an earlier loss to Rutgers when the Blue Hens fell to the Scarlet Knights, 4-2, on April 23, in Newark.
Blue Hen right-hander Dan Gatto (3-2, 3.75 earned-run average) will make his seventh start of the season while the Scarlet Knights will go with righty Slater McCue (0-1, 10.80 ERA).
UD's offense is nationally renowned as the Blue Hens rank in the Top 10 in the country in five different offensive categories. The Blue Hens rank fourth in the country with a .322 batting average in addition to being fifth in the nation in slugging percentage (.471), doubles (104) and doubles per game (2.42). With 499 hits, UD is also eighth in the NCAA through 43 games.
Jimmy Yezzo's footprint is stamped throughout the NCAA's Top 10 list in eight offensive categories. The junior first baseman is first in the country in batting average (.448), hits (82), total bases (144) in addition to being tied for first in doubles (22). He rounds out the NCAA Top 10 while he ranks third in RBI per game (1.35), fourth in slugging percentage (.787), sixth in RBI (58) and tied for eighth in home runs (12).
Delaware's pitching staff is fourth in the CAA with a 4.15 team-ERA through 43 games this season. Reliever Jake Clark has made eight-straight scoreless relief appearances for the Blue Hens and leads the UD bullpen with a 0.87 ERA with eight strikeouts in 10.1 innings pitched.
Rutgers ranks sixth in the Big East with a .269 batting average. Vinny Zarillo leads the Scarlet Knights with a .337 batting average while Charlie Law paces the squad with 32 RBI. Catcher Jeff Melillo was recently selected on the watch list for the Johnny Bench Award for the nation's top catcher.
RU's pitching staff sits ninth in the Big East with a 4.70 ERA through 43 games. The relief duo of Rob Coris (6) and Nathaniel Roe (3) have nine of the Scarlet Knights' 10 saves on the season.
Delaware will continue its non-conference week on Friday, May 3, at 3:00 p.m. at Bob Hannah Stadium as the Blue Hens host La Salle University for a three-game weekend series against the Explorers. Friday and Saturday's contests will be in Newark while Sunday's finale will be played at 1:00 p.m. at La Salle's Hank DeVincent Field.
