PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers baseball begins a new era in 2015 with the move to the Big Ten Conference. A young team with just three seniors on the roster, the Scarlet Knights will look to continue momentum gained late last season that culminated with 11 wins in the final 14 games. RU went 30-25 overall and 14-9 in the American Athletic Conference to tie for third place in the standings.

"Preseason practice has been going pretty good and we look forward to getting started," head coach Joe Litterio said. "We have been focusing on the fundamentals and making sure everyone is on the same page. Our goal is to take it one game at a time and win series. I am excited about our team."



RU returns 22 players who saw action in games last season, while adding nine freshmen. The roster also includes three transfers who are eligible to compete this year. Rutgers lost four starters to graduation: Lou Clemente, Brian O'Grady (eighth round pick by the Cincinnati Reds), Nick Favatella and Pat Sweeney. Thirty-two of the 35 on the roster this year hail from New Jersey. Click here to view the roster.

"I think we are going to be very similar to last year in our style of play," Litterio said. "We will have a little more experience now with all those young kids playing last year now being sophomores. I think that is going to help us out in terms of being a little more confident. The pitching staff is deep, which you need with the amount of games we play."

Litterio, who was promoted to head coach Feb. 20, 2014, is in his second season at the helm of the Scarlet Knights and 14th as a leader at the collegiate level. He returns assistants Tim Reilly and Casey Gaynor, while Glen Gardner is set for his 25th season on staff as the director of baseball operations. Clemente was hired as the volunteer assistant, as the entire staff are alums of the program and played for former head coach Fred Hill.

SCHEDULE
Rutgers will be in its third conference in the last three seasons, but now has a permanent home in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights will play four home (Ohio State, Minnesota, Michigan State, Iowa) and four away (Purdue, Indiana, Penn State, Illinois) series in a league that includes 13 teams. The 2015 Big Ten Championships will feature the top eight teams based on the regular season standings at Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins, from May 20-24.

"The Big Ten is going to be tough," Litterio said. "You look at the success teams like Nebraska, Purdue, Indiana and Maryland have had in recent years. It is a physical league from what I have been told, much more physical that we are used to. That is all going to be a learning experience and we will have to adjust quickly. I know we are going to have to play well to win."

The early non-conference schedule will be challenging as in years past, with the first five weekends on the road before opening the Big Ten slate at Purdue. The season opens in South Florida for the seventh consecutive year at No. 9 Miami, a four-game series. RU will also travel to a top-25 opponent in Tennessee, a 2014 NCAA qualifier in Old Dominion and a competitive Florida Atlantic squad early on.

"I like to play the toughest opponents that we can find. That is the goal." Litterio said of setting up the non-conference schedule. "We have to get out of the snow early, obviously, and there is no better place to open up than in Miami in the sunshine. We like to go out and try and play the best guys we can to prepare for the conference."

Rutgers is currently scheduled for 18 games at Bainton Field in 2015. The Scarlet Knights won their final 13 games at home last season, holding the second-longest active home winning streak in the nation. The team went 19-4 in home games overall in 2014, including three conference sweeps.

"Holding home field is important to me," Litterio said. "I'm hoping that it rubs off on the team and how important it is to have the opponent feel uncomfortable here. It is our field so we don't want them to go home happy. Every year is different but hopefully we can continue that."

Click here to view the entire 56-game schedule.

PITCHING
After entering last season with zero returning weekend starting innings, the Scarlet Knights begin 2015 with all starters back. Overall, the staff lost just 28 innings of work. Rutgers started a freshman pitcher 41 times in 2014 and freshmen accounted for 69 percent of innings pitched (331.1) overall.

"Our staff is young, but shows promise," Litterio said. "Many of them were thrown into the fire last season and return with experience now. There are at least six guys who can start a conference game. Plus we now have options out of the bullpen to keep everyone fresh and at the top of their game. It is important to have depth."

Junior captain Howie Brey (Middletown, N.J.), an all-conference pick in 2014, returns as a Friday starter. He led the Scarlet Knights with a 2.36 ERA in 13 games as a sophomore, totaling a team-high 76.1 innings. The left-hander allowed two earned runs or less in eight of 11 starts and held opposing batters to a .204 average, third-lowest in the league. Fellow junior lefty Mark McCoy (Barnegat, N.J.) is expected to follow in the rotation after transferring from Wake Forest. He was selected in the 2012 MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. The American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year and a Freshman All-American, sophomore Gaby Rosa (Perth Amboy, N.J.) is projected to serve as the starting second baseman in addition to working on the mound. The right-hander did not allow an earned run in five of his 11 starts in 2014, totaling a 2.91 ERA. Rosa, who joined the rotation in week four and totaled 74.1 innings, led the league with 15.01 fly outs recorded per game.

Rutgers also brings back three other sophomore pitchers who combined to make 29 starts a year ago. Kyle Driscoll (Toms River, N.J.) led the team with 58 strikeouts (9.73 per nine innings) in his rookie season and permitted just 32 hits over 53.2 innings for a .175 average against. The right-hander ended the year not allowing more than an earned run in his last seven appearances. Kevin Baxter (Waterford, N.J.) won each of his final four regular season starts, logging the third-most innings on the staff (68.2) after missing the previous year due to Tommy John surgery. Also in the mix, Ryan Fleming (Churchville, Pa.) worked 46 innings as freshman with 10 starts. The lefty finished the year with five innings of relief, allowing no earned runs in the conference playoffs.

