Matt McAleer...two RBIs in the Raptors' 7-4 loss
#11/11 Kean baseball beats Scarlet Raptors in NJAC action
CAMDEN, N.J. (April 24, 2026) – In the jockeying for playoff positions in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, the Rutgers University-Camden baseball team needed a win over Kean University here Friday to have a chance of hosting a first-round NJAC playoff game on Tuesday.
The Cougars spoiled that chance with a 7-4 victory and now own all tie-breakers on the chance that both teams end up with 10-8 conference records for fourth place.
Kean, ranked 11th nationally in both the D3baseball.com and NCAA Division III Baseball Coaches polls, improved to 27-10-1 overall and 10-6 in the conference heading into its final two regular-season games at The College of New Jersey this weekend.
Rutgers-Camden fell to 16-21 overall and 8-8 in conference play. The Scarlet Raptors host New Jersey City University on Sunday in an 11:30 a.m. doubleheader that was moved to Camden due to field conditions at NJCU. The Gothic Knights will bat as the home team.
Kean scored a first-inning run off Raptor junior starter
D.J. Juliano, but the Scarlet Raptors bounced back with three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Junior center fielder
Jacob Watson led off the inning and was hit by a pitch for the 19th time this year, taking the lead by one HBP over sophomore right fielder
Gavin McCaffrey for the program's single-season record. Sophomore shortstop
Chris Smith singled to shortstop and sophomore first baseman
Ryan Joseph singled home the tying run. Sophomore third baseman
Michael McGinley dropped down a perfect bunt single to load the bases. The Raptors took the lead when Smith scored on a double play ball and junior left fielder
Matt McAleer singled home Joseph with the third run of the frame.
Rutgers-Camden maintained that 3-1 lead until the sixth inning, which saw Kean score four times on five hits and a hit batsman. Junior left fielder JT Abrusci had a two-run single in the frame to tie the game at 3-3 and junior first baseman Dan Reistle put the Cougars ahead to stay with a two-run double.
In the top of the seventh, Kean loaded the bases with nobody out, threatening to break open the game. Senior southpaw
Dylan Oliver entered the game and wriggled out of the jam with a force out at the plate, a strikeout and a grounder to first base.
Rutgers-Camden bounced right back with a run in the bottom of the frame when McGinley hit a leadoff double, was sacrificed to third by senior catcher
Evan Carbone and scored on a ground out by McAleer. That cut the gap to 5-4, but Kean scored its final two runs in the eighth inning on three hits, including a solo home run by junior shortstop Dominic Masino.
Kean senior Christian Pareja ((4-1) hurled a complete game, allowing seven hits, one walk and four earned runs. He struck out three.
Juliano (3-4) took the loss, working 5.1 innings and allowing 10 hits and five earned runs. He struck out two.
Senior center fielder Tyler Stone went 4-for-4 to lead Kean's 16-hit attack, while fifth-year designated hitter Cole McGourty went 3-for-4 with two RBIs.
McGinley went 2-for-4 with one run for the Raptors, while McAleer had one hit and two RBIs.
