Old Dominion University’s baseball team will travel to Richmond to face Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in a midweek matchup scheduled for Wednesday, March 4 at 1:30 p.m. The game will take place at The Diamond and will be broadcast on ESPN+. Live statistics will also be available.
This meeting is the first of two games between the Monarchs and the Rams this season. The second game is set for April 28, when Old Dominion (ODU) will host VCU.
Last season, the teams split their two meetings. VCU won the first contest 16-13 after ODU initially overcame an early deficit but could not hold onto its lead following a six-run inning by VCU. In the rematch held in Richmond, ODU secured an 8-2 win in a game shortened due to light failure, with Maverick Stallings hitting a three-run home run in the opening inning. ODU leads the all-time series 94-61.
ODU comes into this matchup with a record of 6-4 after dropping both games against Charlotte last weekend. Saturday’s loss was by a score of 13-0 in seven innings, followed by a narrow 7-6 defeat on Sunday. The team had opportunities late but was unable to tie or take the lead. Weather conditions caused Friday’s originally scheduled game to be canceled.
Statistically, Zach Leite leads ODU with a .421 batting average and ranks second nationally with 22 RBIs and an average of 2.2 RBIs per game. He also leads his team with three home runs and has scored thirteen runs so far this season. Other offensive contributors include Tyler Zedalis (.407), TJ Aiken (.400), Maverick Stallings (.400), Macaddin Dye (.357), and Scotty Young (.316). Aiken leads ODU with fifteen runs scored and eight walks, while also being perfect in stolen base attempts at seven-for-seven.
As a unit, Old Dominion holds a .314 team batting average, ranking them thirty-third among Division I programs, along with a .449 slugging percentage and .415 on-base percentage. They are leading the Sun Belt Conference in doubles per game (2.40), which places them twenty-eighth nationally.
On Wednesday, Ryan Sheehy is set to make his second consecutive start for ODU after earning his first win as a Monarch last week against Norfolk State by pitching two shutout innings.
The Monarchs currently sit at number 268 in the latest RPI rankings.
VCU enters Wednesday’s contest looking to end a five-game losing streak after dropping all three games against Virginia over the past weekend. Their overall record stands at four wins and seven losses this season. Notable performers for VCU include Nate Kirkpatrick (.344 average) who leads his team in RBIs (12), Alec Warden (.357 through limited appearances), Cade Tousa (.308), Michael Petite (11 runs scored), Quinn Maher (nine runs scored), and Trent Adelman who ranks fifth nationally with four sacrifice bunts.
The Rams have shown aggressiveness on bases, successfully stealing twenty times out of twenty-three attempts so far this year. Offensively, they are hitting .232 as a team with ten sacrifice bunts—fourteenth most nationally—and rank twenty-ninth in hit-by-pitch occurrences.
VCU’s pitching staff has combined for an ERA of 6.26 while holding opponents to a .210 batting average; they are ranked twenty-fourth nationally for fewest hits allowed per nine innings (6.95) and second within their conference for strikeouts per nine innings (10.1).
In preseason polls conducted by Atlantic 10 coaches, VCU was picked to finish eighth; Jacob Lee was named Preseason Player of the Year for the league.
Following Wednesday’s matchup against VCU, Old Dominion will return home to host Connecticut over the weekend at Ellmer Family Baseball Complex.
