Xavier University Athletics
Xavier Baseball Meets Regional Host Vanderbilt to Open NCAA Tournament Play
06.01.16 | Baseball
The Musketeers are making their second regional appearance in three seasons
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Xavier baseball enters NCAA Tournament play for the second time in three years this weekend, heading to the Nashville Regional hosted by Vanderbilt at Hawkins Field. Riding a six-game winning streak, the Musketeers are coming off an undefeated run through the BIG EAST Championships.
Xavier will enter the game 30-28 overall and winners in 16 of its last 18 games. The Musketeers were also BIG EAST regular season and tournament champions, following a 14-4 run through conference play.
The winner of the Nashville Regional – which also includes No. 2 seed UC Santa Barbara and No. 3 seed Washington – will go on to face the winner of the Louisville Regional, which includes the tournament's No. 2 overall seed Louisville, Ohio State, Wright State, and Western Michigan.
Each of the 16 regionals features four teams, playing a double-elimination format. The regionals are scheduled to be conducted from Friday, June 3, to Monday, June 6 (if necessary). The 70th Men's College World Series begins play Saturday, June 18, at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska.
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NCAA Nashville Regional – June 3-6
No. 1 Vanderbilt (43-17)
No. 2 UC Santa Barbara (37-18)
No. 3 Washington (32-21)Â
No. 4 Xavier (30-28)
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NCAA Nashville Regional – Game Two
No. 1 Vanderbilt (43-17) vs. No. 4 Xavier (30-28)
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• Xavier has completely turned its season around during the last six weeks, taking five consecutive series against conference foes en route to claiming both the BIG EAST Conference regular season and tournament titles. After dropping two-of-three at Georgetown to start league play, the Musketeers took weekend series against St. John's, Butler, Seton Hall, Creighton and Villanova to close out the year.
• The Musketeers have won 16-of-18 and six straight entering the weekend. The five straight series wins were the most in a row for XU since 2011.
• After putting up a 14-4 mark in league play, the Musketeers won the BIG EAST regular season championship for the first time in program history. XU clinched the title with a weekend sweep of Villanova during the last weekend of the season, while Creighton (13-5) lost at St. John's on the final day of the season to help XU win the BIG EAST outright.Â
• XU improved to 6-1 in the BIG EAST Championships with a 3-0 run last weekend. The Musketeers failed to qualify for the 2015 event, but were the BIG EAST Champions in 2014 – the team's first year in the league.Â
• Rebounding from a frustrating 2015 season, XU surpassed last season's win total back on Sunday, April 24 – coming in a 1-0 win over St. John's.
• The Musketeers played 36 of their first 55 games away from Hayden Field in 2016. The competition was stiff early, as seven of XU's first 11 weekend opponents were 2015 NCAA Tournament teams.
• Head coach Scott Googins is in his 11th season in 2016 with 19 returners, including All-BIG EAST pitcher Trent Astle and BIG EAST Rookie of the Year Nate Soria. Seniors Dan Rizzie and Andre Jernigan were also selected preseason All-BIG EAST.
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• Xavier has participated in the NCAA Tournament twice before (2014, 2009), going 1-2 in each appearance.
• The Musketeers are 2-4 all-time in regional action.
• XU's last appearance in the NCAA Tournament came in 2014, as XU went 1-2 in the Nashville Regional at Hawkins Field.Â
• As a three-seed, XU defeated Sam Houston State, 9-6, on May 30, 2009 for its first-ever NCAA Tournament win in Houston, Texas.
• In 1967, Xavier baseball was invited to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history but forced to decline due to exam week on campus.
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• Head coach Scott Googins, now in his 11th year at Xavier, surpassed former coach John Morrey for most wins in school history on Friday, April 15 at Georgetown.
• Googins cleared 300 career wins with a 1-0 victory over Villanova on Thursday, May 19.
• Googins now has 305 wins in his first 10+ seasons, while Morrey had 287 over 12 years (1993-2004).
• Read about some of Coach Googins' biggest accomplishments at Xavier.
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• Xavier capped off a powerful offensive weekend in an 8-7 win over Creighton, launching two homers and collecting 12 hits. In three games at the BIG EAST Championships, the Musketeers plated 22 runs total and collected 38 hits.
• Dan Rizzie raked his way to MOP honors, going 5-for-5 with a run scored and a pair of RBI. He finished the tournament at .571 (8-for-14), scoring four runs and driving in six – including a walk-off in against St. John's on Thursday and a crucial three-run double in Friday's win against Creighton.
• Joe Gellenbeck tied the game in the fourth inning with his 13th home run of the season, a long drive to right center.
• Rylan Bannon got the Musketeers on the board in the fourth, smashing a two-run homer to left center – his sixth of the season.Â
• Rizzie has now reached base in 20 straight games.
• Andre Jernigan (1-for-4, R), Will LaRue (1-for-3, R, RBI, 2 SB), David Morton (2-for-4, R) and Matt Fallon (1-for-3, R) also had productive days at the plate.
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• Xavier is 0-3 against Vanderbilt this season and 2-8 in the all-time series.
• The Musketeers won the first two meetings in the series, but have dropped the last eight since 2007.
• In the first all-time meeting, Xavier won 22-8 on March 9, 1995.
• In the second meeting, XU took a close 3-2 win on March 2, 1996.
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• Senior Dan Rizzie has started four games against Vanderbilt in his career, going 1-for-3 in the 2014 NCAA Tournament and 3-for-12 in three games this season. Overall, Rizzie is batting .267 (4-for-15) and has caught 50 percent of baserunners (2-for-4) attempting to steal.
• Andre Jernigan was 0-for-3 against the Commodores in 2014, but went 3-for-7 with a pair of doubles in the series earlier this season. Overall, Jernigan is batting .300 (3-for-10) with a run scored and two doubles in the series.
