Good morning! Breakfast rivalries can spark a lot of debate in the morning. Pancakes vs. Waffles? Decaf vs. Cold Brew? Pork Roll vs. Taylor Ham?

As for the next great rivalry in Old Dominion’s history, we could be witnesses to the start of something at Bud Metheny Stadium this weekend. Keep scrolling to get an in-depth preview for our series against Texas State.

Here’s what we got steeping for you in today’s Brew

⚾ A new rivalry
🏌️ Two rounds of golf
🎾 The road to glory begins
👑 And a whole lot more!

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 Fighting For First. With less than a month remaining until the Sun Belt Conference Championship, every game truly matters for Old Dominion baseball. The Boys in Blue will take on conference opponent Texas State starting Friday at 6:00 pm ET.

How close are they to each other in the standings? Well, about as close as you can get. Both teams are 10-8 against conference opponents. And even though Texas State is a formidable opponent, there are a few keys to the game working in Old Dominion’s favor…

• 🏠 ODU’s Record @ Home: The Monarchs have been outstanding this season with a 17-7 record defending The Bud. As for the Bobcats in 2023, they aren’t as hot on the road, going 8-9 with six of their losses against Sun Belt opponents.

• 📰 The Herald Fitz-Gerald: If you subscribe to the Brew, you know it’s been hard not to read about Hunter Fitz-Gerald. He leads ODU in almost every statistical category and is third in the Sun Belt for hits, third in RBIs, and second in home runs.

• 🚀 Big-Time Bobcat: Texas State has an MVP of its own in Davis Powell. He’s the team’s best overall hitter with a .388 average, 1.083 OPS, and 14 doubles.

• 🤝 First Impression: Surprisingly enough, this will be the first time both teams face each other in their school’s history. If the Monarchs can throw them a few curveballs, it could leave a lasting impression on the Bobcats they won’t soon forget.

🔼 A Royal Invitation. Traveling to Florida just once during the year is a treat, but getting to go for a fourth time practically makes you a resident. While Leah Onosato won’t be looking at houses, she will return to Florida after getting an at-large bid to compete in the NCAA's Palm Beach Gardens Regional. The graduate student’s familiarity with the course (having played there last spring) should give her an advantage over the other competitors.

🔼 Round Of Applause. Even though the season didn’t end as we wanted, a huge congratulations to the men’s golf team for finishing strong at the Sun Belt Championship. A third place finish in the final round of play brought their overall standing in the competition to 14th place. Individually, Kaijun Ma was at the top of his game, tying for 25th at six-over 222.

🔼 The Show Must Go On. As Freddy Mercury once said, “Our makeup may be flaking, but our smiles still stay on.” Well, If you were disappointed the women’s tennis match was postponed, the wait is over! This morning at 10:00am ET, the Monarchs can start heading toward a Sun Belt championship by taking on Texas State. If (and when) they beat the Bobcats, the semifinals will be on Saturday at 10:00am ET.

🤔 MONARCH TRIVIA

The king of diamonds. Hunter Fitz-Gerald is the King of home runs this season with 18. Here’s today’s question…

Who was the home run leader last season for the Monarchs?

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

👑 ONE BIG THING

(Could be a spot for Zack Kuntz if he gets drafted in Round 1 tonight…)

A baby giraffe? With the NFL Draft kicking off last night, Zack Kuntz hopes to hear his name called on the second night which starts at 7:00 PM ET. At 6’7” he certainly stands out amongst the rest of his draft mates, but the Monarch great has grown into his own at the tight end position. Here’s an exclusive by ABC 27 on what this weekend means for the former Old Dominion star and his future.

📬 STICK WITH US

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📅 THE DAY AHEAD

Friday 4/28

🎾 WTEN vs Texas State @ 10:00 AM ESPN+ | Live Video | Live Stats | Preview

⚾ Baseball vs Texas State @ 6:00 PM ESPN+ | Live Stats

🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: Matt Coutney, 2022

The senior first basemen finished his final year at Old Dominion with an astounding 27 home runs.

Have a great weekend, y’all!