The Profs finally played in Glassboro on Thursday and the home crowd was welcomed to a dominant, 19-0, mercy rule victory shut against the Cairn Highlanders at the Rowan Baseball Field. After seven innings of pressing on the gas, Rowan won its fifth consecutive game in shutout fashion and improved to 10-2 on the year.
“I think we’re just getting outside and playing every day,” head coach Mike Dickson said. “I think now just being able to get in the flow, play a bunch of games in a row, has helped us kind of find our rhythm offensively.”
A season-high 16 hits was on full display for the No. 11 nationally ranked Profs, with the team surpassing ten runs in back-to-back games. Leading the way was once again junior third baseman Brayden Davis, who is on a seven-game hitting streak and powered his team-high sixth home run of the season.
“I think the coaches give us a good plan each and every day with practice and then who we’re facing that day to stick to a certain approach,” Davis said. “I feel like we do a good job with that.”
Making headlines was freshman Collin Denton, who got the win on the mound in his first career start. The right hander went five innings, allowing just one hit on 29 pitches, and helped Rowan secure their first shutout of the spring.
“This has been the best coaching staff I’ve had in my life, I mean, I made the best decision in my life coming here,” Denton said. “It felt really good to pitch in front of the nest in front of a good crowd and play in front of my family in the stands and for my brothers in the field, so it feels really good.”
The brown and gold previously had a successful 5-2 run in Florida to go along with an assertive, 11-2, win over Swarthmore on Wednesday. Cairn’s struggling 1-15 start prior to first pitch did not stop Rowan from treating it like any other ballgame.
“We’re always teaching the guys [to] play without a scoreboard,” Dickson said. “If you get caught [looking] at the scoreboard, you get caught looking at their record, then you kind of can fall into their trap.”
Rowan transitions into New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) play starting this weekend where they will host the Ramapo Roadrunners. The Profs hope Saturday’s doubleheader is the beginning of a prominent run in the NJAC after falling short in last year’s conference tournament.
“From my last two years being here, I know the NJAC, it’s always a tough game, no matter if we play NJCU or Kean, it’s always a gauntlet and I’m fired up,” Davis said. “This is my most exciting part of the year right here, so I’m excited.”
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