• Sophomore Garrett Schilling made one appearance in this year's series, tossing two scoreless innings and striking out three.
• Friday night starter Zac Lowther lasted six innings in a 7-0 loss on March 11 against Vandy, getting charged with five earned runs and striking out four.
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• Senior catcher Dan Rizzie is coming off a sterling performance at the BIG EAST Championships, where he led XU to a 3-0 record with a .571 batting average (8-for-14) and earned MOP honors.
• Rizzie had a walk-off single in XU's first win against St. John's and then had a bases clearing double in a win against Creighton to help send XU to the title game. In the championship, Rizzie went 5-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI.
• During XU's recent 16-2 surge, Rizzie has hit .380 (30-for-79) with a team-leading 22 runs scored. Rizzie has also supplied four homers and 15 RBI, while striking out just five times in 79 plate appearances.
• A standout behind the plate, Rizzie has thrown out 60 percent (21-for-35) of attempted base stealers with just two errors in 49 starts.
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• Xavier has 52 homers already this season, which stands as sixth-most in a season by an XU team.
• Xavier ranks 34th in the nation with 54 homers and 34th in home runs per game (0.93).
• The Musketeers have homered at least once in 23 of their last 43 games, totaling 45 longballs over that span.
• Senior shortstop Andre Jernigan ranks 48th in the nation with 13 longballs.
• Joe Gellenbeck ranks 48th in the nation with 13 long flies. His 10th was a huge one, helping Xavier walk-off with a series win against Creighton on Sunday, May 15. He homered in 10 of XU's 15 weekend series.
• XU boasts the top three home run hitters in the BIG EAST Conference: Jernigan (13), Gellenbeck (13), Rizzie (9)
• Xavier launched six homers against St. John's in an 11-8 win on Saturday, April 23 at Hayden Field. It was the most homers in a game by a Xavier team since April 30, 2010 when XU bashed six against Dayton in a 21-5 win.
• Both have surpassed last year's team leader in homers, Derek Hasenbeck, who hit six in 53 games.
• Xavier has already passed last season's team total of 27 longballs.
Xavier Single Season Home Run Leaders
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• Sophomore righty Garrett Schilling has been a stalwart in the bullpen this season for Xavier, compiling 13 saves in a team-high 27 appearances to go with a team-leading 1.98 ERA.
• Schilling's 13th save, which came versus Creighton in the BIG EAST title game, tied him for the school record in a single season.
• Schilling's 13 saves also rank 12th in the nation.
• The back end of the bullpen has been a strength for XU all season, as the Musketeers are 24-0 when leading after eight innings.
Xavier Single Season Save Leaders
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• Xavier started the season 0-7 and was 14-26 (0-1 BIG EAST) after an April 23 home loss to St. John's.
• Since then, Xavier has won five straight series and 16 of its last 18 games overall. Its only losses during that stretch have come to Creighton on May 13 and Miami (OH) on May 17.
• The Musketeer bullpen has been sensational over its last 19 games, helping fuel the recent succes. The XU 'pen has recorded a 2.36 ERA (76.2 IP, 20 ER) during that stretch.
• Xavier's relief corps had a combined scoreless streak of 11.2 innings snapped last Tuesday at Miami (OH).
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• Xavier ranks 47th in the nation with a fielding percentage of .974.
• The program record for fielding percentage in a season is currently .974, a mark set in 2011.
• XU has committed 56 errors in 58 games, including 21 errorless outings.
• The Musketeers rank 36th in the NCAA with 52 double plays turned.
• Xavier turned a league-leading 28 double plays in BIG EAST action alone. Creighton was second with 14 double plays.
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• One of the top base-stealing teams in the nation, Xavier has 97 steals this season.
• 12 different players have swiped a base for Xavier.
• XU ranks 15th nationally in steals (97) and 18th in steals per game (1.67).
• Xavier stole seven bases in back-to-back games at Mercer, tallying 17 for the weekend series.
• Prior to the Mercer series (Feb. 26-28), the last time Xavier stole seven bases in a game was on March 31, 2015 at Dayton.
• Sophomore Will LaRue ranks 14th in the nation with 30 steals and 25th in the nation with 0.53 steals per game.
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• XU's last sweep, coming against Villanova from May 19-21, was its fifth of the season. It's the first time since 2011 the Musketeers have accomplished the feat.
• Xavier's sweep of Seton Hall from May 6-7 gave the Musketeers an eight-game winning streak for the first time since winning nine straight from March 6-18, 2011.
• The last time XU had four sweeps in a season was in 2013 when the Musketeers swept four series (UMass, Dayton, Evansville and St. Bonaventure)
• Xavier swept Butler from April 29-May 1 on the road and also ran the table on Central Michigan at home from March 18-20. Xavier's first sweep of the year came at USC Upstate from March 4-6, which snapped a season-opening seven game losing streak.
• Prior to the USC Upstate sweep, XU had last ran the table from April 11-13, 2014 against Villanova at Hayden Field.
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• In BIG EAST play, XU put together a 3.53 team ERA on the hill. Five Musketeer pitchers posted ERA's at 3.10 or lower in 18 BIG EAST games.
• Trey Schramm did not allow a run through his first 14 innings in league play and finished with a 1.80 ERA in 15 innings of work.
• Trent Astle (2.82 ERA, 22.1 IP), Damien Richard (2.45 ERA, 7.1 IP), Zac Lowther (3.10 ERA, 40.2 IP) and Garrett Schilling (1.69 ERA, 16 IP) were also superb in conference action.
• Xavier's pitching staff finished the Butler series with a 1.00 ERA (27 IP, 3 ER) covering all three games.Â
• XU's bullpen finished the weekend at Butler allowing just one earned run in 10 innings (0.90 ERA), including 8.1 consecutive scoreless innings to end the weekend.
