After a long 239 days, collegiate baseball is back in full-swing as two new additions to the Waves roster made immediate impacts throughout their season-opener weekends. This week’s highlighted athletes hit the road and battled hard to be named the first co-player’s of the week for the 2024 Waves. 

Earning Rienzi Pasta Player of the Week honors, sophomore infielder Jackson Lovich rallied his team with timely plays to end Missouri’s weekend with two tallies in the win column. On the heels of his rookie season with the Tigers, Lovich had an extremely impactful presence. Appearing in nineteen games, batting a .217 with 8 RBI’s with a lone home run, the Overland Park, Kansas native came into 2024 eager to surpass that. Leading off his sophomore campaign with a bang, Lovich is batting a .419 with five hits and four RBI’s on the weekend. One of those doubles came in clutch at the top of the ninth with two outs, to score an essential insurance run to snatch their first win of the season over Cal Poly. In their second game against the Mustangs, Lovich rode the wave of Missouri’s red-hot offense, knocking his second career homer to score three runs, in a game that ended in a 12-8 victory. His lone home run and two doubles on their weekend road trip to California match his season-highs in both categories from his freshman campaign, and is on pace for a very successful season with the Tigers. 

On the other side of the ball, freshman Marcello Mastroianni made his collegiate debut on the mound with the Georgetown Hoyas. The Hoyas kickstarted the season on the road, Mastroianni getting to throw the first pitch of the 2024 season against Grand Canyon University. Despite the 5-2 loss, The Little Silver, New Jersey native was praised for his veteran poise on the mound in his rookie debut. “Tonight, I thought Marcello Mastroianni was great for us in his first collegiate outing, going four and two-thirds innings with five strikeouts, really neutralizing their offense,” said head coach Edwin Thompson. Even though the Hoyas were unsuccessful on the road to start off their season, the group is hungry and hopeful with Mastroianni at the helm. 

These two are among many incoming Waves that made a splash in their opening weekend, anticipating immense success within their universities. For real-time updates on your 2024 Waves, follow the Ocean State Waves on twitter and instagram @OceanStateWaves.