Xavier University Athletics
Thursday, May 25
Omaha, Neb.
3:30 p.m.
Xavier University
vs
No. 2 St. John's
Baseball Begins BIG EAST Tournament Action in Omaha
05.23.17 | Baseball
Musketeers to face two-seed St. John's on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. ET
OMAHA, Neb. – Xavier baseball begins play in the 2017 BIG EAST Baseball Championship on Thursday in Omaha, Neb., facing No. 2 seed St. John's at 3:30 p.m. in the opening game of the double elimination, four-team event.
XU, the defending regular season and tournament champions, rolls into the postseason on a four-game winning streak. The Musketeers have scored 43 runs in their last four games.
Two games will be played on Thursday, as XU meets St. John's in the first game. No. 1 seed Creighton meets No. 4 seed Seton Hall in the night cap.
The full schedule for the tournament is available here.
• No. 1 Creighton (23-23, 11-4 BIG EAST)
• No. 2 St. John's (40-9, 13-5 BIG EAST)
• No. 3 Xavier (29-25, 10-6 BIG EAST)
• No. 4 Seton Hall (29-22, 10-8 BIG EAST)
• Xavier is making its third appearance in the BIG EAST Championships during its fourth season as a league member.
• XU has won the tournament in both of its prior appearances (2014, 2016), missing the playoff entirely in 2015.
• Xavier is 6-1 in tournament games all-time, sweeping its way to the title last season and going 3-1 in 2014.
• XU is 2-0 against St. John's in the tournament and 1-0 against Seton Hall.
• Both of XU's titles have come in wins over Creighton. The Musketeers have played CU four times in tournament action, going 3-1 and winning in the title game twice against the Bluejays.
• Xavier completed a three-game sweep of Georgetown with a 6-2 win at Hayden Field on Senior Day. The Musketeers scored 36 runs over the weekend.
• The Musketeers capped the season with an 18-3 home record as a result of the win.
• XU recognized its eight-member senior class prior to first pitch with a ceremony for Trent Astle, Matt Fallon, Joe Gellenbeck, Jason Hall, Greg Jacknewitz, Brad Kirschner, Ethan Schmidt and Sully Stadler.
• Will LaRue left the yard in the game, giving XU home runs in nine of its last 10 games.
• Chris Givin (1-for-2, R, RBI) extended his hitting streak to a team-best 12 straight games.
• Three senior lefties combined to hold Georgetown to two runs, as Greg Jacknewitz, Brad Kirschner and Trent Astle combined for the win.
• Chris Givin leads the team with a season-high 12 game hitting streak.
• Conor Grammes has reached base in 11 straight games.
• Xavier has homered in nine of its last 10 games.
• The Musketeers had drawn at least one walk in every game this season until their weekend opener at IU on May 5, snapping a streak of 114 straight games going back to April 26, 2015. XU worked a walk in all 62 games played in 2016. Xavier has drawn at least two walks in all six games since.
• Rylan Bannon was named the BIG EAST Player of the Year on Tuesday, May 24, marking the second straight year a Musketeer has earned the award.
• Andre Jernigan was selected for the honor in 2016 after leading XU to a regular season title.
• Six Musketeers were named to All-BIG EAST teams following the regular season.
• Rylan Bannon (unanimous), Zac Lowther and Matt Kent all earned spots on the first team, while Chris Givin, Garrett Schilling and Blaine Griffiths took home second team honors.
• Under Scott Googins, seven runs has been as good as a win. Since 2006, XU is 202-38 (.842) when scoring seven or more runs.
• Since 2011, XU's record when scoring seven has been even better at 116-14 (.892).
• Xavier has a 19-3 (.864) record in 2017 when scoring seven or more runs.
• Xavier ranks 46th nationally and first in the BIG EAST with 57 home runs on the season. XU is also 45th nationally with an average of 1.06 homers per game.
• XU has homered in nine of its last 10 games and 19 of the last 23.
• Rylan Bannon leads the team and BIG EAST while ranking 52nd in the nation with 14 longballs.
• Joe Gellenbeck ranks second on the team and is third in the BIG EAST with 10 longballs.
• The Musketeers swatted nine homers a sweep of Fairleigh Dickinson from March 31-April 2, including seven in a 22-9 win during Friday's series opener.
• 14 different Musketeers have left the yard this season, including every player that has at least 15 AB's.
• XU was one of the top power teams in the nation last season as well, hitting 59 homers in 2016. That number ranked fourth all-time in program history.
• Xavier ranks 30th in the nation with 76 stolen bases this season and 39th nationally with 1.41 steals per game.
• Will LaRue ranks 19th nationally with 23 stolen bases. The junior outfielder is 61-for-73 (84%) in steal attempts during his career.
• Will LaRue (23) and Rylan Bannon (17) rank first and third, respectively, in stolen bases in the BIG EAST.
• The Musketeers have stolen at least one base in 19 of their last 23 games and 33 of the last 38. XU has also stolen five bases in a game twice this season.
• The 2017 BIG EAST Player of the Year and unanimous first team selection, junior third baseman Rylan Bannon recovered from a slow start for the second straight season.
• After a 2-for-19 (.105) weekend at Troy, Bannon has recorded a .356 (63-for-177) line in his last 50 games with 39 runs, 12 doubles, 14 homers and 43 RBI. He's also walked 30 times against 34 strikeouts to record a team-best .468 on-base percentage.
• In a bit of a statistical oddity, Bannon also shook off a 0-for-16 start at the plate last season to hit .296 (56-for-189) the rest of the way.
• Bannon leads the BIG EAST with 125 total bases, 14 homers and a .638 slugging percentage.
• As a junior, Bannon has seen a power surge as he already ranks near the top-10 in single season homers in XU history.
XU SINGLE SEASON HOME RUNS
• Xavier ranks 55th in the nation in a painful stat, getting plunked 60 times as a team this season.
• The Musketeers have been hit by a pitch in 18 of 26 games and have also reached via HBP in 31 of the last 40 games.
• Rylan Bannon leads the team, getting hit 10 times this season.