• In 37 non-conference games, Xavier recorded a team ERA of 5.02.
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• Seven pitchers for XU came into 2016 without a single career appearance and five have thrown significant innings for the Musketeers this spring.Â
• Four true freshmen – Trey Schramm, Taylor Williams, Noah Malone and Sam Czabala – all made their Xavier debuts during opening weekend at Arizona State. Another rookie, Matt Kent, made his career debut on Friday, March 25 at UC, setting down the Bearcats in 1-2-3 fashion.
• Schramm and Williams are both among the team leaders in appearances, while throwing a combined 95.2 innings of relief.
• Kent worked his way into the weekend rotation after making his first career start against Miami (OH) on April 12.
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• Xavier has just three seniors on the 2016 roster (Andre Jernigan, Dan Rizzie and David Morton) after graduating 14 from its 2015 squad.
• The Musketeers lost 15 letterwinners overall and have 13 newcomers on the 2016 roster.
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· Xavier improved to 6-1 all-time in the BIG EAST Championships with an 8-7 win over Creighton in the title game.
· XU failed to qualify for the event in 2015, but have now won the title in both years the program has reached the tournament – including 2014, Xavier's first year in the league.
· In 2014, Xavier also defeated Creighton for the league title – toppling the No. 1 Bluejays as a four-seed by winning back-to-back games on championship Sunday.
· XU hit .352 as a team over the three game run.
· Dan Rizzie finished the weekend with MOP honors, hitting .571 (8-for-14) with four runs and six RBI.
· Matt Fallon was named to the All-Tournament Team after a .500 weekend (5-for-10), scoring four runs and working a pair of walks for a .583 on-base percentage.
· David Morton had a strong tournament, posting a .417 batting average (5-for-12) with a pair of runs and RBI.
· BIG EAST Player of the Year Andre Jernigan (.364) and Joe Gellenbeck (.357) had equally productive trips with a homer and three RBI apiece.
2016 BIG EAST ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
P: Garrett Schilling, Xavier                                                         Â
P: Ryan McAuliffe, St. John's                                                      Â
INF: Harrison Crawford, Creighton                                         Â
INF: Joe Gellenbeck, Xavier                                                        Â
INF: Andre Jernigan, Xavier                                                       Â
INF: John Valente, St. John's                                                       Â
OF: Matt Fallon, Xavier                                                               Â
OF: Daniel Woodrow, Creighton                                              Â
OF: Kevin Connolly, Creighton                                                  Â
C: Daniel Rizzie, Xavier                                                                Â
DH: Matt Gandy, Creighton                                                       Â
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JACK KAISER MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER
Daniel Rizzie, Sr., Xavier  Â
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• The 2016 BIG EAST Tournament was held in Aberdeen, Md. at Ripken Stadium – home of the Baltimore Orioles Single-A affiliate Aberdeen IronBirds.
• The four team field included No. 1 Xavier, No. 2 Creighton, No. 3 Seton Hall and No. 4 St. John's.
• Ripken Stadium was the third different venue in the last three years for the conference tournament after stops in Brooklyn, N.Y. (2014) and Omaha, Neb. (2015).
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• Xavier was picked fourth in the BIG EAST preseason coaches' poll, coming in just behind Seton Hall, Creighton and St. John's.
• It's the third straight season the Musketeers have been selected to finish fourth in the poll.
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• Senior Andre Jernigan has been clipped by a pitch 12 times this season, a mark tied for fifth in XU single season history. His proclivity for getting hit over his career has also moved him into third all-time in XU history in HBP.Â
• Jernigan has reached base the hard way at a prolific clip over the last three years, getting hit by a pitch 11 times both in 2014 and 2015. Both seasons are tied for eighth all-time in the XU record book.
• Jernigan's career total of 34 is third all-time at Xavier, trailing leader Mark Elwell (41 HBP, 2009-13) by seven.
• Sophomore Nate Soria reached via HBP 12 times as a freshman, a mark that was tied for fifth in a single season by a Musketeer.
All-Time Career Leaders in HBP
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• Xavier's 22 opponents posted a combined record of 672-565 (.543) in 2015, which averages out to 30.5 wins per team.
• 15 of Xavier's 22 opponents had records of .500 or better last season.
• Xavier faces eight NCAA Tournament teams from 2015, including five in its first six series of the non-conference season.
• The combined 2015 record for XU's first six opponents is 226-140 (.618).
• Eight teams made trips to the 2015 NCAA Tournament, including Arizona State, Mercer, Wright State, Louisville, Morehead State, Indiana, Vanderbilt and St. John's.
• Xavier faced four teams that won at least 41 games in 2015, including Wright State (43), Vanderbilt (51), Louisville (47) and St. John's (41).
• In addition, eight more teams on the schedule posted 30-win seasons in 2015.
• The 2014 NCAA Champions, Vanderbilt advanced to the College World Series again last season before losing to Virginia in the best-of-three series. The Commodores have won at least 51 games in each of the last three seasons.
Xavier will enter the game 30-28 overall and winners in 16 of its last 18 games. The Musketeers were also BIG EAST regular season and tournament champions, following a 14-4 run through conference play.
The winner of the Nashville Regional – which also includes No. 2 seed UC Santa Barbara and No. 3 seed Washington – will go on to face the winner of the Louisville Regional, which includes the tournament's No. 2 overall seed Louisville, Ohio State, Wright State, and Western Michigan.
Each of the 16 regionals features four teams, playing a double-elimination format. The regionals are scheduled to be conducted from Friday, June 3, to Monday, June 6 (if necessary). The 70th Men's College World Series begins play Saturday, June 18, at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska.
