SATURDAY SWEEP

• After a 1-3 start, the Blue Jays bounced back in a big way with a doubleheader sweep of McDaniel this past weekend. JHU held on to win Game One by a final score of 5-3, getting a two-run homer from Jack Walters & a 1-pitch save from freshman Wyatt Copeland. In Game Two, the bats turned it up a notch, hitting a pair of homers en route to a 9-1 victory. Kieren Collins was stellar in his first start of the year for JHU. 

BOMB SQUAD

• In the first four games of the season, JHU produced just four extra-base hits. This past weekend, the Blue Jays ripped off seven extra-base hits including four homers. 

• In Game One, mired in a 2-2 tie, Jack Walters ripped the first pitch over the right field fence, giving JHU a 4-2 lead. In the seventh, Isaiah Winikur crushed a solo shot off the scoreboard in left-center, extending the lead to 5-2.

• In Game Two, Isaiah Winikur wasted no time leaving the yard for the second time in the day, hitting nearly the exact same spot in left-center. With a pair of runners on in the second, Mark Lopez hit his first homer of the year, giving JHU a 4-0 lead. 

LAST MEETING

• Johns Hopkins and Washington College last met on April 18th, 2019 in Chestertown, MD. The Blue Jays earned a 10-7 win in a contest where the ball left the yard seven times. Brad Parsons, Chris Festa & Nate Davis homered for JHU. Current senior captain Mark Lopez went 3-5 with two doubles, two runs scored and an RBI in the contest. Jaspar Carmichael threw a scoreless inning in relief of starter Sean McCracken for Johns Hopkins. 

HOT STARTERS

• In six games this season, Johns Hopkins has scored in the first inning four 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 two weekends ago. This past weekend, Isaiah Winikur hit a solo shot in the first inning of Game Two. Dating back through last season, the Jays have scored in eight of 18 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 11 straight games dating back to last season. The senior second basemen has reached base in 20 of his last 21 contests, only failing to reach in a single contest last year. Ritchie is the only Blue Jay with a hit in all six contests, leading the team with seven hits and an average of .350. Graduate transfer Dai Dai Otaka is the only other Blue Jay to reach base in all six games this season and Otaka has started a four-game hitting streak of his own.

HE DID WHAT?!

• Johns Hopkins skipper Bob Babb has certainly made just about every chess move possible as the Blue Jays manager. Closing in on 1,200 career victories, Babb went into his bag of tricks for a move that I've personally never seen before. With two runners on and two outs in the ninth, Ben Keever was locked into an 11-pitch battle with McDaniel 2B Joey Hubinger. With a full count, Babb walked out to the mound, removed Keever from the contest, and brought in freshman Wyatt Copeland out of the bullpen with just 0.2 career innings under his belt. Copeland threw a beautiful slider that froze Hubinger and clinced a 5-3 win for the Blue Jays. Well done, Bob. Well done. 

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. 

• Each one of the captains contributed to the sweep of McDaniel this past weekend. 

 - Jonah Offman earned the win out of the bullpen in Game One, tossing 3.2 innings, allowing just one run and striking out five. It was an uncharacteristically slow start for Offman (small sample theater), but he bounced back in a big way for JHU. 

 - Matthew Ritchie picked up a hit and a pair of walks in Game One while adding a hit and a run in Game Two, extending his hitting streak. 

 - Mark Lopez entered the lineup in Game Two and responded with a three-run homer and a sacrifice fly to drive in a game-high four runs. 

 - Brian Linton threw a scoreless inning out of the bullpen after entering the game in a jam. Linton struck out one. 

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 31.2 of the team's 50.2 innings this season. The trio have a combined ERA of 2.02 while striking out 40 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 and made one relief appearance, tossing 7.1 innings and allowing just four hits and one run. The Florida native has struck out seven and is allowing an opponent's batting average of just .167.

• Schaefer, the Game Two starter, leads the Jays with 13.0 innings pitched and 22 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting .208 off the righty. Schaefer has struck out 17 in his last two starts. 

• After piggbacking in his first two appearances, Collins got the call to start Game Two this past weekend. Collins has worked 11.1 innings, allowing just seven hits and striking out 11. Opponents hit just .184 off of Collins, who has pitched to a 0.79 ERA in 2021. The sophomore struck out a career-best seven in five innings vs. McDaniel.

THE 2021 SEASON

• Opposing hitters have not had much success against Blue Jay pitching in 2021. Through six games, hitters have combined for a .214 average against Blue Jays with just five extra-base hits. Eight different Blue Jay pitchers have held opponents to a batting average of .250 or less. Against the three starting pitchers, Collins, McRae and Schaefer, opponents have hit .184, .167 and .204 respectively. In four innings, Brian Linton has held opposing hitters to an average of .214. In six innings, Jonah Offman has held hitters to a batting average of .250. 

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) joined the Blue Jays via Yale and has contributed 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). So far with Johns Hopkins, Otaka is hitting .286 with six hits, three runs scored and an RBI. Otaka has reached base at a clip of .375 and has been on-base in every game this season. 

• Isaiah Winikur (Towson) has gotten the chance to start immediately in the outfield, making four starts in left and two in center. Winikur played in 29 games with the Tigers, starting 22 contests. Winikur had eight extra base hits, including six doubles as a Tiger. As a Blue Jay, Winikur has four hits, two homers, two RBIs and a pair of stolen bases. He leads the team with five runs scored. 

• 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 has appeared in two contests for Hopkins, picking up a hit and an RBI in five at-bats. 

• 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. McKoon has thrown 1.2 innings in two appearancs, striking out three.

• 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. In two appearances, Harding has one hit in six at-bats.