• An All-BIG EAST First Team selection, sophomore Matt Kent has been XU's most reliable option out of the bullpen in 2017 going 5-2 in 21 appearances with a 1.21 ERA.
• Kent is currently riding his second-longest scoreless streak of the season, tossing 16.2 consecutive innings without an earned run allowed in 11 appearances since April 5.
• The righty began the year without allowing a run (earned or unearned) in his first 22.1 innings.
• Prior to March 25 against Illinois State, Kent was one of just two pitchers in college baseball to have thrown 19 innings or more without surrendering a run. The other was BIG EAST foe Ryan Testani of Seton Hall, who had thrown 19 scoreless frames and has since allowed runs as well.
• In 2016, Kent also went 10.1 innings before allowing the first earned run of his career and allowed just one run (unearned) out of the bullpen all season. For his career, Kent has thrown 53.2 innings in relief, allowing just six earned runs for a 1.02 ERA.
• The Xavier pitching staff has been much-improved in BIG EAST play, allowing two runs or less in nine of 16 games.
• As a whole, XU pitchers have posted a 3.35 ERA, striking out 124 and allowing 111 hits in 139.2 innings. Opponents are batting .215 against Musketeer pitching in 13 games.
• XU's starting rotation of Zac Lowther, Garrett Schilling and Greg Jacknewitz has been outstanding against league foes. The rotation has a 2.50 ERA in BIG EAST action, compiling a line of 79.1 IP, 60 H, 22 ER, 82 K.
• Xavier's ace, junior lefty Zac Lowther, is widely considered to be one of the top MLB Draft prospects in the BIG EAST. In fact, he was recently the first-ever XU player named to the Baseball America Top 100 MLB Draft Prospect list and is the only prospect listed from the league.
• XU skipped Lowther's turn in the Fairleigh Dickinson series in an effort to have him fresh for the beginning of BIG EAST play against Villanova.
• He responded by taking a perfect game into the ninth on April 7, tying a career-high with eight innings and striking out a career-best 16 in a no-decision. The strikeouts were the most by an XU pitcher since 1997.
• A preseason All-BIG EAST selection, Lowther is 4-4 with a 3.09 ERA through 13 starts. He has limited opponents to a .163 batting average.
• In BIG EAST play, he's been even more dominant with a 2.25 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 32 innings with just 15 hits allowed.
• Lowther has racked up at least six strikeouts in eight of his last nine starts, including four double-digit games and a career-high 16 at Villanova.
• Through 13 starts, Lowther ranks second in the nation with 13.63 strikeouts per nine innings and fifth in the NCAA with 5.14 hits allowed per nine innings. He is also 16th nationally with 106 strikeouts.
• Over the summer, Lowther led the prestigious Cape Cod League in strikeouts.
XU CAREER STRIKEOUTS
XU SINGLE SEASON STRIKEOUTS
• Xavier junior Garrett Schilling is transitioning to the rotation in 2017 after serving in the bullpen for his first two years on the team.
• In BIG EAST play, Schilling has yet to allow more than two runs in a start. He has posted a 1.29 ERA in five outings, striking out 17 in 28 innings while allowing 22 hits.
• Schilling set a new career-high with six strikeouts against Ohio State (3/19).
• Schilling threw seven innings of one-run ball, striking out five and scattering three hits in his first career start at Troy (2/18). He left after throwing just 72 pitches.
• Schilling picked up his first win as a starter at Penn State (2/25), allowing just three hits and one unearned run in six innings of work.
• A lights-out closer as a sophomore, Schilling posted a 1.91 ERA (tied for eighth in XU history) and broke the school record for saves with 14.
• Xavier has made just 45 errors in 54 games this season and holds a .977 fielding percentage, a number which ranks first in the BIG EAST and 35th nationally.
• The Musketeers also rank 64th in the nation with 46 double plays this season.
• XU is on pace to set a new record for fielding percentage in 2017 after tying the mark in 2016 with a .974 fielding percentage.
• Freshman Conor Grammes is among XU's top offensive threats as a freshman, sporting a .317 batting average, 64 hits and a team-high 22 multi-hit games on the season.
• Grammes went 4-for-6 (.667) in two games to open up BIG EAST play at Villanova and had his best weekend yet against Fairleigh Dickinson (3/31-4/2), posting a .636 batting average (7-for-11) with a homer and six RBI in a three-game series sweep.
• Grammes has been recognized by the BIG EAST three times already this season, earning BIG EAST Player of the Week on March 21 and a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll twice (2/20, 4/4).
• Had a memorable first collegiate weekend at Troy, recording two hits in all four games from the four spot in the order. He finished the weekend batting .471 (8-for-17) with three runs, three doubles, a homer and five RBI.
• On March 21, he was named BIG EAST Player of the Week for the first time after hitting .571 (8-for-14) in a 3-1 week against No. 1 Louisville and Ohio State.
• Recorded his fifth multi-hit game of the season on March 15 at No. 1 Louisville, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.
• The McLean, Va. native has also been used out of the bullpen, logging 25.2 innings in 17 appearances with a 5.96 ERA.
• Seven different Musketeers have been honored by the BIG EAST Conference with weekly awards this season.
• Head coach Scott Googins is in his 12th season in 2017 after reaching several milestones a year ago.
• Xavier's skipper became the all-time winningest baseball coach at Xavier with win No. 288 at Georgetown on April 15, 2016.
• Googins also picked up career win No. 300 on May 19, 2016 against Villanova.
• After a 29-25 regular season, his all-time record now stands 336-355 (.486).
• The Musketeers are coming off their second BIG EAST Championship run in three seasons in 2017 after sweeping both the regular season and league tournament titles in 2016. Xavier went 32-30 (14-4 BIG EAST) a year ago and brought back 26 letterwinners from its most recent title run.
• Six everyday starters are back for the Musketeers. XU also brought back 13 pitchers this year, representing all but 54 innings pitched from last season. 48.1 of those 54 innings lost were thrown by junior righty Damien Richard, who remains on the roster but is rehabbing from an injury.