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 THE NASHVILLE REGION |
NCAA Nashville Regional – June 3-6
No. 1 Vanderbilt (43-17)
No. 2 UC Santa Barbara (37-18)
No. 3 Washington (32-21)Â
No. 4 Xavier (30-28)
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 THE MATCHUP |
NCAA Nashville Regional – Game Two
No. 1 Vanderbilt (43-17) vs. No. 4 Xavier (30-28)
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|  Date – Time (ET) |  Follow Live |
|  Fri., June 3 – 8 p.m. |  Stats / ESPN3 / @XavierBASE |
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 PROJECTED STARTERS |
| Fri. | LHP Zac Lowther (6-5, 3.22 ERA) vs. RHP Jordan Sheffield (8-5, 2.73 ERA) |
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 AROUND THE HORN |
• Xavier has completely turned its season around during the last six weeks, taking five consecutive series against conference foes en route to claiming both the BIG EAST Conference regular season and tournament titles. After dropping two-of-three at Georgetown to start league play, the Musketeers took weekend series against St. John's, Butler, Seton Hall, Creighton and Villanova to close out the year.
• The Musketeers have won 16-of-18 and six straight entering the weekend. The five straight series wins were the most in a row for XU since 2011.
• After putting up a 14-4 mark in league play, the Musketeers won the BIG EAST regular season championship for the first time in program history. XU clinched the title with a weekend sweep of Villanova during the last weekend of the season, while Creighton (13-5) lost at St. John's on the final day of the season to help XU win the BIG EAST outright.Â
• XU improved to 6-1 in the BIG EAST Championships with a 3-0 run last weekend. The Musketeers failed to qualify for the 2015 event, but were the BIG EAST Champions in 2014 – the team's first year in the league.Â
• Rebounding from a frustrating 2015 season, XU surpassed last season's win total back on Sunday, April 24 – coming in a 1-0 win over St. John's.
• The Musketeers played 36 of their first 55 games away from Hayden Field in 2016. The competition was stiff early, as seven of XU's first 11 weekend opponents were 2015 NCAA Tournament teams.
• Head coach Scott Googins is in his 11th season in 2016 with 19 returners, including All-BIG EAST pitcher Trent Astle and BIG EAST Rookie of the Year Nate Soria. Seniors Dan Rizzie and Andre Jernigan were also selected preseason All-BIG EAST.
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 XU IN REGIONAL PLAY |
• Xavier has participated in the NCAA Tournament twice before (2014, 2009), going 1-2 in each appearance.
• The Musketeers are 2-4 all-time in regional action.
• XU's last appearance in the NCAA Tournament came in 2014, as XU went 1-2 in the Nashville Regional at Hawkins Field.Â
• As a three-seed, XU defeated Sam Houston State, 9-6, on May 30, 2009 for its first-ever NCAA Tournament win in Houston, Texas.
• In 1967, Xavier baseball was invited to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history but forced to decline due to exam week on campus.
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 XU'S WINNINGEST COACH |
• Head coach Scott Googins, now in his 11th year at Xavier, surpassed former coach John Morrey for most wins in school history on Friday, April 15 at Georgetown.
• Googins cleared 300 career wins with a 1-0 victory over Villanova on Thursday, May 19.
• Googins now has 305 wins in his first 10+ seasons, while Morrey had 287 over 12 years (1993-2004).
• Read about some of Coach Googins' biggest accomplishments at Xavier.
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 LAST TIME OUT |
• Xavier capped off a powerful offensive weekend in an 8-7 win over Creighton, launching two homers and collecting 12 hits. In three games at the BIG EAST Championships, the Musketeers plated 22 runs total and collected 38 hits.
• Dan Rizzie raked his way to MOP honors, going 5-for-5 with a run scored and a pair of RBI. He finished the tournament at .571 (8-for-14), scoring four runs and driving in six – including a walk-off in against St. John's on Thursday and a crucial three-run double in Friday's win against Creighton.
• Joe Gellenbeck tied the game in the fourth inning with his 13th home run of the season, a long drive to right center.
• Rylan Bannon got the Musketeers on the board in the fourth, smashing a two-run homer to left center – his sixth of the season.Â
• Rizzie has now reached base in 20 straight games.
• Andre Jernigan (1-for-4, R), Will LaRue (1-for-3, R, RBI, 2 SB), David Morton (2-for-4, R) and Matt Fallon (1-for-3, R) also had productive days at the plate.
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 XU VS. VANDY |
• Xavier is 0-3 against Vanderbilt this season and 2-8 in the all-time series.
• The Musketeers won the first two meetings in the series, but have dropped the last eight since 2007.
• In the first all-time meeting, Xavier won 22-8 on March 9, 1995.
• In the second meeting, XU took a close 3-2 win on March 2, 1996.
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 CURRENT PLAYERS VS. VANDY |
• Senior Dan Rizzie has started four games against Vanderbilt in his career, going 1-for-3 in the 2014 NCAA Tournament and 3-for-12 in three games this season. Overall, Rizzie is batting .267 (4-for-15) and has caught 50 percent of baserunners (2-for-4) attempting to steal.
• Andre Jernigan was 0-for-3 against the Commodores in 2014, but went 3-for-7 with a pair of doubles in the series earlier this season. Overall, Jernigan is batting .300 (3-for-10) with a run scored and two doubles in the series.
• Sophomore Garrett Schilling made one appearance in this year's series, tossing two scoreless innings and striking out three.
• Friday night starter Zac Lowther lasted six innings in a 7-0 loss on March 11 against Vandy, getting charged with five earned runs and striking out four.
