Good morning! How are you preparing for the Commonwealth Classic today at the Bud? We’re watching Alex Bouche’s two-run moon shot and Hunter Fitz-Gerald’s solo home run from over the weekend on repeat. 10 out of 10 doctors recommend it’s an essential part of a balanced breakfast.

What else are we throwing into today’s Brew?

⚾ Ahoy, East Carolina
⛳ Leah Onosato movin’ up the charts
👑 And much, much more!

📈 STOCK UP 

🔼 Classic Rock. Midweek baseball doesn’t get much better than this—the Commonwealth Classic is on tap with East Carolina making the trip north to face off against hosts Old Dominion at The Bud. First pitch is at 3:00pm ET and you can watch the game on ESPN+ this afternoon. (Pro Tip: Get to work a little early so that you can casually drop that you need to leave a little early. Works like a charm.)

Which Monarchs will be key to getting a victory today? Who will we have our eyes on all game? Let’s get to that preview, folks…

💥 There are a lot of things that Old Dominion is doing better this season than East Carolina—team batting average, extra base hits, runs scored—but it’s home runs that is the starkest contrast. The Monarchs are averaging 1.94 long balls per game against East Carolina’s per-game average of 1.16.

💪 Looking for the weak link in Old Dominion’s lineup card? Good luck. Five starters—Hunter Fitz-Gerald, Kenny Levari, Alex Bouche, Jake Ticer, and Luke Waters—are batting at least .300.

🎯 Not only is the Monarch bullpen one of the best in the Sun Belt with a 4.99 ERA, they’re also averaging just 4.2 walks per game—keeping the free bases for opponents to a minimum.

🔼 Snap Decision. Another one! Former Old Dominion long snapper B.R. Hatcher signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent, giving him a chance to participate in the team’s rookie minicamp tryout over the weekend. He played in 35 games for the Monarchs—handling snaps for punts, extra points, and field goals—and in 2019 he posted four tackles, tying the school record for most tackles in a season by a long snapper.

He’s the second ODU long snapper in the NFL, joining Rick Lovato who broke into the NFL in 2015 (also with the Green Bay Packers) and was the first Monarch to play in an NFL regular season game.

🔼 Movin’ On Up. Old Dominion golfer Leah Onosato jumped up 16 spots in the individual standings on Day Two of the 2023 Palm Beach Gardens Regional. The Kumamoto, Japan native entered the day tied for 61st and shot an even round of 72 to move up into a tie for 45th heading into the final 18 holes of the Regional, held at the PGA National course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. She is currently even with California's Olivia Lee at nine-over 153 through 36 holes played.

Onosato started off her Tuesday morning with a birdie on the par-5 10th hole. She made par on every other hole, save for a bogey on the par-4 fourth hole. For today’s final round, she’ll tee off from the 10th hole at 8:55am ET.

🤔 MONARCH TRIVIA

Walk the walk. The last time East Carolina and Old Dominion squared off in Norfolk, the game ended in dramatic fashion—with the Monarchs walking it off in the 10th inning. But the final play wasn’t a typical walk-off game.

Can you remember how the game ended? (Bonus points if you can name the player involved!)

Think you got it? Scroll down to the bottom of this email for the answer!

👑 ONE BIG THING

Changing of the guard. Old Dominion men’s basketball has signed Tyrone Williams as part of their 2023 recruiting class—a 6’6” guard who joins the Monarchs from the University of Oregon.

The incoming senior made his mark as the nation's top scorer playing for Grayson College in Texas, averaging 27.6 and then 27.7 points in two seasons, earning All-Conference honors and All-Region honors in each of his two years, and winning Conference Player of the Year while leading the country in scoring his two seasons.

Last season at Oregon, he played in 23 games this past season and had a season high 12 points and 11 rebounds against UC Irvine in the first round of the NIT.

"I chose ODU because I felt like this was the best fit for me.”

📬 STICK WITH US

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📅 THE DAYS AHEAD

Wednesday 5/10

⛳ Women’s Golf @ NCAA Palm Beach Gardens Regional

⚾ Baseball vs. East Carolina @ 3:00pm ET on ESPN+ | Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats

Thursday 5/11

No events scheduled

🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: A bases-loaded walk!

Tommy Bell drew a bases-loaded walk with a full count and two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning to break an eight-all tie and give Old Dominion baseball a 9-8 win over East Carolina in a game that felt more like an NCAA Regional matchup than a midweek contest in March.

Have a great Wednesday, y’all!