• The defending league regular season and tournament champions, Xavier was picked to finish first in the BIG EAST for the first time in program history.
• Xavier had been picked fourth in each of its three seasons in the league prior to the first-place prediction.
• In addition to the BIG EAST poll, XU was also picked to win the league by publications like D1Baseball.com, Perfect Game and Baseball America.
Full Coaches Poll
First place votes in ( )
T1. Xavier – 32 points (4)
T1. St. John's – 32 pts. (3)
3. Creighton – 25 pts.
4. Seton Hall – 24 pts.
5. Georgetown – 17 pts.
6. Villanova – 9 pts.
7. Butler – 8 pts.
^ - denotes unanimous selection
* - due to ties in voting there are four outfielders and five starting pitchers on the 2017 Preseason All-BIG EAST team
• At its lowest point in 2016, Xavier was 14-26 and 1-3 in BIG EAST play in 2016 after a series-opening loss to St. John's.
• From that point on, XU would win eight straight games and 18 of its final 22.
• XU's senior class of Dan Rizzie, Andre Jernigan and David Morton combined to hit .395 in seven postseason games, carrying the Musketeers to a BIG EAST Championship for the second time in three seasons and another trip to Nashville for the NCAA Tournament.
• The Musketeers beat host and top-seeded Vanderbilt 15-1 in the opening game of the NCAA Tournament and also picked up a win against Washington, reaching the NCAA Tournament Regional Championship for the first time in program history.
• XU hit 59 home runs as a team, ranking among the national leaders and posting the fifth-most homers ever by an XU team.
• Xavier's fielding percentage of .974 tied a program record set in 2011.
• Xavier's 32 wins in 2016 were tied for the second-most in school history.
• Following a record-setting season, Xavier had two players selected in the MLB First-Year Player Draft for the first time since 2008. Dan Rizzie went first, going to the New York Mets in the 13th round and Andre Jernigan followed as a 14th round selection of the Minnesota Twins.
• Xavier has now had at least one player drafted in 10 of the last 12 years.
XU, the defending regular season and tournament champions, rolls into the postseason on a four-game winning streak. The Musketeers have scored 43 runs in their last four games.
Two games will be played on Thursday, as XU meets St. John's in the first game. No. 1 seed Creighton meets No. 4 seed Seton Hall in the night cap.
The full schedule for the tournament is available here.
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THE FIELD |
• No. 1 Creighton (23-23, 11-4 BIG EAST)
• No. 2 St. John's (40-9, 13-5 BIG EAST)
• No. 3 Xavier (29-25, 10-6 BIG EAST)
• No. 4 Seton Hall (29-22, 10-8 BIG EAST)
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TOURNAMENT NOTES |
• Xavier is making its third appearance in the BIG EAST Championships during its fourth season as a league member.
• XU has won the tournament in both of its prior appearances (2014, 2016), missing the playoff entirely in 2015.
• Xavier is 6-1 in tournament games all-time, sweeping its way to the title last season and going 3-1 in 2014.
• XU is 2-0 against St. John's in the tournament and 1-0 against Seton Hall.
• Both of XU's titles have come in wins over Creighton. The Musketeers have played CU four times in tournament action, going 3-1 and winning in the title game twice against the Bluejays.
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PROBABLE STARTERS |
| Game | Xavier | St. John's |
| 1 | Zac Lowther, LHP -- 3.09 ERA, 70 IP, 106 K |
Sean Mooney, RHP -- 1.10 ERA, 90 IP, 82 K |
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PROJECTED LINEUP |
| Name | Class | Position | Hometown (HS) | Notes |
| Chris Givin | SO | SS | Castle Rock, Colo. (Rock Canyon) | All-BIG EAST Second Team selection at shortstop... made return to lineup on March 29 at Miami (OH) after missing 17 games due to a hand injury... riding a team-high 12 game hitting streak, hitting .391 (18-for-46) with 10 runs scored during the stretch... has walked as much as he has struck out on the season (22-to-22)... third on team with a .345 (20-for-58) batting average in league play... coming off a .556 (5-for-9) weekend against Georgetown in which he scored five runs, knocked in three and doubled three times... hit .333 (4-for-12) with two runs scored in XU's series at No. 18 St. John's... had a strong weekend at Indiana, hitting .462 (6-for-13) with a pair of multi-hit games... went 1-for-4 and scored game-tying run in eighth inning of a 2-1 win at Creighton (4/28)... hit .417 (5-for-12) with three runs scored and four RBI in the Butler sweep... had a career-high four hits and four runs scored in a 13-4 win against Butler (4/21)... batted .500 (5-for-10) in the series against SHU with a pair of multi-hit games, earning a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll... hit go-ahead two-run homer, his first of the season, in the fourth inning of a 2-1 win against the Pirates in the series opener (4/13)... went 1-for-5 with a walk, run, RBI and steal against Wright State (4/11)... was 1-for-4 with a run and a two-run double 9-4 win against the Miami (OH) on April 5... scored six runs and walked four times despite just one hit in the Penn State series... 2017 preseason All-BIG EAST selection... 2016 NCAA Tournament Nashville All-Regional Team... made 48 starts in strong freshman season... second on team with a .293 average and .384 OBP... stepped up in BIG EAST play, tying for the team lead with a .333 average (21-for-63) and leading the team with a .432 OBP... played a steady second base, making just six errors (.975 fielding percentage) in 50 games... linchpin of defense that ranked 33rd in the nation in double plays (54) and tied a school record with a .974 fielding percentage... |
