Scouting Report: VCU Baseball vs University of Richmond
Illustration by Killian Goodale-Porter.
VCU men’s baseball will face the University of Richmond at The Diamond for an Atlantic 10 matchup in its last home series this season, and last home series at The Diamond on May 9, through May 11.
The CT Sports staff chose their notable players for the three-game series.
VCU
Drew Thompson, Staff Writer
Trent Adelman – The Rams’ second-year infielder and outfielder Trent Adelman has been carefully carving out a successful season. Adelman has been featured 36 times this season and is top three in three different statistics on the Rams. Adelman has an on-base percentage of .414%, 15 walks and 11 steals. While he may not have eye-popping slugging numbers, Adelman remains a constant threat whenever he steps up to hit. Adelman is a similarly consistent player when fielding, maintaining a fielding percentage of 1.000% and having no errors to his name.
Adelman’s numbers improve when looking strictly at conference play as well. In the A-10, Adelman has an OBP of .425 with eight walks and three steals to go along with it. His batting average is very middling at only .261, but he consistently finds himself on base more than nearly everyone on the Rams. His keen eye in the batter’s box and consistent fielding presence will make him a player to watch in this upcoming series.
Kyler Gilliam, Staff Writer
Jacob Lee – The first-year catcher has impressed in his first season with the black and gold. Lee leads the team in at-bats, runs, hits, total bases, slugging percentage, triples, home runs and runs batted in, according to VCU Athletics. He is also at least top-5 in doubles, walks drawn and on-base percentage. Lee is becoming one of the most powerful bats in the VCU lineup. The Chesterfield product has been one of the few bright spots for the Rams this season. Lee hit his 11th home run of the season on April 26, against Fordham University in an A-10 conference matchup, breaking the record for most home runs for a true freshman in a season, according to VCU Athletics. Lee will be needed by the Rams in a game against the cross-town rival Spiders, but he will also be needed to rebound VCU baseball for years to come.
University of Richmond
Andrew McGhan, Staff Writer
Jordan Jaffe – The Spiders’ third-year infielder Jordan Jaffe has been having another stellar season for the Spiders. He leads the team in hits with 65 and is third in home runs with eight, according to Richmond Spiders. Jaffe also has a batting average of .394 which leads the team. He has hit 17 doubles and has 48 runs batted in, according to the Richmond Spiders. Jaffe is not only a great hitter he is also a great infielder. He leads the team in putouts with 303 and double plays with 28, according to the Richmond Spiders. He was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year and Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-America in 2023, according to the Richmond Spiders. Jaffe will play a key role for the Spiders to get a win over the Rams.
Michael Aghomo Feungue, Contributing Writer
Ryan Bilka – The Spider’s third-year right-handed pitcher, Ryan Bilka, has been a valuable asset for the Spiders this season. With an ERA of 2.39 over 52.2 innings this season, according to the Richmond Spiders, Ryan has been the Spiders’ most lethal pitcher on the mound. Over those 52.2 innings, he has only allowed batters 36 total hits, 17 runs and two home runs. He has also sent plenty of batters back to the dugout with a team-leading 50 strikeouts, according to the Richmond Spiders. In addition, he makes little to no errors, only racking up 14 thus far and four HBP. Over his last five games, his performance has been especially impressive, four of which he pitched an ERA of zero, according to the Richmond Spiders. This season has been Bilka’s first year with the Spiders. Last year, he was named second team all-NEC and ranked second in ERA. Since joining the Spiders, Bilka has continued his impressive performance, making him a critical part of their game plan in their upcoming three-game series against VCU.
