Rutgers Baseball Opens 2026 Season with Four-Game Series at College of Charleston
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Opening weekend is finally here, and Rutgers baseball is heading south to kick off the 2026 season with a four-game series at the College of Charleston. New year, new roster, new energy. The Scarlet Knights are not easing into anything. They are diving straight into competition with a group built on experience, high-level transfers, and the top-ranked recruiting class in program history.
A New-Look Roster Packed with Talent
The 2026 roster features 39 players, including 15 returners and 24 newcomers. Among those newcomers are 11 true freshmen and 13 transfers, made up of five pitchers and eight position players.
Next stop: Charleston 🛫
— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) February 12, 2026
Ready to open the 2026 campaign!
🔗 https://t.co/3PcxPvNujM pic.twitter.com/B7v9R1kDks
Rutgers secured the top transfer portal class in the Big Ten, according to 64Analytics. Among the incoming transfers, infielder Charlie Meglio and outfielder Chase Krewson were both named Big Ten Players to Watch. The Scarlet Knights also welcome the top-ranked recruiting class in program history.
The coaching staff saw a boost as well. Head coach Steve Owens added associate head coach and pitching specialist Ryan Fecteau following an eight-year stint at Virginia Tech baseball. Former major leaguer Frank Schwindel joins the staff as director of player personnel. Experience is everywhere you look.
One of the biggest advantages for Rutgers heading into the 2026 season is continuity up the middle. The Scarlet Knights return all three starters in center field, shortstop, and catcher.
Center fielder Peyton Bonds was named a Big Ten Player to Watch after hitting .300 in 2025. He blasted five home runs, drove in 40 runs, smacked 10 doubles, stole 16 bases, and scored 49 runs while playing in all 57 games. He was also ranked the No. 9 2026 MLB Draft Prospect in the conference by D1Baseball.
At shortstop, Yomar Carreras is ranked the No. 9 2027 MLB Draft Prospect in the Big Ten by D1Baseball. Behind the plate, Matt Chatelle brings serious experience. He has appeared in 129 collegiate games, providing leadership and stability for the pitching staff. His presence in the infield continues the program’s tradition of elite shortstop play.
That trio alone gives Rutgers a strong backbone heading into the season opener. Opening weekend pitching assignments matter. Rutgers will roll out a diverse rotation to begin the season, anchored by left-hander Joe Mazza, right-hander Zack Konstantinovsky, and right-hander Dallin Harrison.
Joe Mazza enters his fifth season with 70 career appearances and 100 innings pitched. He posted a 3.86 ERA in seven appearances in 2025 before suffering a season-ending injury. Now healthy, he brings veteran presence and proven production to the mound.
Zack Konstantinovsky returns after missing 2025 due to injury. As a true freshman in 2024, he started the first eight weekends and recorded 37 strikeouts in 34 innings with a 5.29 ERA. Dallin Harrison, a transfer from San Diego Toreros baseball, pitched in 24 games with four starts in 2025. He posted a 4.78 ERA across 37.2 innings and adds valuable depth and flexibility to the staff.
Let's Now Look at the Lineup Depth and Veteran Experience
Rutgers projects to field one of its most experienced lineups in recent memory. Behind the plate, Chatelle and Trey Wells combine for 243 collegiate appearances, with Wells bringing 114 games of experience. That kind of familiarity with college pitching is invaluable.
In the infield, transfers Ryan Jaros, Charlie Meglio, and Quinten Perilli bring a combined 288 games of collegiate experience. Meglio was especially productive at Campbell, blasting 21 home runs, 21 doubles, driving in 69 runs, and scoring 78 runs in two seasons.
In the outfield, Chase Krewson and Tristan Salinas provide additional veteran presence. Krewson owns a career .304 batting average and a .804 OPS across stops at UCF and Duke. Experience is not just sprinkled across this roster. It is embedded in it.
The Scarlet Knights are one of only six programs nationally, joining Alabama Crimson Tide baseball, Arkansas Razorbacks baseball, Auburn Tigers baseball, Oregon Ducks baseball, and Vanderbilt Commodores baseball, to post a .976 fielding percentage or better in each of the last four seasons.
During that stretch, shortstops Danny DiGeorgio in 2022 and Josh Kuroda-Grauer in 2024 earned All-America honors and were finalists for the Brooks Wallace Award. Rutgers is also the only Big Ten program to produce a top-three-round MLB Draft pick in each of the last three seasons.
In 2025, Trevor Cohen was selected in Round 3 by the Giants. In 2024, Josh Kuroda-Grauer went in Round 3 to the Athletics. In 2023, Ryan Lasko was drafted in Round 2 by the Athletics. Since 2021, 16 Scarlet Knights have either been drafted or signed with MLB 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.