PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers baseball opens up Big Ten play this weekend with a three-game series against Iowa at Bainton Field.

The Scarlet Knights (5-7) won their midweek matchup against Delaware on Tuesday to rebound after being swept last weekend at Coastal Carolina. 

The Hawkeyes (5-6) won their home opener on Monday against DIII Loras College and dropped three-of-four last weekend against Washington State in Texas. 

All three games this weekend will be streamed on B1G+ with Dom Savino and Steven Cusumano on the call. Fans can also follow along on X (@RutgersBaseball) for live updates. Live stats will be available here.

Series History
Rutgers is 9-16 all-time against Iowa, including a 7-12 mark in Big Ten play. Last season, the Hawkeyes swept the Scarlet Knights in a three-game series in Iowa City.

The 2025 Scarlet Knights  

• The 2025 roster features a total of 38 players, with 11 returners and 27 newcomers.
• Of the 27 newcomers, 13 are true freshmen, 12 are four-year transfers and 2 are junior college transfers.
• Head Coach Steve Owens enters his sixth season at the helm of the program and has accumulated three consecutive winnings season with RU. 
• Mike McRae joins the program as pitching coach after three years as the head coach at William & Mary, where he posted three straight winning seasons and three straight CAA Tournament berths.

Early Conference Play

• This weekend will mark the earliest conference series Rutgers has ever played in a traditional schedule.
• In the COVID-shortened, conference-only 2021 season, RU began the year with a Big Ten game against Indiana on March 5 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. This weekend will mark the earliest outdoor conference game in program history.

• The Rutgers offense leads the Big Ten and is 10th in the country with 2.75 doubles per game (33 total).
• The Rutgers defense is third in the Big Ten with 10 double plays turned this season.

Tough Outs

• Rutgers has the fewest strikeouts in the Big Ten with just 66 this season, which is the fourth-fewest among power-4 programs. 
• JT Thompson (5.8%) and Trevor Cohen (7.0%) are fourth and fifth in the Big Ten in strikeout percentage.

Going Streaking 

• Peyton Bonds has been on base in all 12 games this season and is riding an eight-game hitting streak heading into the weekend.
• JT Thompson has been on base in each of the last 10 games.
• JD Jones has been on base in all seven games he has played in this season.

Young Guns 

• 44 of the team's 97.1 innings pitched (45.2%) have come from freshmen. This includes the top two arms in Landon Mack (11.1 IP) and Justin Shadek (10.0 IP).
• 81.2 of 97.1 (83.9%) innings have come from players who did not pitch for Rutgers last season.
• Additionally, RU's leader in home runs (2) and RBIs (15) is freshman Nick Tomasetto.

Nicky Nukes

• Nick Tomasetto had a breakout game last week against St. Joe's, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and seven RBIs. He became the first Scarlet Knight to have seven RBIs in a game since Carmen Sclafani against Wagner in 2019.
• His 15 RBIs lead the team and his two home runs tie Ty Doucette for the team lead.

• In total, 22 players have made their Rutgers debuts in the first two weeks of 2025
  • INF Jan Avila, RHP Quinn Berglin, OF Peyton Bonds, INF Yomar Carreras, C Matt Chatelle, RHP Luke Fithian, RHP Zach Gleason, RHP/INF Connor Grotyohann, LHP Hunter Hoxie, OF Brennan Hyde, LHP Cameron Johnson, RHP Jack Kirchner, RHP Landon Mack, RHP Nolan Peel, LHP Preston Prince, RHP Andrew Rondini, RHP Dillon Ryan, RHP Justin Shadek, OF Jack Sweeney, INF JT Thompson, RHP Mike Timberlake and INF Nick Tomasetto
• Additionally, 11 freshmen have made their collegiate debuts this season 
  • INF Yomar Carreras, RHP Luke Fithian, LHP Hunter Hoxie, LHP Cameron Johnson, RHP Jack Kirchner, RHP Landon Mack, RHP Nolan Peel, RHP Andrew Rondini, RHP Justin Shadek, OF Jack Sweeney and INF Nick Tomasetto