BOUNCE BACK WEEKEND

• For the second season in a row, Johns Hopkins opened the year with a 0-2 record. In 2020, the Blue Jays  finished the year on a 9-1 run. The Blue Jays will look to go on a similar run with 12 contests remaining in the 2021 conference-only season. 

LAST WEEK IN REVIEW

• The Blue Jays took the early lead in Game 1 of Sunday's DH with the Franklin & Marshall Diplomats. However, the Jays couldn't tack onto the 1-0 lead, ultimately giving up a pair of runs to the Diplomats in the bottom of the eighth inning to drop the game, 2-1. Dai Dai Otaka opened Game 1 with a leadoff walk, later  scoring on an RBI groundout from fellow graduate transfer Barrett Smith. The Jays got a strong performance from piggybacking sophomores Jack McRae and Kieren Collins, who pitched six shutout innings for JHU. 

• In Game 2, the Diplomats jumped ahead early, scoring two on a bases-loaded single in the 2nd inning. F&M was able to cross the plate four more times in the 5th to break the game open, coming away with a 7-0 victory over the Jays.

• Sweeping the Blue Jays is an unlikely feat, especially in conference play. Just how rare is it? Johns Hopkins has been swept in a Centennial Conference doubleheader only 11 times since the conference began sponsoring play in 1993. 

RUNNING WITH THE RED DEVILS

• The last time these two teams met, the Blue Jays swept the Red Devils in a high-scoring doubleheader at Babb Field in 2019. Hopkins defeated Dickinson 16-14 in Game 1 of the DH. Trailing 14-12, Chris Festa tied the contest at 14-14 with a two-run single scoring Tim Kutcher and Mark Lopez. With the game tied in the bottom of the seventh innning, Kutcher scored Bradley Parsons on a sacrifice fly to give JHU the lead. The Blue Jays tacked on an insurance run later in the inning when Mike Eberle added an RBI single. Nate Davis homered twice and Chris DeGiacomo homered for the Blue Jays in the win. Josh Hejka threw four scoreless innnigs to earn the win. 

• The scoring didn't slow down in Game 2 as the Blue Jays raced out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning on Nate Davis' third home run of the day. Trailing 10-9 in the eighth inning, Festa came up big again, this time hammering a solo shot to tie the game at 10-10. The Jays proceeded to load up the bases later in the inning, allowing Matthew Ritchie to draw a bases-loaded walk to give JHU the lead in an 11-10 victory. Jack Bunting earned the win in relief while Hejka came in again to shut the door, earning the save with his fifth scoreless inning of the day.

THE 2021 SEASON

• The 2021 Johns Hopkins Baseball season will be a 14-game conference-only slate. With Swarthmore & Haverford opting out, there will be eight teams participating in the 2021 Centennial season. Each team will play seven doubleheaders against Centennial opposition. Each doubleheader is originally scheduled for Saturday afternoon with the ability to move to Sunday or mid-week with weather issues. The Blue Jays will hit the road four times and host three doubleheaders this season. At this time, fans will not be permitted to Centennial events. 

2020 IN REVIEW

• The Blue Jays finished the truncated season with a 9-3 record in 2020. After an opening weekend sweep at the hands of St. John Fisher, the Jays won nine of their final 10 games, including seven straight to end the year. 

• Hopkins bounced back from an 0-2 start, defeating Arcadia & Gwynedd Mercy to improve to 2-2. The Jays scored 23 runs in the two games after crossing the plate just nine times in the first two contests. 

• After a hard fought 2-1 loss to Marietta, the Jays responded with a 7-2 victory over seventh-ranked SUNY Cortland & a 4-3 walkoff win over Roanoke in the Baltimore Classic. 

• A 9-6 midweek victory over PSU Harrisburg led into three games in three days for JHU and the Jays responded, shutting out Stevens, 7-0, knocking off #9 Salisbury, 10-4, and defeating Messiah, 14-4. 

• JHU hopped on a plane to Florida, expecting to play more than 10 games in the Gene Cusic Classic, but were forced to return home after a 6-1 win over Plymouth State due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

CAPTAINS OF THE SHIP

• With the departure of key players, and 2020 captains, Mike Eberle and Chris Festa, the Jays have announced a quartet of captains for the 2021 season. Matthew Ritchie, Mark Lopez, Jonah Offman & Brian Linton will act as the team captains for the Blue Jays this season. 

RIDICULOUS RITCHIE

• After a breakout 2020 season, senior Matthew Ritchie is expected to lead the Blue Jay offense and defense from the keystone. One of the more experienced Blue Jay returnees, Ritchie has made 59 starts, hitting .265/.437/.400. An on-base machine, Ritchie posted a slash line of .341/.456/.659 in the 12-game season, adding the power aspect to his game w/ six extra base hits and a team-leading four home runs.