| Conor Grammes | FR | DH | McLean, Va. (McLean) | Among the best freshmen in the BIG EAST... leads team with 22 multi-hit games... has reached base in 11 straight games... went 2-for-5 with his sixth homer of the year in a 7-1 win over UC (5/16)... went 4-for-9 (.444) in the Georgetown series, including a pair of two-hit games... saw a 10-game hitting streak snapped in the series finale... hit .400 (4-for-10) with a pair of doubles and an RBI at No. 18 St. John's... collected hits in all three games at Indiana, including a 3-for-4 day with a homer in a loss on May 6... hit fourth homer of season in a 10-1 win over Villanova (4/9)... went 4-for-6 (.667) with four runs scored in two games at Villanova... named to BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (4/4) after hitting .636 (7-for-11) in the Fairleigh Dickinson sweep, homering and knocking in six runs... went 5-for-12 (.417) with two runs and an RBI last weekend in Illinois State series... named BIG EAST Player of the Week for first time in career after hitting .571 (8-for-14) with 12 total bases in a 3-1 week for XU, including a sweep of Ohio State (3/21)... hit solo homer in come-from-behind, 6-5, win over Ohio State on Sunday (3/19)... went 2-for-3 with an RBI at No. 1 Louisville on Wednesday (3/15)... named to BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll after a big first weekend at Troy... hit .471 (8-for-17) with three runs, three doubles, a homer and five RBI in four starts... has also been used out of the bullpen, posting a 5.84 ERA in 24.2 innings... hit .500 with a .587 on-base percentage as a high school senior... was a back-to-back state champion wrestler and graduated as McLean's all-time leader in wins on the mat... |
| Rylan Bannon | JR | 3B | Joliet, Ill. (Joliet Catholic) |
2017 BIG EAST Player of the Year... unanimous selection to the All-BIG EAST First Team... began season 2-for-19 (.105) but has since hit .356 (63-for-177) in last 50 games with 39 runs, 12 doubles, 14 homers and 43 RBI... hitting .a team-best .426 (23-for-54) with five homers and 17 RBI in 16 league games... leads the BIG EAST and ranks 52nd nationally with 14 homers this season... tied a career-high with five RBI in a 17-2 win over Georgetown (5/18)... hit .455 (5-for-11) in three games at No. 18 St. John's... had a 3-for-4 outing with a double in Saturday's loss at IU... went 1-for-3 with a game-deciding solo homer in the top of the ninth inning of a 2-1 win at Creighton (4/28)... hit .727 (8-for-11) with two homers, five runs and six RBI during a weekend sweep against Butler... went 6-for-6 with a home run on his 21st birthday in a 17-12 win over Butler (4/22)... the six hits were a career-high and the most by an XU player since at least 2004... hit an opposite field three-run homer in a 9-1 win over Cincinnati (4/18)... went 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBI in series clinching win against Seton Hall (4/15)... went 4-for-9 (.444) in the series against Fairleigh Dickinson, leading XU with three homers and six runs scored... had first career multi-HR game, connecting for two bombs on March 31 in a 22-9 win over FDU... hit .500 (5-for-10) with a double, triple and two RBI in series win against Illinois State... named to BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll after Penn State series (2/27), in which he hit .500 (8-for-16) with two HR and eight RBI in four games... went 6-for-8 (.750) in doubleheader sweep against PSU (2/25)... 2017 preseason All-BIG EAST selection... 2016 All-BIG EAST First Team selection... 2016 NCAA Tournament Nashville All-Regional Team... coming off a breakout sophomore season, shaking off a 0-for-16 start at the plate to hit .296 (56-for-189) the rest of the way... became a spark plug at the leadoff spot for the Musketeers... played in 60 games with 59 starts at third base... tied for team-lead with 34 walks and 17 doubles... led team with a .390 on-base percentage... was fourth on team with a .273 batting average... walked 17 times and struck out just 10 times in league play, raising his OBP to .420 in BIG EAST action... |
| Joe Gellenbeck | RF | SR | Lebanon, Ohio (St. Xavier) | Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year... unanimous preseason All-BIG EAST selection... named to BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (3/6, 3/13, 5/22) three times this season... ranks third in BIG EAST with 10 homers... leads BIG EAST with 52 RBI... has reached base in 42 of 54 games this season... has been a sneaky threat on the bases, going 11-for-11 in steals... went 4-for-12 (.333) and drove in five runs during XU's three-game sweep of Georgetown... had a big day in a 7-1 win against UC, going 3-for-3 with three runs scored and his ninth homer of the year (5/16)... went 1-for-3 and drove in four runs during XU's 17-12 win over Butler (4/22)... went 5-for-8 (.625) with three runs scored and five RBI in two games at the Joe Nuxhall Classic... had a big game on April 11 against Wright State, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored, his second career grand slam and five RBI... went 3-for-4 with his sixth homer and three RBI in a 9-4 against Miami (OH) on April 5... had a big weekend against Fairleigh Dickinson in which he hit .500 (6-for-12) with a homer and eight RBI... hit walk-off two run homer against Ohio State to cap a weekend sweep (3/19)... 2016 All-BIG EAST Second Team selection... 2016 BIG EAST All-Tournament Team... started all 62 games in 2016, tying a program record... led team and BIG EAST with 51 RBI and 125 total bases... ranked 57th in NCAA Division I with 13 longballs... homered in 10 of Xavier's 15 weekend series... |
| Will LaRue | JR | LF | Evansville, Ind. (Mater Dei) |
Preseason All-BIG EAST selection... has raised batting average over 100 points over last 38 games (.148-.257), hitting .304 (38-for-125) with three homers and 18 RBI during that span... one of the top stolen base threats in the nation... leads team and ranks 19th nationally with 23 steals... hit .333 (4-for-12) with three RBI and three runs scored in a three-game sweep of Georgetown to close out the regular season... hit .333 (4-for-12) with four RBI in the series at No. 18 St. John's... went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI in a 10-8 loss at UC (5/9)... tripled for the first time in 2017 as part of a 2-for-4 day on May 7 at Indiana... went 1-for-3 with two walks and two steals, scoring a career-high four runs in a 17-12 win over Butler (4/22)... went just 1-for-7 (.143), but walked five times and scored six runs in the Butler series... went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, four walks and a steal during two games at the Joe Nuxhall Classic (4/18-19)... walked a career-high three times and went 1-for-1 against Miami (OH) on April 19... had a big game on April 11 at Wright State, going 3-for-5 with a pair of runs and steals... went 4-for-11 (.364) in the Villanova series, scoring twice and knocking in two runs... went 2-for-4 with a run scored in the win over Miami (OH) on April 5... had a pair of two-hit games in the Fairleigh Dickinson series, going 4-for-9 (.444) with four runs scored and his first homer of the season... collected one hit in each game of the Illinois State series... had a pair of two-hit games and hit .400 (4-for-10) in a weekend sweep against Ohio State (3/18-19)... went 2-for-6 with a pair of runs scored and three steals in two midweek games at Georgia (3/7-8)... appeared in 61 games with 60 starts during a breakout 2016 season... became one of the nation's best base stealers... swiped 31 bags in 36 attempts (86.1% success rate)... ranked 13th in the nation in total steals (31) and 27th in steals per game (0.51)... fourth on team with 38 runs scored... tied for fourth on team with 25 walks... third on team with 57 hits... |