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 PROJECTED LINEUP |
| Name (Class) | Position | Notes |
| Rylan Bannon (So.) | Third Base | 2016 All-BIG EAST First Team selection... Started season 0-for-16 and is 50-for-173 (.289) with six homers and 23 RBI since... posted an OBP of .420 in BIG EAST play... second on team with .385 OBP overall... enters the tournament with a 10-game hitting streak... has reached base in each of his last 13 games... had an 11-game hitting streak snapped on April 12 at Miami (OH)... has reached base in 32 of his last 37 games... hit .500 (4-for-8) with a homer in the Creighton series two weekends ago... drew five walks in the series to post an incredible .714 on-base percentage... |
| Daniel Rizzie (Sr.) | Catcher | 2016 All-BIG EAST First Team selection... 2016 BIG EAST Championships Most Outstanding Player... went 8-for-14 (.571) with four runs scored and six RBI at BIG EAST Championships... had career-high five hits (5-for-5) in the title game against Creighton... 2016 Preseason All-BIG EAST... 2016 Johnny Bench Award Watch List... missed most of last season with a hand injury... has reached base in 20 straight games... batting .380 (30-for-79) with four homers during XU's 16-2 run... has struck out just five times in 79 AB's during that stretch... leads team with 22 multi-hit performances, including five in his past six games... |
| Joe Gellenbeck (Jr.) | First Base | 2016 All-BIG EAST Second Team selection... homered in 10 of XU's 15 weekend series... has game-winning hits in three of XU's last nine games... leads team and BIG EAST with 48 RBI... tied for first on team with 13 homers... hit first career home run in game two of Feb. 20 doubleheader at ASU... hit .500 (6-for-12) and had a pair of walk-offs in Creighton series... named BIG EAST Player of the Week after Villanova series... batted .400 (6-for-15) against the Wildcats, supplying six RBI and a grand slam on Saturday as XU clinched the league title... |
| Andre Jernigan (Sr.) | Shortstop | 2016 BIG EAST Player of the Year... All-BIG EAST First Team... Preseason All-BIG EAST... tied for team and BIG EAST lead with 13 homers... second on team and in BIG EAST with 118 total bases... also leads team with 12 HBP... second on team with 40 RBI and third with 36 runs scored... four triples are most in a season by a Musketeer since Stephen Schoettmer in 2013... has made 166 starts at SS in last three-plus seasons... |
| Nate Soria (So.) | Right Field | 2016 All-BIG EAST First Team... Led 2015 team in BA (.335), 2B (11) and OBP (.420)... has reached base in 71 of last 88 games going back to 2015... had a streak of five straight multi-hit games snapped on Tuesday, April 19 at NKU... tied for team lead with .333 batting average (20-for-60) in BIG EAST play... had first career multi-HR effort on Saturday, April 23 in game two win against St. John's (2-for-3, 3 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI)... |
| Chris Givin (Fr.) | Second Base | Second on team with .293 batting average on the season... tied for team lead with .333 batting average (21-for-63) in BIG EAST play... has a hit in 23 of his last 33 games... OBP of .386 leads XU... 22-for-44 (.500) total in back-to-back weekend series at Butler and Seton Hall... named BIG EAST Player of the Week after hitting .500 in Seton Hall series... |
| Will LaRue (So.) | Left Field | Ranks 14th nationally with 30 stolen bases and 25th nationally with 0.53 steals per game... fourth on team with 35 runs... fourth on team with 22 walks... had a huge three-run double with two outs in a comeback win vs. Creighton (5/14)... saw a team-leading 10-game hitting streak snapped last Friday vs. Creighton... |
| David Morton (Sr.) | Designated Hitter | Made start on Thursday's BIG EAST Championships opener against St. John's and went 2-for-4 with a pair of go-ahead RBI... went 1-for-4 in the Creighton win, scoring a run... finished BIG EAST Championships batting .417 (5-for-12) with a pair of runs scored... |
| Matt Fallon (Jr.) | Center Field | Transfer from Black Hawk College (JC)... scored game-winning run in Thursday night's BIG EAST Championship opener against St. John's... tied a season-high with three hits in the Creighton win last Friday... second on team with a .500 batting average (5-for-10, 4 R) in the BIG EAST Tournament... has reached base in 46 of 58 games this season... leads team with 32 walks... |
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 PROJECTED STARTER |
| Day | Name (Class) | Throws | Notes |
| Fri. | Zac Lowther | LHP | 2016 All-BIG EAST Second Team... has lasted at least five innings in 14 of his 15 turns as XU's Friday night starter... leads team in innings (95) and strikeouts (76)... leads BIG EAST with 29 strikeouts looking... turned in a brilliant start at USC Upstate (3/4), tying career-highs with seven innings of one-run ball... struck out a career-high eight in six innings of shutout ball against CMU (3/18)... spun six innings of scoreless ball against Illinois State on Friday, striking out seven... limited Morehead State to one run over seven innings (4/8)... After allowing four runs in each of first two BIG EAST starts, rebounded to post seven innings of one-run ball at Butler (4/29)... picked up a win at Seton Hall (5/6), going six and allowing two earned runs to go with seven strikeouts... named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week (5/23) after firing a career-high eight innings of shutout ball vs. Villanova last Thursday... tied a career-high with eight strikeouts in the start vs. 'Nova (5/19)... coming off shortest start of the season (4.1 IP) against St. John's (5/26)... |
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 BULLPEN |
| Name (Class) | Throws | Notes |
| Garrett Schilling (So.) | RHP | 2016 All-BIG EAST Second Team... leads XU with 27 appearances... has the win or save in 11 of XU's last 17 games (seven saves, four wins)... leads team with a 1.98 ERA... ranks 12th in the nation in saves... tied for first on single season all-time save list for XU with Jordan Conley (2009)... had a streak of 16.2 innings without an earned run snapped at Georgetown (4/17)... Earned back-to-back saves in games two and three at USC Upstate (3/5-6)... put up a career-high three innings of one-run relief in game four at ASU (2/21)... saved back-to-back wins vs. St. John's (4/23-24)... was on the mound when XU clinched the BIG EAST regular season and tournament titles... |