• Ritchie drew 40 walks in the 2019 season, tied for the second most in a single-season in JHU history.  

• The senior reached base in 50 percent of his plate appearances, picking up a pair of hits, including a double, and two walks in the season-opening doubleheader.

BONAFIDE BULLPEN

• The Hopkins bullpen was outstanding in the shortened 2020 season and returns multiple impact arms. Brian Linton, Jonah Offman & Ben Keever all return in 2021, each pitching at least 9.1 innings out of the bullpen while holding ERA's under 3.00. 

 • Offman leads the returning group, striking out 26 batters in 15.2 innings a season ago. Offman pitched to an ERA of 1.72 and opposing batters hit just .182 against the Canadian righty. 

• Linton is the leading returner in innings pithced for Johns Hopkins in 2021. The senior captain threw 16.2 innings in 2020, striking out 21 batters and holding a 2.70 ERA. Batters hit just .138 against Linton. 

• Keever rounds of the talented trio, tossing 9.1 innings in 2020. Keever posted a 2.89 ERA and struck out 15 batters while holding opposing hitters to a .121 average. 

• Right-hander Jaspar Carmichael threw just 3.2 innings in the shortened season, but picked up a save and will be a key contributor out of the 'pen.

ROUNDING UP THE ROTATION

• JHU returns five pitchers who started at least one contest in 2020. The aforementioned Offman is joined by multi-game starters, Kieren Collins, Peter Schaefer, Dillon Bowman & Jack McRae as potential options on the mound this season. 

• Schaefer made a pair of impressive starts in 2020, tossing a total of 10 innings, allowing just seven hits, and posting a 1.80 ERA. Opposing hitters were forced into weak contact by Schaefer as he held hitters to a .194 average. The sophomore struck out five in his 10 innings.

• Collins appeared in three contests, making two starts after a dominant debut out of the bullpen vs. Arcadia. The Floridian threw three scoreless innings in his debut, striking out four and allowing just three hits. Collins followed with a pair of starts, striking out four in five innings against Marietta. The freshman struck out a career high five in a win over Messiah, pitching a career best 5.2 innings. 

• McRae, another Floridian, started two games in 2020, earning a no-decision in each contest. The hard-throwing righty battled through four innings in his debut against St. John Fisher, striking out three and allowing four hits. McRae took the mound again, this time against Roanoke, on March 1st, allowing four hits and two earned runs over 3.1 innings. 

• Bowman handled the midweek duties, making starts against Gwynedd Mercy and PSU Harrisburg. Normally a shortstop, Bowman stepped on the mound for his first career start against Gwynedd Mercy. Bowman struck out six in five scoreless innings, earning his first career W. 

WELCOME WAGON

• The Blue Jays welcomed a slew of newcomers to the program in 2021, including five transfers that are immediately eligible to play. 

• Dai Dai Otaka (Yale) joins the Blue Jays and will be expected to contribute immediately in the middle infield. Otaka appeared in 111 games at Yale, starting 104 of them. A star on social media (@dai_squared) with over 10,000 followers, Otaka is an outstanding defensive player who helped Yale lead the nation in fielding percentage (.985)

• Isaiah Winikur (Towson) will get a crack at immediate playing time in the Blue Jay outfield. Winikur played in 29 games with the Tigers, starting 22 contests. Winikur had eight extra base hits, including six doubles. 

• Barrett Smith (Maryland) will try to add some extra pop into an already powerful lineup. The 6-3, 235 pounder appeared in eight games with the Terrapins, making two starts. Smith will serve primarily as a DH for the 'Jays. 

• Carson McKoon (Washington & Lee) will provide the Jays with another lefty option on the mound. McKoon pitched in 29 contests, making 24 starts at Washington & Lee. The southpaw pitched 123.1 innings, striking out 96 batters. 

• David Harding (Princeton) appeared in 107 games, making 99 starts with the Tigers. Harding drove in 53 runs while at Princeton and will battle for time in the Blue Jay outfield. 

• The Blue Jay transfer squadron, combined for four hits and an RBI against Franklin & Marshall. Winikur picked up two hits and a stolen base while Smith added the lone RBI of the weekend. 

IN THE POLLS

• Johns Hopkins opened the season ranked 15th in the d3baseball polls. Despite not playing a game yet this season, there has been some movement in the polls for JHU. The 'Jays rose up to 13th in the poll after Week 1 and have continued to rise, getting as high as ninth in Week Three. The Blue Jays currently remain in the top-25, coming in at #22.