| Mitch Gallagher | JR | 2B | Bradenton, Fla. (IMG Academy) | Fourth on the team with a .333 (15-for-45) batting average in BIG EAST play... had a pair of three-hit games, hitting .462 (6-for-13) with a pair of homers and driving in six as XU swept Georgetown to close out the regular season... went 1-for-3 with an RBI in a 7-1 win over UC (5/16)... hit a grand slam in Saturday's 17-12 win over Butler (4/22)... missed opening weekend in league play after suffering an injury during a collision in the FDU series... hit .385 (5-for-13) in return to action during Seton Hall series... was a homer shy of the cycle in series finale, going 4-for-5 with a pair of runs and three RBI (4/15)... named to BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (3/28) after hitting .467 (7-for-15) with six runs scored during a 3-1 week for XU... had two game-deciding RBI in Illinois State series win, including a walk-off single in Sunday's series-clinching, 3-2 win (3/25)... batted .455 (5-for-11) overall with four RBI in the Illinois State series... went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI in midweek win over Wright State (3/21)... drove in three runs, including a walk-off sacrifice fly in 5-4 win over Ohio State (3/19)... hit .400 (8-for-20) in five spring break starts at Charlotte and Georgia... has played all over the infield (1B, 2B and SS), but settled into shortstop as regular starter Chris Givin dealt with an injury... now back to second base, where he began the season... hit .339 as a sophomore at Palomar Junior College... transferred to XU over the off-season... was one of seven Comets to sign D-I after earning First Team All-PCAC honors... began college career at Pepperdine... |
| Nate Soria | JR | C | Homer Glen, Ill. (St. Rita of Cascia) | Preseason All-BIG EAST selection... named to 2017 Johnny Bench Award Watch List... fourth straight year XU has had a catcher on the list... returning to catcher role after serving as an outfielder/DH during sophomore season... has thrown out 50% of attempted base stealers (9-for-18)... has reached base in 102 of 132 games going back to 2015... ranks third on team with seven homers... second on team with nine HBP... hit seventh homer of season, a solo shot, in a 13-1 win over Georgetown (5/19)... hit a three-run homer off the bench in the ninth inning of a 10-8 loss at UC (5/9)... hit .333 (3-for-9) with three runs scored, a homer and two RBI in the Butler series... hit a solo homer in a 3-2 win over Butler (4/23)... went 1-for-3 with two runs scored and a two-run homer in a 9-4 win against Miami (OH) on April 5... hit .500 (5-for-10) with a a homer and five RBI in the Fairleigh Dickinson sweep... rebounded from a tough series (1-for-15) against Penn State to hit .333 (3-for-9) with a homer at Charlotte... also went 3-for-9 in a pair of midweek games at Georgia (3/7-8)... put together a .308 (4-for-13) series with a homer and three RBI in XU's opening weekend trip to Troy... 2016 All-BIG EAST First Team selection... 2015 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American... 2015 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year... tied for first on team with a .333 (20-for-60) batting average in BIG EAST play... |
| Matt Fallon | SR | CF | Glenview, Ill. (Loyola) | One of the top defenders on the team, playing errorless baseball in 54 starts in center field this season... hit .375 (3-for-8) with four walks, three steals and six runs scored in a sweep of Georgetown to close the regular season... went 4-for-7 (.571) with three runs scored and two RBI in two games at the Joe Nuxhall Classic... homered twice in series win over Seton Hall, hitting .375 overall (3-for-8) with five runs scored... hit first homer of the year, a two-run shot in fourth inning of a 6-3 loss against the Pirates (4/14)... scored a season-high three runs and added a solo shot while going 2-for-3 in 9-0 series-clinching win on Saturday (4/15)... led team with a .455 batting average, going 5-for-11 with three RBI against Villanova (4/7-9)... collected hits in each game against Illinois State, going 4-for-10 (.400) with four runs scored... hit .400 (6-for-15) in XU's opening weekend at Troy, including a career-best 4-for-4 performance in the finale... moved up to leadoff spot in series finale against PSU and put together a 2-for-5 line with a run scored (2/26)... played in all 62 games last season, tying XU record, and made 61 starts... named to 2016 BIG EAST All-Tournament Team after hitting .500 (5-for-10) with four runs scored... scored the winning run during a semifinal walk-off win against St. John's (5/26)... named to NCAA Tournament Nashville All-Regional Team after collecting a hit in each game and appearing on SportsCenter for a highlight-reel catch in center... tied for team lead with 34 walks... finished season on an eight-game hitting streak... reached in 50 of 62 games... |
| Ethan Schmidt | SR | 1B | Granville, Ohio (Granville) | Has appeared in 41 games with 20 starts, including the last four games at first base... scored four times in the Georgetown sweep, going 2-for-10 (.200) in the series with three walks and a pair of RBI... went 1-for-3 with a run scored and a walk in a 7-1 win over UC (5/16)... walked a career-high three times and scored twice in an April 5 win over Miami (OH)... went 3-for-3 with his first homer of the year off the bench in XU's 15-3 win over Fairleigh Dickinson (4/2)... collected hits in three of four games against Penn State... made 41 appearances and 21 starts at first in 2016... hit .224 with two homers and nine RBI... launched first career grand slam in a 12-4 win over Miami (OH) on March 16... had a seven-game hitting streak from April 16-24... |
