ON THE BOARD

• The Blue Jays picked up win number one of the 2021 season, defeating Dickinson by a score of 9-5 in Game One of the doubleheader. Hopkins used a six-run inning to break the game open, ultimately holding on for the first win of the season. After starting 2-3 in 2020, the Jays won seven straight before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

LAST WEEK IN REVIEW

• Hopkins jumped out to a quick lead, getting an RBI fielder's choice from Austin Sacks to lead it 1-0 after the 1st inning in Game One. Dickinson answered back in the second inning, but the Blue Jays scored eight straight runs to take a 9-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth.

• Jared deFaria, Matt Ritchie, Dillon Bowman & James Ingram all picked up RBI's in the contest for JHU, who held on to win Game One, 9-5. Kieren Collins earned the win, pitching 3.1 innings in relief. 

• In Game Two, the Blue Jays started off strong once again as Nick Li singled to start the game, stole second, and scored on an RBI double from Ritchie. However, the Blue Jay bats slowed down in a 3-1 loss. Peter Schaefer picked up the loss, but struck out nine in a strong effort on the mound. 

LAST MEETING

• Johns Hopkins and McDaniel last met nearly two full years ago with Johns Hopkins defeating the Green Terror in April 12th, 2019. McDaniel scored two off of Jays' starter Sean McCracken in the first inning, but JHU scored the next 10 en route to a 13-3 victory. Hopkins hit seven home runs in the contest, getting two from 2020 grad Chris Festa. Current JHU junior backstop AJ King homered in the contest, the first of his career. King went 2-3 w/ an RBI in the contest. Current graduate student Mike Ainsworth picked up a pinch hit in the win. Jonah Offman struck out two in a pair of scoreless innings in relief. 

HOT STARTERS

• In four games this season, Johns Hopkins has scored in the first inning three times. JHU opened their season, manufacturing a Dai Dai Otaka leadoff walk into an RBI ground out from Barrett Smith. The Blue Jays failed to score in the first inning of Game Two against F&M, but scored in the first inning of both games against Dickinson. Austin Sacks & Matt Ritchie both drove in runs in the top of the first inning against Dickinson this past weekend. Dating back through last season, the Jays have scored in seven of 16 first innings. 

STREAKIN'

• While still early in the shortened season, there are some early streaks to keep an eye on. Matthew Ritchie has reached base in nine straight games dating back to last season. The senior second basemen has reached base in 15 of his last 16 contests, only failing to reach in a single contest last year. Ritchie is the only Blue Jay with a hit in all four contests, leading the team with five hits and an average of .357. Graduate transfer Dai Dai Otaka is the only other Blue Jay to reach base in all four games this season.

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. 

• Linton is off to a great start out of the bullpen for the Blue Jays in 2021. After a breakout year in 2020, the senior has picked up right where he left off. In two appearances, Linton has thrown 3.0 innings, struck out six and allowed just two hits. 

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 is leading the team w/ a .357 average, five hits, two doubles and is tied for the team lead with two RBI. Ritchie has reached base in 47 percent of his appearances and is slugging .500. 

THE THREE SOPH-MIGOS

• Jack McRae, Peter Schaefer & Kieren Collins have eaten the brunt of the innings for JHU so far this season. All three right-handed sophomores have combined to throw 20.1 of the team's 32.2 innings this season. The trio have a combined ERA of 3.10 while striking out 24 batters. 

• McRae, the Game One starter, hasn't worked deep into games, but has worked nicely in tandem w/ Collins. McRae has started two contests, tossing 5.1 innings and allowing just three hits and one run. The Florida native has struck out six and is allowing an opponent's batting average of just .167.

• Schaefer, the Game Two starter, leads the Jays with 8.2 innings pitched and 14 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting .229 off the righty. Schaefer struck out nine in his most recent start vs. Dickinson.

• Collins, the long reliever, has replaced McRae in both of his starts. Collins has worked 6.1 innings in relief, allowing just four hits and striking out four. Opponents hit just .182 off of Collins, who has pitched to a 1.42 ERA in 2021. Collins started a pair of contests in the 2020 season. 

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 hitters have combined for seven hits in 2021. Otaka has registered three hits and and OBP of .353 through four games. Winikur has a pair of hits and a pair of stolen bases. Both Harding and Smith have hits this season w/ Smith picking up an RBI. 

• After a tough debut against F&M, McKoon bounced back with 0.2 scoreless innings against Dickinson, picking up a strikeout. The lefty has three strikeouts in 1.2 innings this season.