The veteran of the bullpen, senior Jon Young (Old Bridge, N.J.) returns to the closer role after posting nine saves a year ago. He worked to a 2.25 ERA in conference play, including a 6.2-inning scoreless outing of the bullpen in a 14-inning win versus Temple. Redshirt sophomore left-hander Max Herrmann (Rutherford, N.J.) led the team with 22 appearances a freshman, earning a 3-0 record with four saves. He totaled 42 innings and struck out 30 hitters. David Yakopec (Pittsburgh, Pa.), who sat out last season after transferring from Pittsburgh and is a redshirt junior, is expected to also contribute from the left side. Adding depth, sophomore Colin Bohnert (West Caldwell, N.J.) made strides in the offseason after leading all true freshmen on the team with 16 appearances and junior Reed Shuttle (Lansdale, Pa.) showed increased velocity and command in the fall. Freshmen John O'Reilly (Northvale, N.J.) and Ryan Wares (Howell, N.J.) are also expected to compete for innings this season.

CATCHER
After converting to the position from the infield, junior R.J. Devish (Beachwood, N.J.) bring back a full year of experience as the starting catcher. He finished the season hitting .480 in the month of May and was particularly effective at home, batting .371 at Bainton Field for the season. Sophomore Chris Folinusz (Cranford, N.J.) is expected to serve as the backup. He showed flashes as a freshman, picking up nine hits in 30 at bats.

"R.J. did a great job last year for us," Litterio said. "I think you can expect a little more from him this year on the offensive side. Changing positions to catcher takes a toll on the body and it hurts you with hitting. I believe he is adjusted now. Chris is the backup and is going to log some games early to pick up more experience. We need multiple catchers who can do the job with the schedule we have."

INFIELD
The infield will look different this season with the departures of O'Grady (1B), Favatella (2B) and Sweeney (SS). Fifth-year senior Joe D'Annunzio (Scotch Plains, N.J.), who saw some action in the infield last year, takes over as the starting first baseman. He brings 123 games of collegiate experience, having also served as an outfielder and the designated hitter in the past. Rosa will attempt to be a dual player for the first time in his career as the starting second baseman. Known for his athleticism, he had just 10 at bats last season. After starting 47 games at third base in his rookie season, sophomore Christian Campbell (Sayreville, N.J.) moves back to his natural spot at shortstop. He was named MVP of the Rutgers Fall World Series and ended 2014 with a hit in 15 of the last 17 games. Freshman Milo Freeman (Millburn, N.J.) showed potential in the fall and is expected as the backup at shortstop. Chris Suseck (Flemington, N.J.) is projected to slide in at third base after sitting out last year following a transfer from Coastal Carolina. Known as a high energy player, he can also play first base and has two years of eligibility remaining. A captain, junior John Jennings (Berkeley Heights, N.J.) will serve as a utility infielder, as he is capable of playing all four spots.

"We shuffled things around in the infield, but this group is very talented," Litterio said. "Christian is ready to take charge at shortstop and is someone who can run the infield. It is difficult to be a starting infielder and pitcher, but we think Gaby can do it. It will be a matter of him holding up and we will be evaluating that throughout the season. Then at third, Chris brings solid defense and can swing it, while Joe is someone who had a great fall and has transitioned nicely to first base. Then you have Jennings, who is a guy who can do it all. We are confident he can play all four positions."

OUTFIELD
Rutgers returns the same starting outfield as last season with senior Vinny Zarrillo (Forked River, N.J.) in left, sophomore Mike Carter (Bloomfield, N.J.) in center and sophomore Tom Marcinczyk (Middlesex, N.J.) in right. A captain, Zarrillo is the most experienced player on the roster with 153 games of collegiate action. He earned a spot on the all-tournament team in the conference playoffs after hitting 8-for-12 (.667) with five RBIs over three games. The 2013 Big East batting champion at .407, he led the Scarlet Knights with 43 RBIs by hitting .437 with runners in scoring position and was an all-conference pick last year. Carter earned the starting spot from opening day and improved throughout his rookie season to earn Freshman All-America and all-conference status. The leadoff hitter led all freshmen in the conference with a .318 average and tied the team lead with 67 hits. In addition, Carter had two hitting streaks of at least 10 games and made just one error in 152 chances in the outfield. Marcinczyk displayed potential with 46 games played last year. He had 11 multiple-hit games and recorded six outfield assists, including five to home plate. D'Annunzio is able to move back to the outfield if a fourth is needed.

"This is a solid bunch and should be one of our strengths," Litterio said. "Vinny is a middle-of-the-lineup guy and a senior for us with lots of experience. He is someone who can lead us offensively. Carter continued to get better during his freshman year and I expect a lot of him this year. He will be in the leadoff spot again and can really run it down in center. Then there is Tommy, who played a lot last year and should be much improved now that he is a sophomore. He is someone who can provide us with some power numbers."

OVERVIEW
Rutgers enters 2015 with a young, but talented roster that will rely mainly on contributions from underclassmen. The offense looks to play an aggressive style, taking extra bases, stealing and moving runners up through various means, while the pitchers look to focus on pounding the strike zone and using the defense.

"There is definitely excitement and optimism around the program, Litterio said. "I see a more confident team than I saw last year. These guys have now played together and know what to expect. It is now time to show it on the field."

In the classroom, Litterio cites the goal of achieving a 3.2 team GPA this spring.

"This is a tough time of the year academically with travel, but our guys are capable of handling it, "Litterio said. "We pulled off a 3.177 GPA in the fall and I told the team we are striving to raise it up to a 3.2 this semester."

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