| Trey Schramm (Fr.) | RHP | Tied for second on team with 25 appearances... has pitched 1+ innings in 18 of 25 appearances... saw a 20-inning scoreless streak snapped against Villanova (5/20)... has dropped ERA from 5.63-3.46 since April 2... allowed just three runs in league play (8 APP, 15 IP, 5 K)... Threw 1.1 innings of scoreless relief in career debut at ASU (2/20)... tossed 3.2 innings with four strikeouts in series finale at Mercer (2/28)... earned first career win in Saturday game at USC Upstate, going three innings and striking out three (3/5)... tied a season-high with 3.2 innings of scoreless relief against Morehead State (4/10)... struck out two in two scoreless frames at Butler, helping XU seal a weekend sweep (5/1)... pitched a career-high five innings in game two win vs. Villanova (5/20), going four scoreless before allowing three in the ninth of a blowout win... |
| Taylor Williams (Fr.) | RHP | Tied for second on team with 25 appearances... sparkled in career debut, striking out six in 2.1 innings of relief at ASU (2/20)... struck out three in two innings of quality relief at UC (3/25)... went a career-high four innings at Miami (OH), striking out four (4/12)... picked up first career save with two innings of scoreless relief at Butler (5/1)... struck out two over 2.1 innings of scoreless relief vs. Creighton, helping XU come-from-behind to win the series in walk-off fashion (5/15)... tossed 3.1 combined scoreless innings against Creighton at the BIG EAST Championships... |
| Greg Jacknewitz (Jr.) | LHP | Ranked sixth in the nation in hits per nine innings (5.37) in 2015... Twirled 6.2 innings of two-run ball in first outing at ASU (2/20)... went six innings and allowed just two runs in XU's win at USC Upstate (3/5)... last five appearances have been out of the bullpen after making eight straight starts to open the year... tossed two scoreless innings on Tuesday at Miami (OH), striking out a pair (5/17)... pitched final two innings of Saturday's BIG EAST title clincher, allowing no runs and striking out two (5/21)... |
| Brad Kirschner (Jr.) | LHP | Took five turns in weekend rotation in 2016... got the ball in seven starts and has made 10 relief appearances... has a 5.66 ERA as a starter (35 innings, 22 ER, 20 K)... has thrown 22 innings out of the 'pen, posting a 4.50 ERA (22 IP, 11 ER, 21 K)... posted back-to-back brilliant relief appearances in BIG EAST play... tossed 6.2 innings, striking out six and scattering six hits in game two win at Seton Hall (5/7)... threw 4.1 scoreless innings in relief on Saturday vs. Creighton, helping Xavier come-from-behind to even the series (5/14)... |
| Trent Astle (Jr.) | LHP | 2015 All-BIG EAST Second Team... tossed a complete game shutout against Creighton in 2014 BIG EAST Championship Game... posted a 3-0 record to go with a 2.82 ERA in 22.1 innings during league play... won three of four BIG EAST starts, helping seal sweeps against Butler, Seton Hall and Villanova... went five innings, allowing just one run at Butler (5/1)... lasted a season-high seven innings and gave up just two runs on Saturday at Seton Hall (5/7), helping XU to a 10-6 win... second on team with 60.2 innings pitched... tied a season-high with seven innings of scoreless ball, striking out four to lead XU to BIG EAST regular season title clincher against Villanova (5/21)... went 5.2 innings, getting the win and allowing three runs to help XU get to the BIG EAST title game (5/27)... |
| Damien Richard (So.) | RHP | Has made 15 appearances (10 in relief, five starts)... has also taken two turns in weekend rotation... started first career game at Wright State (3/8)... has thrown 26 innings out of the bullpen, compiling a 2.42 ERA (7 ER) as a reliever... has a 2.45 ERA in league play (3 APP, 7.1 IP, 2 ER, 3 K)... tossed five innings, allowing three runs and striking out three to get the win at Illinois State (4/3)... pitched well in last start at NKU, going a career-high six innings and limiting the Norse to one run on three hits (4/19)... helped XU seal a win on Saturday, throwing 4.1 innings of one-run relief against St. John's (4/23)... posted two innings of scoreless relief at Butler (5/1) to help seal a weekend sweep... |
| Matt Kent (Fr.)Â Â Â Â | RHP | Second on team with 2.95 ERA in 36.2 innings... has limited opponents to a .265 batting average... didn't make career debut until March 25 at Cincinnati, but tossed 10.1 innings before allowing an earned run... still has yet to allow an earned run in relief (9 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 8 K)... made first career start at Miami (OH) on April 12, throwing four innings and allowing just one earned run... went a career-high six innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out three against Georgetown (4/17)... clinched back-to-back series for XU, winning game two starts vs. St. John's (4/24) and at Butler (5/1)... |
| Brandon Johnson (So.) | RHP | Allowed five earned runs in first career start in game three at ASU (2/20)... tossed a scoreless inning at nationally-ranked Louisville (3/15)... |
| Jason Hall (Jr.) | RHP | Made season debut at Mercer, tossing 1.1 innings of scoreless relief (2/28)... threw a scoreless inning at Illinois State (4/1)... finished out XU's midweek loss to IU (4/20)... |
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 RIZZDICULOUS |
• Senior catcher Dan Rizzie is coming off a sterling performance at the BIG EAST Championships, where he led XU to a 3-0 record with a .571 batting average (8-for-14) and earned MOP honors.
• Rizzie had a walk-off single in XU's first win against St. John's and then had a bases clearing double in a win against Creighton to help send XU to the title game. In the championship, Rizzie went 5-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI.
• During XU's recent 16-2 surge, Rizzie has hit .380 (30-for-79) with a team-leading 22 runs scored. Rizzie has also supplied four homers and 15 RBI, while striking out just five times in 79 plate appearances.