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PROJECTED STARTER |
| Zac Lowther | JR | LHP | Brooklyn Heights, Ohio (Cuyahoga Heights) | All-BIG EAST First Team selection... enters game one strikeout from tying XU single season record of 107, which was set by Lou Witte in 1997... ranks second in the nation with 13.63 strikeouts per nine innings... ranks 16th nationally with 106 strikeouts overall... has allowed just 40 hits in 70 innings, ranking fifth nationally with 5.14 hits allowed per nine innings... has allowed two hits or fewer in four of six BIG EAST starts... 28th in the NCAA with a 0.97 WHIP... widely considered to be the top MLB Draft prospect in the BIG EAST... first-ever Musketeer to be named to Baseball America Top 100 MLB Draft Prospects list (No. 99)... led prestigious Cape Cod League in strikeouts over the summer... has struck out at least six in eight of last nine starts (81 K in last 49.1 IP)... pitched six scoreless, hitless innings, striking out seven against Georgetown in a 17-2 win (5/18) in last start... held Big 10 power Indiana to one run on four hits over six innings, striking out 11 in a 1-0 loss (5/5)... limited Creighton to one run on two hits, striking out six in a 2-1 win (4/28)... held Seton Hall scoreless on FS1 on April 13, allowing just two hits and striking out nine in six innings... posted best start of Xavier career at Villanova on April 7, carrying a perfect game into the ninth... held VU hitless and struck out a career-high 16 in the game, leaving after a walk with 119 pitches in the ninth... the 16 K's were the most by an XU pitcher since 1997... had 11 strikeouts in six innings of one-run ball in against Ohio State (3/18)... struck out eight and picked up the win in 2017 debut at Troy (2/17)... tough-luck loser at Charlotte (3/3) after tossing six innings of one-run ball and striking out four... shut down Southern Miss (3/10), holding the Eagles to one hit over six innings, while striking out seven in a 2-0 win... preseason All-BIG EAST selection... developed into Xavier's Friday starter and one of the top pitchers in the BIG EAST during breakout sophomore season... 2016 All-BIG EAST Second Team selection... led Xavier in wins (7), starts (16), innings pitched (102.0), strikeouts (84)... ranked 33rd in NCAA Division I with 16 starts... tied for BIG EAST lead with 84 strikeouts, 16 starts and 102 innings pitched... led BIG EAST with 30 strikeouts looking... paced the rotation and ranked second on team with a 3.09 ERA... lasted at least five innings in 15 of his 16 starts... went 2-2 with a 3.10 ERA in six BIG EAST starts, striking out 32 in 40.2 innings... |
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LAST TIME OUT |
• Xavier completed a three-game sweep of Georgetown with a 6-2 win at Hayden Field on Senior Day. The Musketeers scored 36 runs over the weekend.
• The Musketeers capped the season with an 18-3 home record as a result of the win.
• XU recognized its eight-member senior class prior to first pitch with a ceremony for Trent Astle, Matt Fallon, Joe Gellenbeck, Jason Hall, Greg Jacknewitz, Brad Kirschner, Ethan Schmidt and Sully Stadler.
• Will LaRue left the yard in the game, giving XU home runs in nine of its last 10 games.
• Chris Givin (1-for-2, R, RBI) extended his hitting streak to a team-best 12 straight games.
• Three senior lefties combined to hold Georgetown to two runs, as Greg Jacknewitz, Brad Kirschner and Trent Astle combined for the win.
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STREAKING |
• Chris Givin leads the team with a season-high 12 game hitting streak.
• Conor Grammes has reached base in 11 straight games.
• Xavier has homered in nine of its last 10 games.
• The Musketeers had drawn at least one walk in every game this season until their weekend opener at IU on May 5, snapping a streak of 114 straight games going back to April 26, 2015. XU worked a walk in all 62 games played in 2016. Xavier has drawn at least two walks in all six games since.
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BACK-TO-BACK POY'S |
• Rylan Bannon was named the BIG EAST Player of the Year on Tuesday, May 24, marking the second straight year a Musketeer has earned the award.
• Andre Jernigan was selected for the honor in 2016 after leading XU to a regular season title.
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SIX ALL-BIG EAST PICKS |
• Six Musketeers were named to All-BIG EAST teams following the regular season.
• Rylan Bannon (unanimous), Zac Lowther and Matt Kent all earned spots on the first team, while Chris Givin, Garrett Schilling and Blaine Griffiths took home second team honors.
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LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN |
• Under Scott Googins, seven runs has been as good as a win. Since 2006, XU is 202-38 (.842) when scoring seven or more runs.
• Since 2011, XU's record when scoring seven has been even better at 116-14 (.892).
• Xavier has a 19-3 (.864) record in 2017 when scoring seven or more runs.
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BOMB SQUAD |
• Xavier ranks 46th nationally and first in the BIG EAST with 57 home runs on the season. XU is also 45th nationally with an average of 1.06 homers per game.
• XU has homered in nine of its last 10 games and 19 of the last 23.
• Rylan Bannon leads the team and BIG EAST while ranking 52nd in the nation with 14 longballs.
• Joe Gellenbeck ranks second on the team and is third in the BIG EAST with 10 longballs.
• The Musketeers swatted nine homers a sweep of Fairleigh Dickinson from March 31-April 2, including seven in a 22-9 win during Friday's series opener.
• 14 different Musketeers have left the yard this season, including every player that has at least 15 AB's.
• XU was one of the top power teams in the nation last season as well, hitting 59 homers in 2016. That number ranked fourth all-time in program history.
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BASE BURGLARS |
• Xavier ranks 30th in the nation with 76 stolen bases this season and 39th nationally with 1.41 steals per game.
• Will LaRue ranks 19th nationally with 23 stolen bases. The junior outfielder is 61-for-73 (84%) in steal attempts during his career.
• Will LaRue (23) and Rylan Bannon (17) rank first and third, respectively, in stolen bases in the BIG EAST.
