GAMEDAY returns to the Diamond on a Tuesday evening with the second chapter of VCU versus Old Dominion. The Monarchs won the first round in Norfolk 6-5 scoring twice in the bottom of the ninth.

Diamond Prepped & Ready

Over the weekend, VCU went to war with Fordham and took the A-10 series 2-1 at the Diamond. The Black & Gold had batting contributions from Zac Ching, Liam Hibbits, Brandon Henson fueling VCU to stay atop of the conference standings.

Hibbits went 3-for-3 against the Monarchs including 2 RBIs and a home run. VCU managed a 4-0 advantage in the fifth and simmered down to one run over the last 4 innings. The game changer was in the form of Jack Alkire stepping to the mound for Connor Gillispie. A rough night of pitching for Alkire led to 4 earned runs for Old Dominion.

VCU Baseball is in good spirits for the rematch at the Diamond. Head Coach Shawn Stiffler feels confident that his VCU squad will deliver. Even with Richmond on the horizon, the Rams are not overlooking ODU and craves revenge on their local rival.

Visitors Fueled For A Sweep

After the victory over VCU, Old Dominion overcame extra innings versus UTSA to win their Conference USA series 2-1. The Monarchs fell to the Roadrunners 3-4 in 10 innings to start the series. Old Dominion won a wild Game 2 14-13 in 10 innings and followed that with a 10-6 victory to seal the series.

Leading the Monarchs at bat is Bryce Windham with 44 hits on the year. Windham had 5 at-bats against VCU resulting in a strikeout and no hits during the contest. ODU does have a back-up with 6 players in the bullpen hitting 20 or more RBIs; Andy Garriola and Vinnie Pasquantino co-lead in RBIs with 29.

Old Dominion is 21-14 overall and 5-10 against Conference USA this season.

SHOWTIME!

This series was a 1-1 draw between VCU and Old Dominion last year with the home team victorious. Rams versus Monarchs: Round 2 takes place at the Diamond tonight at 6:30 PM. The game will be available on ESPN+.

Mark Turner

Mark graduated from VCU in 2014 with a major in Criminal Justice and a minor in Psychology. He started as a fan of the Black & Gold in the stands his freshman year. Mark was known as "Kazie" for his charismatic fandom with the VCU's student organization the Rowdy Rams. While at VCU he gained experience in sports media with WVCW on a sports radio show called Rowdy Radio. Following graduation, Mark continued crafting his social media skills with the Richmond Kickers while also handling VCU coverage. He is a true fan of the Rams and vocally passionate on and off camera. After the final whistle, you can probably find him at local RVA bar or brewery enjoying a drink and conversation.