• A standout behind the plate, Rizzie has thrown out 60 percent (21-for-35) of attempted base stealers with just two errors in 49 starts.
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 BOMBS AWAY |
• Xavier has 52 homers already this season, which stands as sixth-most in a season by an XU team.
• Xavier ranks 34th in the nation with 54 homers and 34th in home runs per game (0.93).
• The Musketeers have homered at least once in 23 of their last 43 games, totaling 45 longballs over that span.
• Senior shortstop Andre Jernigan ranks 48th in the nation with 13 longballs.
• Joe Gellenbeck ranks 48th in the nation with 13 long flies. His 10th was a huge one, helping Xavier walk-off with a series win against Creighton on Sunday, May 15. He homered in 10 of XU's 15 weekend series.
• XU boasts the top three home run hitters in the BIG EAST Conference: Jernigan (13), Gellenbeck (13), Rizzie (9)
• Xavier launched six homers against St. John's in an 11-8 win on Saturday, April 23 at Hayden Field. It was the most homers in a game by a Xavier team since April 30, 2010 when XU bashed six against Dayton in a 21-5 win.
• Both have surpassed last year's team leader in homers, Derek Hasenbeck, who hit six in 53 games.
• Xavier has already passed last season's team total of 27 longballs.
Xavier Single Season Home Run Leaders
| Name or Names (Year or Years) | Home Runs |
| Ben Thomas (2009), Dan Froehle (1986) | 16 |
| Ben Thomas (2011), Jim Dallio (1996), Sean West (1995) | 15 |
| Matt Watson (1999) | 14 |
| Ben Thomas (2010), Mike Sak (1995), Andy Jansen (1982), Andre Jernigan (2016), Joe Gellenbeck (2016) | 13 |
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 SCHILLING SAVES IT |
• Sophomore righty Garrett Schilling has been a stalwart in the bullpen this season for Xavier, compiling 13 saves in a team-high 27 appearances to go with a team-leading 1.98 ERA.
• Schilling's 13th save, which came versus Creighton in the BIG EAST title game, tied him for the school record in a single season.
• Schilling's 13 saves also rank 12th in the nation.
• The back end of the bullpen has been a strength for XU all season, as the Musketeers are 24-0 when leading after eight innings.
Xavier Single Season Save Leaders
| Name or Names (Year or Years) | Saves |
| Jordan Conley (2009) Garrett Schilling (2016) |
13 |
| Seth Willoughby (2012) | 12 |
| Jordan Conley (2008) | 10 |
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 THE TURNAROUND |
• Xavier started the season 0-7 and was 14-26 (0-1 BIG EAST) after an April 23 home loss to St. John's.
• Since then, Xavier has won five straight series and 16 of its last 18 games overall. Its only losses during that stretch have come to Creighton on May 13 and Miami (OH) on May 17.
• The Musketeer bullpen has been sensational over its last 19 games, helping fuel the recent succes. The XU 'pen has recorded a 2.36 ERA (76.2 IP, 20 ER) during that stretch.
• Xavier's relief corps had a combined scoreless streak of 11.2 innings snapped last Tuesday at Miami (OH).
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| Stat | At 14-26 | Since |
| ERA | 5.02 | 3.63 |
| BA | .244 | .292 |
| SLG% | .382 | .442 |
| OBP | .325 | .386 |
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 X CAN PICK IT |
• Xavier ranks 47th in the nation with a fielding percentage of .974.
• The program record for fielding percentage in a season is currently .974, a mark set in 2011.
• XU has committed 56 errors in 58 games, including 21 errorless outings.
• The Musketeers rank 36th in the NCAA with 52 double plays turned.
• Xavier turned a league-leading 28 double plays in BIG EAST action alone. Creighton was second with 14 double plays.
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 BASE BURGLARS |
• One of the top base-stealing teams in the nation, Xavier has 97 steals this season.
• 12 different players have swiped a base for Xavier.
• XU ranks 15th nationally in steals (97) and 18th in steals per game (1.67).
• Xavier stole seven bases in back-to-back games at Mercer, tallying 17 for the weekend series.
• Prior to the Mercer series (Feb. 26-28), the last time Xavier stole seven bases in a game was on March 31, 2015 at Dayton.
• Sophomore Will LaRue ranks 14th in the nation with 30 steals and 25th in the nation with 0.53 steals per game.
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 BUSTING OUT THE BROOMS |
• XU's last sweep, coming against Villanova from May 19-21, was its fifth of the season. It's the first time since 2011 the Musketeers have accomplished the feat.
• Xavier's sweep of Seton Hall from May 6-7 gave the Musketeers an eight-game winning streak for the first time since winning nine straight from March 6-18, 2011.
• The last time XU had four sweeps in a season was in 2013 when the Musketeers swept four series (UMass, Dayton, Evansville and St. Bonaventure)
• Xavier swept Butler from April 29-May 1 on the road and also ran the table on Central Michigan at home from March 18-20. Xavier's first sweep of the year came at USC Upstate from March 4-6, which snapped a season-opening seven game losing streak.
• Prior to the USC Upstate sweep, XU had last ran the table from April 11-13, 2014 against Villanova at Hayden Field.
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 STEPPING IT UP ON THE MOUND |
• In BIG EAST play, XU put together a 3.53 team ERA on the hill. Five Musketeer pitchers posted ERA's at 3.10 or lower in 18 BIG EAST games.
• Trey Schramm did not allow a run through his first 14 innings in league play and finished with a 1.80 ERA in 15 innings of work.
• Trent Astle (2.82 ERA, 22.1 IP), Damien Richard (2.45 ERA, 7.1 IP), Zac Lowther (3.10 ERA, 40.2 IP) and Garrett Schilling (1.69 ERA, 16 IP) were also superb in conference action.