• The Musketeers have stolen at least one base in 19 of their last 23 games and 33 of the last 38. XU has also stolen five bases in a game twice this season.
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RIDING RYLAN |
• The 2017 BIG EAST Player of the Year and unanimous first team selection, junior third baseman Rylan Bannon recovered from a slow start for the second straight season.
• After a 2-for-19 (.105) weekend at Troy, Bannon has recorded a .356 (63-for-177) line in his last 50 games with 39 runs, 12 doubles, 14 homers and 43 RBI. He's also walked 30 times against 34 strikeouts to record a team-best .468 on-base percentage.
• In a bit of a statistical oddity, Bannon also shook off a 0-for-16 start at the plate last season to hit .296 (56-for-189) the rest of the way.
• Bannon leads the BIG EAST with 125 total bases, 14 homers and a .638 slugging percentage.
• As a junior, Bannon has seen a power surge as he already ranks near the top-10 in single season homers in XU history.
XU SINGLE SEASON HOME RUNS
| Rank | Name (Year) | Total HR |
| 1 | Ben Thomas (2009) | 16 |
| Dan Froehle (1986) | 16 | |
| 3 | Ben Thomas (2011) | 15 |
| Jim Dallio (1996) | 15 | |
| Sean West (1995) | 15 | |
| 6 | Matt Watson (1999) | 14 |
| Rylan Bannon (2017) | 14 | |
| Andre Jernigan (2016) | 14 | |
| 8 | Ben Thomas (2010) | 13 |
| Mike Sak (1995) | 13 | |
| Andy Jansen (1982) | 13 | |
| Joe Gellenbeck (2016) | 13 |
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TAKING ONE FOR THE TEAM |
• Xavier ranks 55th in the nation in a painful stat, getting plunked 60 times as a team this season.
• The Musketeers have been hit by a pitch in 18 of 26 games and have also reached via HBP in 31 of the last 40 games.
• Rylan Bannon leads the team, getting hit 10 times this season.
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THE OTHER INVINCIBLE KENT |
• An All-BIG EAST First Team selection, sophomore Matt Kent has been XU's most reliable option out of the bullpen in 2017 going 5-2 in 21 appearances with a 1.21 ERA.
• Kent is currently riding his second-longest scoreless streak of the season, tossing 16.2 consecutive innings without an earned run allowed in 11 appearances since April 5.
• The righty began the year without allowing a run (earned or unearned) in his first 22.1 innings.
• Prior to March 25 against Illinois State, Kent was one of just two pitchers in college baseball to have thrown 19 innings or more without surrendering a run. The other was BIG EAST foe Ryan Testani of Seton Hall, who had thrown 19 scoreless frames and has since allowed runs as well.
• In 2016, Kent also went 10.1 innings before allowing the first earned run of his career and allowed just one run (unearned) out of the bullpen all season. For his career, Kent has thrown 53.2 innings in relief, allowing just six earned runs for a 1.02 ERA.
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LIGHTS OUT IN LEAGUE PLAY |
• The Xavier pitching staff has been much-improved in BIG EAST play, allowing two runs or less in nine of 16 games.
• As a whole, XU pitchers have posted a 3.35 ERA, striking out 124 and allowing 111 hits in 139.2 innings. Opponents are batting .215 against Musketeer pitching in 13 games.
• XU's starting rotation of Zac Lowther, Garrett Schilling and Greg Jacknewitz has been outstanding against league foes. The rotation has a 2.50 ERA in BIG EAST action, compiling a line of 79.1 IP, 60 H, 22 ER, 82 K.
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ZAC WITHOUT A K... SOMEHOW |
• Xavier's ace, junior lefty Zac Lowther, is widely considered to be one of the top MLB Draft prospects in the BIG EAST. In fact, he was recently the first-ever XU player named to the Baseball America Top 100 MLB Draft Prospect list and is the only prospect listed from the league.
• XU skipped Lowther's turn in the Fairleigh Dickinson series in an effort to have him fresh for the beginning of BIG EAST play against Villanova.
• He responded by taking a perfect game into the ninth on April 7, tying a career-high with eight innings and striking out a career-best 16 in a no-decision. The strikeouts were the most by an XU pitcher since 1997.
• A preseason All-BIG EAST selection, Lowther is 4-4 with a 3.09 ERA through 13 starts. He has limited opponents to a .163 batting average.
• In BIG EAST play, he's been even more dominant with a 2.25 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 32 innings with just 15 hits allowed.
• Lowther has racked up at least six strikeouts in eight of his last nine starts, including four double-digit games and a career-high 16 at Villanova.
• Through 13 starts, Lowther ranks second in the nation with 13.63 strikeouts per nine innings and fifth in the NCAA with 5.14 hits allowed per nine innings. He is also 16th nationally with 106 strikeouts.
• Over the summer, Lowther led the prestigious Cape Cod League in strikeouts.
XU CAREER STRIKEOUTS
| Rank | Name (Years) | Total K's |
| 1 | Lou Witte (1996-99) | 345 |
| 2 | Mike Creevy (2004-08) | 253 |
| 3 | Michael Lucas (2005-08) | 246 |
| 4 | Greg Wiggers (1999-03) | 240 |
| 5 | Zac Lowther (2015-) | 232 |
| 6 | Jon Richard (2010-13) | 212 |
| 7 | Jeff Barger (1998-01) | 203 |
XU SINGLE SEASON STRIKEOUTS
| Rank | Name (Years) | Total K's |
| 1 | Lou Witte (1997) | 107 |
| 2 | Zac Lowther (2017) | 106 |
| 3 | Tommy Shirley (2010) | 98 |
| 4 | Lou Witte (1999) | 92 |
| 5 | Bobby Bevel (1995) | 87 |
| 6 | Josh Bradford (1996) | 85 |
| 7 | Zac Lowther (2016) | 84 |
| 8 | Danny Rosenbaum (2008) | 82 |
| 9 | Bobby Bevel (1994) | 80 |
| 10 | Danny Rosenbaum (2009) | 77 |
| Lou Witte (1998) | 77 |
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SCHILLING AT THE START |
• Xavier junior Garrett Schilling is transitioning to the rotation in 2017 after serving in the bullpen for his first two years on the team.
