NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Coming off its second straight season of more than 40 victories, Old Dominion looks to put together a 2023 campaign that gets them back to the NCAA Tournament.
It all starts Friday when the Monarchs open their season against St. John's at Bud Metheny Baseball Stadium.
Chris Finwood and company put together a 41-17 campaign last season, the program's second consecutive season of 40-plus victories. The Monarchs were one of the first four left out of the NCAA Tournament. 2023 sees them predicted to finish seventh in the Sun Belt preseason poll, looking to replace their top five hitters and top five home run leaders.
Pitcher Blake Morgan headlines a talented staff. He's coming off Conference USA Freshman of the Year accolades in 2022, did not pick up any recognition in the preseason awards. Morgan was 8-0 with a 1.69 ERA last season in 16 appearances, 13 of them starts. He struck out 66 batters while walking just eight. His ERA was good enough to rank sixth in the country.
Josh Trujillo is the top returning hitter for ODU. He hit .299 in 2022 and stole 14 bases. Thomas Wheeler is the returning home run leader after clubbing 10 round-trippers a season ago. He also led the Monarchs with 20 stolen bases.
After a delay due to rain, Old Dominion and St. John's will take the field at 6:00 PM on Friday. They'll follow that up with a 2:00 showdown on Saturday and close out the series at noon on Sunday.