• Xavier's pitching staff finished the Butler series with a 1.00 ERA (27 IP, 3 ER) covering all three games.Â
• XU's bullpen finished the weekend at Butler allowing just one earned run in 10 innings (0.90 ERA), including 8.1 consecutive scoreless innings to end the weekend.
• In 37 non-conference games, Xavier recorded a team ERA of 5.02.
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 YOUNG GUNS |
• Seven pitchers for XU came into 2016 without a single career appearance and five have thrown significant innings for the Musketeers this spring.Â
• Four true freshmen – Trey Schramm, Taylor Williams, Noah Malone and Sam Czabala – all made their Xavier debuts during opening weekend at Arizona State. Another rookie, Matt Kent, made his career debut on Friday, March 25 at UC, setting down the Bearcats in 1-2-3 fashion.
• Schramm and Williams are both among the team leaders in appearances, while throwing a combined 95.2 innings of relief.
• Kent worked his way into the weekend rotation after making his first career start against Miami (OH) on April 12.
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 YOUTH MOVEMENT |
• Xavier has just three seniors on the 2016 roster (Andre Jernigan, Dan Rizzie and David Morton) after graduating 14 from its 2015 squad.
• The Musketeers lost 15 letterwinners overall and have 13 newcomers on the 2016 roster.
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 XU AT THE BIG EAST TOURNEY |
· Xavier improved to 6-1 all-time in the BIG EAST Championships with an 8-7 win over Creighton in the title game.
· XU failed to qualify for the event in 2015, but have now won the title in both years the program has reached the tournament – including 2014, Xavier's first year in the league.
· In 2014, Xavier also defeated Creighton for the league title – toppling the No. 1 Bluejays as a four-seed by winning back-to-back games on championship Sunday.
· XU hit .352 as a team over the three game run.
· Dan Rizzie finished the weekend with MOP honors, hitting .571 (8-for-14) with four runs and six RBI.
· Matt Fallon was named to the All-Tournament Team after a .500 weekend (5-for-10), scoring four runs and working a pair of walks for a .583 on-base percentage.
· David Morton had a strong tournament, posting a .417 batting average (5-for-12) with a pair of runs and RBI.
· BIG EAST Player of the Year Andre Jernigan (.364) and Joe Gellenbeck (.357) had equally productive trips with a homer and three RBI apiece.
2016 BIG EAST ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
P: Garrett Schilling, Xavier                                                         Â
P: Ryan McAuliffe, St. John's                                                      Â
INF: Harrison Crawford, Creighton                                         Â
INF: Joe Gellenbeck, Xavier                                                        Â
INF: Andre Jernigan, Xavier                                                       Â
INF: John Valente, St. John's                                                       Â
OF: Matt Fallon, Xavier                                                               Â
OF: Daniel Woodrow, Creighton                                              Â
OF: Kevin Connolly, Creighton                                                  Â
C: Daniel Rizzie, Xavier                                                                Â
DH: Matt Gandy, Creighton                                                       Â
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JACK KAISER MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER
Daniel Rizzie, Sr., Xavier  Â
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 2016 BIG EAST TOURNAMENT |
• The 2016 BIG EAST Tournament was held in Aberdeen, Md. at Ripken Stadium – home of the Baltimore Orioles Single-A affiliate Aberdeen IronBirds.
• The four team field included No. 1 Xavier, No. 2 Creighton, No. 3 Seton Hall and No. 4 St. John's.
• Ripken Stadium was the third different venue in the last three years for the conference tournament after stops in Brooklyn, N.Y. (2014) and Omaha, Neb. (2015).
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 BIG EAST PROGNOSTICATIONS |
• Xavier was picked fourth in the BIG EAST preseason coaches' poll, coming in just behind Seton Hall, Creighton and St. John's.
• It's the third straight season the Musketeers have been selected to finish fourth in the poll.
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 TAKING ONE FOR THE TEAM |
• Senior Andre Jernigan has been clipped by a pitch 12 times this season, a mark tied for fifth in XU single season history. His proclivity for getting hit over his career has also moved him into third all-time in XU history in HBP.Â
• Jernigan has reached base the hard way at a prolific clip over the last three years, getting hit by a pitch 11 times both in 2014 and 2015. Both seasons are tied for eighth all-time in the XU record book.
• Jernigan's career total of 34 is third all-time at Xavier, trailing leader Mark Elwell (41 HBP, 2009-13) by seven.
• Sophomore Nate Soria reached via HBP 12 times as a freshman, a mark that was tied for fifth in a single season by a Musketeer.
All-Time Career Leaders in HBP
| Name (Years at XU) | HBP |
| Mark Elwell (2009-13) | 41 |
| John McCambridge (2008-11) | 39 |
| Andre Jernigan (2013-Present) | 34 |
| Bill Fish (1996-99) | 33 |
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 2016 OPPONENT BREAKDOWN |
• Xavier's 22 opponents posted a combined record of 672-565 (.543) in 2015, which averages out to 30.5 wins per team.
• 15 of Xavier's 22 opponents had records of .500 or better last season.
• Xavier faces eight NCAA Tournament teams from 2015, including five in its first six series of the non-conference season.
• The combined 2015 record for XU's first six opponents is 226-140 (.618).
• Eight teams made trips to the 2015 NCAA Tournament, including Arizona State, Mercer, Wright State, Louisville, Morehead State, Indiana, Vanderbilt and St. John's.
• Xavier faced four teams that won at least 41 games in 2015, including Wright State (43), Vanderbilt (51), Louisville (47) and St. John's (41).
• In addition, eight more teams on the schedule posted 30-win seasons in 2015.
• The 2014 NCAA Champions, Vanderbilt advanced to the College World Series again last season before losing to Virginia in the best-of-three series. The Commodores have won at least 51 games in each of the last three seasons.
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