• In BIG EAST play, Schilling has yet to allow more than two runs in a start. He has posted a 1.29 ERA in five outings, striking out 17 in 28 innings while allowing 22 hits.
• Schilling set a new career-high with six strikeouts against Ohio State (3/19).
• Schilling threw seven innings of one-run ball, striking out five and scattering three hits in his first career start at Troy (2/18). He left after throwing just 72 pitches.
• Schilling picked up his first win as a starter at Penn State (2/25), allowing just three hits and one unearned run in six innings of work.
• A lights-out closer as a sophomore, Schilling posted a 1.91 ERA (tied for eighth in XU history) and broke the school record for saves with 14.
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X CAN PICK IT |
• Xavier has made just 45 errors in 54 games this season and holds a .977 fielding percentage, a number which ranks first in the BIG EAST and 35th nationally.
• The Musketeers also rank 64th in the nation with 46 double plays this season.
• XU is on pace to set a new record for fielding percentage in 2017 after tying the mark in 2016 with a .974 fielding percentage.
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THE KID CAN PLAY |
• Freshman Conor Grammes is among XU's top offensive threats as a freshman, sporting a .317 batting average, 64 hits and a team-high 22 multi-hit games on the season.
• Grammes went 4-for-6 (.667) in two games to open up BIG EAST play at Villanova and had his best weekend yet against Fairleigh Dickinson (3/31-4/2), posting a .636 batting average (7-for-11) with a homer and six RBI in a three-game series sweep.
• Grammes has been recognized by the BIG EAST three times already this season, earning BIG EAST Player of the Week on March 21 and a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll twice (2/20, 4/4).
• Had a memorable first collegiate weekend at Troy, recording two hits in all four games from the four spot in the order. He finished the weekend batting .471 (8-for-17) with three runs, three doubles, a homer and five RBI.
• On March 21, he was named BIG EAST Player of the Week for the first time after hitting .571 (8-for-14) in a 3-1 week against No. 1 Louisville and Ohio State.
• Recorded his fifth multi-hit game of the season on March 15 at No. 1 Louisville, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.
• The McLean, Va. native has also been used out of the bullpen, logging 25.2 innings in 17 appearances with a 5.96 ERA.
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2017 WEEKLY HONORS |
• Seven different Musketeers have been honored by the BIG EAST Conference with weekly awards this season.
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GOOGS AT THE HELM |
• Head coach Scott Googins is in his 12th season in 2017 after reaching several milestones a year ago.
• Xavier's skipper became the all-time winningest baseball coach at Xavier with win No. 288 at Georgetown on April 15, 2016.
• Googins also picked up career win No. 300 on May 19, 2016 against Villanova.
• After a 29-25 regular season, his all-time record now stands 336-355 (.486).
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THE KING RETURNS |
• The Musketeers are coming off their second BIG EAST Championship run in three seasons in 2017 after sweeping both the regular season and league tournament titles in 2016. Xavier went 32-30 (14-4 BIG EAST) a year ago and brought back 26 letterwinners from its most recent title run.
• Six everyday starters are back for the Musketeers. XU also brought back 13 pitchers this year, representing all but 54 innings pitched from last season. 48.1 of those 54 innings lost were thrown by junior righty Damien Richard, who remains on the roster but is rehabbing from an injury.
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PICKED TO REPEAT |
• The defending league regular season and tournament champions, Xavier was picked to finish first in the BIG EAST for the first time in program history.
• Xavier had been picked fourth in each of its three seasons in the league prior to the first-place prediction.
• In addition to the BIG EAST poll, XU was also picked to win the league by publications like D1Baseball.com, Perfect Game and Baseball America.
Full Coaches Poll
First place votes in ( )
T1. Xavier – 32 points (4)
T1. St. John's – 32 pts. (3)
3. Creighton – 25 pts.
4. Seton Hall – 24 pts.
5. Georgetown – 17 pts.
6. Villanova – 9 pts.
7. Butler – 8 pts.
^ - denotes unanimous selection
* - due to ties in voting there are four outfielders and five starting pitchers on the 2017 Preseason All-BIG EAST team
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A RUN TO REMEMBER |
• At its lowest point in 2016, Xavier was 14-26 and 1-3 in BIG EAST play in 2016 after a series-opening loss to St. John's.
• From that point on, XU would win eight straight games and 18 of its final 22.
• XU's senior class of Dan Rizzie, Andre Jernigan and David Morton combined to hit .395 in seven postseason games, carrying the Musketeers to a BIG EAST Championship for the second time in three seasons and another trip to Nashville for the NCAA Tournament.
• The Musketeers beat host and top-seeded Vanderbilt 15-1 in the opening game of the NCAA Tournament and also picked up a win against Washington, reaching the NCAA Tournament Regional Championship for the first time in program history.
• XU hit 59 home runs as a team, ranking among the national leaders and posting the fifth-most homers ever by an XU team.
• Xavier's fielding percentage of .974 tied a program record set in 2011.
• Xavier's 32 wins in 2016 were tied for the second-most in school history.
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DRAFTING MUSKETEERS |
• Following a record-setting season, Xavier had two players selected in the MLB First-Year Player Draft for the first time since 2008. Dan Rizzie went first, going to the New York Mets in the 13th round and Andre Jernigan followed as a 14th round selection of the Minnesota Twins.
• Xavier has now had at least one player drafted in 10 of the last 12 years.
Players Mentioned
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/ BaseballHIGHLIGHTS | Baseball vs. UConn (BIG EAST Tournament)
Thursday, May 22
HIGHLIGHTS | Baseball at Penn State (Game 3)
Saturday, May 17
HIGHLIGHTS | Baseball at Creighton (Game Three)
Sunday, May 11
HIGHLIGHTS | Baseball at Creighton (Game 2)
Sunday, May 11