Scouting Report: VCU Baseball vs. Saint Joseph’s University
Illustration by Killian Goodale-Porter.
VCU men’s baseball will face Saint Joseph’s at The Diamond for an Atlantic-10 matchup on March 28.
The CT Sports staff chose their notable players for this upcoming matchup.
VCU
Alexis Washington, Staff Writer
Casey Kleinman – From the West Coast to the East Coast, Kleinman is a catcher and infielder from California. This fourth-year joined the Rams in 2024 and has already made his presence known. Kleinman is coming off an A-10 tournament championship in 2024. In his third year, he tied for second with 61 hits and third with 44 runs and 31 walks, in addition to a .272 batting average with 35 runs batted in, according to VCU Athletics. Though the season has just started, he has had a season-high of 13 putouts and four assists and runs scored, according to VCU Athletics. Kleinman’s strikeout ability will be a contributing factor to a Rams victory.
Kyler Gilliam, Staff Writer
Jacob Lee – The hometown product has blasted on the scene in his first season with the Rams. Hailing from Matoaca High School, he was the preseason number two ranked Atlantic-10 Impact Freshman, according to VCU Athletics. The first-year catcher is already proving that ranking correct. Lee leads or is tied for the team lead in batting average, on-base percentage plus slugging percentage, slugging percentage, hits, doubles, home runs, runs batted in and total bases, according to VCU Athletics. Lee netted his fifth home run against Virginia Tech in the lead-off spot, one of the only bright spots for VCU that day, but proved he can compete against more talented arms up in the power four ranks. His consistency at this early age in the early part of the lineup makes him integral to this Rams lineup.
Saint Joseph’s
Jenny Allen, Contributing Writer
Colton Book – The Hawks’ redshirt third-year left-hand pitcher Colton Boo, will make it challenging for the Rams to get solid hits off during this matchup. Book was recently named the Atlantic-10’s Under Armor Baseball Co-Pitcher of the Week, according to SJUHawks. Book has a total of 47 strikeouts this season, including a season-high strikeout of 14, only one shy of the program’s record during a single game, according to SJUHawks. Against a recent victory over Mount St. Mary’s, Book secured a pickoff and two strikeouts, continuing a no-hitter as the game went into the seventh inning, according to SJUHawks. The Ram’s top hitters, such as Jacob Lee, Sean Swenson and Nick Flores, will need to bring their A-game in order to walk away with the win.
Brianna Cobbs, Contributing Writer
Sam Meyer – Whether he’s driving balls into the gap or locking down plays in the field, redshirt first-year Sam Meyer is proving he is more than just a utility player. The 6-foot Ohio native leads the team with an 11-game-on-base streak and recently put together a nine-game hitting streak, according to SJUHawks. Through 15 games, Meyer is batting .261 with 12 hits, five doubles and three home runs in 46 at-bats. His standout showing came against Rutgers on Feb. 25, where he went two-for-four with three runs scored and two doubles. He has also drawn 10 walks, boosting his on-base percentage to .404 and slugging to .565, according to SJUHawks. On the defensive end, Meyer has been flawless with a 1.000 fielding percentage, 18 putouts and one assist. As conference play heats up, his consistency and two-way impact could be a major asset for Saint Joseph’s.
