SEWELL, N.J. (April 25, 2019) – With the New Jersey Athletic Conference season racing down to its final few games before the playoffs, the Rutgers University-Camden desperately needed to make a statement to remain in post-season contention.
The Scarlet Raptors did that in record-setting fashion here Thursday in a game played at Rowan College at Gloucester County.
Rutgers-Camden ripped three home runs and senior ace
Ian Scheidemann won his 18th career game to tie the program's all-time record as the Scarlet Raptors defeated nationally-ranked The College of New Jersey, 8-5. The win was the 162nd for seventh-year Head Coach
Dennis Barth, allowing him to tie the program's all-time record for coaching wins set by Keith Williams (1999-2007).
The victory lifts Rutgers-Camden to 17-18 overall and 8-7 in the NJAC. The Scarlet Raptors stand in fifth place in the conference with three games remaining, one game ahead of William Paterson University and two ahead of Rutgers-Newark. The top six teams in the conference standings qualify for the NJAC playoffs.
TCNJ, ranked No. 5 in this week's American Baseball Coaches Association/
Collegiate Baseball Division III poll and No. 8 in the
D3baseball.com Top 25 poll, falls to 25-8 overall. The Lions are now 11-4 in the NJAC, dropping from a co-leader at the start of the day to a tie for third place with Ramapo College. Kean and Rowan now hold down the top two NJAC spots with conference marks of 13-3 and 12-3, respectively.
Scheidemann worked seven innings, scattering 12 hits without walking a batter. He allowed two earned runs and struck out one as he raised his second record to 6-2. His 18th career win at Rutgers-Camden tied Matt Ulmer's mark, set from 2002-05.
Barth, meanwhile, raised his coaching record to 162-120-1 with the Raptors to tie Williams, who posted a 162-163-1 record during his nine seasons at Rutgers-Camden.
The Scarlet Raptors and Lions were tied at 2-2 through two innings, aided by a solo home run from junior shortstop
Nolan Gerold in the second inning. Rutgers-Camden took the lead for good in the bottom of the third. Senior first baseman
Chris Jones, the program's all-time hit leader, singled and advanced to second on a balk. He scored moments later on a two-run home run to left field by junior designated hitter
Matt Yanick.
The Raptors struck for three more runs in the fourth inning, sparked by two-out walks to junior catcher
Tyler Travis and sophomore left fielder
R.J. Concepcion. Jones followed with a three-run home run to left field.
Rutgers-Camden added its final run in the fifth inning on singles by junior second baseman
John Guccione and sophomore right fielder
Billy Eisler, setting up a RBI single by Travis.
TCNJ tacked on its final three runs in the ninth inning to cut the final gap to 8-5.
Jones went 3-for-4 with two runs and four RBIs, while Travis and Yanick both added two hits for the Scarlet Raptors.
Rutgers-Camden visits TCNJ Friday at 3:30 p.m. to complete the home-and-home NJAC series. The Scarlet Raptors close the regular season on Saturday when they host Ramapo College in a NJAC doubleheader beginning at 11:30 a.m. at Rowan University.
