Preseason I thought they would be bottom feeders but that was wrong. They didn't just beat Michigan they also played three very competitive games in Ann Arbor. Combining the scores of all three games has Rutgers winning 11-10. Rutgers only used 7 pitchers in all three games, Michigan only used 11 (two of them pitched in two games).
These games were regular baseball played at a pretty high level. Rutgers won game three 3-2, taking a 3-0 lead into the 7th where Michigan scored 2 runs - 8th and 9th were scoreless. Rutgers closer pitched 1.2 innings, faced 7 batters, gave up 2 hits, walked none, struck out none. Everything else was fly out, groundout. Well earned win for them, tough loss for the Wolves.
In fact, Rutgers has been competitive in every game this year but for one - 1-8 loss to Iowa. They've only been in two runaway games this year winning both - 16-1 v Minnesota, 15-4 v Purdue. They've only lost two series - 1-2 v Penn St and 1-3 v Iowa. Strangely, both at home. Won the OSU series 2-1 at home, Beat Purdue 2-1, NW 2-1 and now Michigan 2-1, all three on the road. They split 1-1 v both Indiana and Minnesota in a pod and split a four gamer at Maryland.
That team is winning on the road and playing competitive baseball everywhere. I don't think they fear any opponent. I never figured on that.
But here's what I think - We're not a fluke, we're for real. We've been fielding a very good baseball team. We're going to win this and look good doing it. And it's going to look good to baseball insiders across the country. We win 2-1.
These games were regular baseball played at a pretty high level. Rutgers won game three 3-2, taking a 3-0 lead into the 7th where Michigan scored 2 runs - 8th and 9th were scoreless. Rutgers closer pitched 1.2 innings, faced 7 batters, gave up 2 hits, walked none, struck out none. Everything else was fly out, groundout. Well earned win for them, tough loss for the Wolves.
In fact, Rutgers has been competitive in every game this year but for one - 1-8 loss to Iowa. They've only been in two runaway games this year winning both - 16-1 v Minnesota, 15-4 v Purdue. They've only lost two series - 1-2 v Penn St and 1-3 v Iowa. Strangely, both at home. Won the OSU series 2-1 at home, Beat Purdue 2-1, NW 2-1 and now Michigan 2-1, all three on the road. They split 1-1 v both Indiana and Minnesota in a pod and split a four gamer at Maryland.
That team is winning on the road and playing competitive baseball everywhere. I don't think they fear any opponent. I never figured on that.
But here's what I think - We're not a fluke, we're for real. We've been fielding a very good baseball team. We're going to win this and look good doing it. And it's going to look good to baseball insiders across the country. We win 2-1.