Men's Baseball: Cyclones vs Rutgers

Beautiful, clear skies with the sun shining bright on the baseball field, as the men’s baseball team prepares for the matchup against Rutgers Newark University. Sophomore Midfield Milan Raparaeli stepped up to the pitching plate as he got his team rolling by forcing the batter to hit a pop-up, which forced an out. He’s at the plate trying to get his strike rhythm going, as Rutgers started off strong with single hits.

Our Cyclones are now up at bat as Rutgers maintains a 3-0 lead. Our Cyclones looked forward to entering the middle of the first inning, starting off strong with consistent hits and having runners on base to even up the score. After a quick first inning, they started off by making contact with the ball, waiting for the right pitch to get the offense going. They didn’t start off the way they wanted, but they remained disciplined on defense, catching fly balls and forcing outs.  

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After a pitching change, junior right-hand pitcher Drew Oppenheim checked in at the plate, looking to seal pitching momentum as our Cyclones are still in the process of finding the hitting rhythm. The Cyclones were on a roll tightening up their defense while still looking to get runs in, with the support of their teammates cheering on the bench and the crowd it was helping them believe in themselves to bounce back after an offensive struggle. Freshman Outfielder Nick Friscia got his team rolling with a single following along with his teammates who matched the intensity, the Cyclones managed to get two runs in to put pressure on their opponents.

The Cyclones were heating up on the bat. Junior Midfield Myles Castillo set the tone for his team to get back into this game, and with his teammates matching the hitting momentum, the game remained close, and the Cyclones were right where they’re supposed to be. With the score being close, the Cyclones were on a hot streak, hitting and getting walks after getting hit with the baseball. They were locked in mentally and showing resilience on the field despite being down.

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The final score was 13-6 as the Cyclones fell short. Even in the face of the unfortunate loss, the team refused to back down and fought back with a competitive effort. The season is just beginning, and the Cyclones will continue playing with heart and resilience, leading into their next matchup.