Rutgers Baseball Kicks Off Opening Weekend at Bainton Field vs Bryant
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This weekend, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights step back onto their home diamond at Bainton Field. They will be there to host the Bryant Bulldogs in a three-game series. Especially the one that marks the program’s highly anticipated Opening Weekend.
Rutgers Baseball's Opening Weekend Brings Energy Back to Bainton Field
Rutgers enters the weekend with a 6-5 record and plenty of momentum after a recent stretch. And that includes a victory over Western Carolina and a gritty 5-1 win against Stony Brook in the midweek home opener.
⚾️ OPENING WEEKEND ⚾️
— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) March 5, 2026
A big weekend at Bainton Field as we celebrate opening weekend on the Banks!
Plenty of giveaways all weekend with a special pregame ceremony on Saturday to celebrate our upgraded home field! pic.twitter.com/JQzhRhLRQn
As the Scarlet Knights prepare to welcome Bryant to Piscataway, the atmosphere around Bainton Field feels energized. Opening Weekend at Bainton Field is about more than just baseball. Rutgers has planned a full slate of festivities to celebrate the return of the team and highlight the continued growth of the program.
Before the game begins, the university will host a special pregame ceremony to officially unveil and celebrate the offseason facility upgrades at Bainton Field. Adding to the occasion, Director of Athletics Keli Zinn will throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Saturday. The moment symbolizes the program’s forward momentum while also welcoming fans back to what many are calling the "New Bainton."
For Rutgers supporters, the weekend offers a chance to reconnect with a team that has steadily built a winning culture under head coach Steve Owens. Now entering his seventh season leading the Scarlet Knights, Owens has guided the program to four consecutive winning seasons.
Rutgers enters the 2026 season with a roster that blends returning experience with a wave of new talent. The Scarlet Knights are carrying a 39-man roster that includes 15 returning players and 24 newcomers. Among the new additions are 11 true freshmen and 13 transfers who bring immediate impact potential.
According to 64Analytics, Rutgers secured the top transfer portal class in the Big Ten. The group includes 13 incoming players, consisting of five pitchers and eight position players. Two of the most notable transfers are infielder Charlie Meglio and outfielder Chase Krewson.
The 2026 recruiting class is the highest-ranked class in program history, highlighted by 11 true freshmen who are eager to make their mark on the Banks.
Pitching Rotation and Veteran Core Set the Foundation
Behind the plate is catcher Matt Chatelle, who brings a wealth of experience with 129 games played during his collegiate career. At shortstop, Yomar Carreras has emerged as one of the most intriguing prospects in the conference. D1Baseball ranks Carreras as the No. 9 MLB Draft prospect in the Big Ten for 2027.
In center field, Peyton Bonds provides leadership and athleticism. Bonds has been named a Big Ten Player to Watch and is also ranked as the No. 9 conference prospect for the 2026 MLB Draft.
Experience is spread throughout the lineup as well. Catchers Matt Chatelle and Trey Wells combine for 243 games of collegiate experience. On the infield, transfers Ryan Jaros, Charlie Meglio, and Quinten Perilli bring another 288 games of experience to the roster. The outfield also features experienced contributors in Chase Krewson and Tristan Salinas.
On the mound, pitching coach Ryan Fecteau has set the starting rotation for the Bryant series with three right-handed starters. Dallin Harrison will open the weekend after transferring from San Diego and impressing during fall workouts and preseason preparation.
Zack Konstantinovsky returns to the rotation after missing the 2025 season due to injury. His early performance in 2026 has been strong, posting a 2.20 ERA with 19 strikeouts and just six walks over 16.1 innings.
True freshman Chris Sand rounds out the rotation and has already started the previous two Sunday games. His most recent outing came against Troy, where he pitched three innings and allowed just one run on a solo home run while recording a strikeout without issuing a walk.
The Scarlet Knights are one of only six programs nationally to maintain a .976 fielding percentage in each of the last four seasons, joining Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Oregon, and Vanderbilt. Danny DiGeorgio in 2022 and Josh Kuroda-Grauer in 2024 both earned All-American honors. And even were finalists for the Brooks Wallace Award, given annually to the nation’s top shortstop.
The Scarlet Knights are the only Big Ten program to produce a top-three-round MLB Draft pick in each of the past three years. Trevor Cohen was selected in the third round by the San Francisco Giants in 2025. Josh Kuroda-Grauer went in the third round to the Oakland Athletics in 2024, and Ryan Lasko was a second-round pick by the Athletics in 2023.
Since 2021, sixteen Rutgers players have either been drafted or signed with Major League Baseball organizations.
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Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.