Xavier University Athletics
Friday, February 17
Troy, Ala.
7 p.m.
Xavier University
at
Troy
Xavier Baseball Embarks on 2017 Campaign This Weekend at Troy
02.16.17 | Baseball
Musketeers enter season with high expectations after winning second BIG EAST Championship in 2016
TROY, Ala. – Defending BIG EAST champion Xavier baseball gets back to action this weekend, playing a four-game set against Troy at Riddle-Pace Field.
The season officially opens on Friday night at 7 p.m. ET with a doubleheader scheduled for Saturday, beginning at 2 p.m. The series finale will begin on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Friday and Sunday's games will be available via live stream on TroyTrojans.com and live stats will be offered for all four games this weekend.
*Garrett Schilling's start on Saturday will be the first of his Xavier career.
• 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 brings back 27 letterwinners from its most recent title run.
• Six everyday starters, in addition to most of the pitching staff, will be back for the Musketeers.
• XU also returns All-BIG EAST First Team selections Rylan Bannon and Nate Soria, as well as All-BIG EAST Second Team honorees Zac Lowther, Joe Gellenbeck and Garrett Schilling.
• Xavier junior Garrett Schilling will look to become a key rotation piece in 2017 after serving in the bullpen for his first two years on the team.
• 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.
• 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.
• Head coach Scott Googins begins his 12th season in 2017 after reaching a couple 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.
• Googins also picked up career win No. 300 on May 19 against Villanova.
• His all-time record entering the 2017 season stands at 307-330 (.482).
• One of just four unanimous preseason All-BIG EAST selections, senior Joe Gellenbeck was named the program's first-ever preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year in December. The lefty swinger had a breakout season in 2016, homering in 10 of XU's 15 weekend series and leading the BIG EAST with 51 RBI and 125 total bases. A force in the middle of the lineup, the Lebanon, Ohio native and St. Xavier grad also ranked second for Xavier with 13 homers, 16 doubles, 41 runs, 70 hits and a .508 slugging percentage.
• Clutch in big moments, Gellenbeck had back-to-back walk-off hits to clinch a series win over Creighton in mid-May in addition to a game-tying homer in the third inning of the 2016 BIG EAST Championship game.
• Gellenbeck played in and tied all 62 games for Xavier last season, tying a school record, while also hitting .300 (9-for-30) with a homer and six RBI in seven postseason starts.
• Seven Musketeers – Nate Soria, Joe Gellenbeck, Chris Givin, Rylan Bannon, Will LaRue, Zac Lowther and Garrett Schilling – were selected by the league's coaches as Preseason All-BIG EAST honorees – the most for the program since joining the league for the 2014 season.
• Xavier had two preseason All-BIG EAST selections in each of the last two seasons and had one selection during its first year in the league.
• The seven selections more than doubles the total preseason All-BIG EAST picks in Xavier's proram history. The Musketeers had five overall in the last three seasons.
• Each of the selections is a first-time honoree.
• Five juniors, one senior and one sophomore were honored for Xavier.
• 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 on Tuesday.
• 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
The season officially opens on Friday night at 7 p.m. ET with a doubleheader scheduled for Saturday, beginning at 2 p.m. The series finale will begin on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Friday and Sunday's games will be available via live stream on TroyTrojans.com and live stats will be offered for all four games this weekend.
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PITCHING MATCHUPS |
| Game | Xavier | Troy |
| 1 | Zac Lowther, LHP | Corey Childress, RHP |
| 2 | Garrett Schilling, RHP | Evan Hebert, LHP |
| 3 | Trent Astle, LHP | Daren Osby, RHP |
| 4 | Greg Jacknewitz, LHP | Houston Mabray, RHP |
*Garrett Schilling's start on Saturday will be the first of his Xavier career.
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PROJECTED LINEUP |
| Name | Class | Position | Hometown (HS) | Notes |
| Chris Givin | SO | SS | Castle Rock, Colo. (Rock Canyon) |
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... |
| Rylan Bannon | JR | 3B | Joliet, Ill. (Joliet Catholic) |
Preseason All-BIG EAST selection... 2016 All-BIG EAST First Team selection... 2016 NCAA Tournament Nashville All-Regional Team... had a breakout season, shaking off a 0-for-16 start at the plate to hit .296 (56-for-189) the rest of the way... became a sparkplug 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 | SR | RF | Lebanon, Ohio (St. Xavier) | Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year... unanimous preseason All-BIG EAST selection... 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... |
| Connor Grammes | FR | DH | McLean, Va. (McLean) | Expected to play a big role as a freshman, stepping into clean-up role immediately... could also see time around the infield and in bullpen... 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... |
| Nate Soria | JR | C | Homer Glen, Ill. (St. Rita of Cascia) | Preseason All-BIG EAST selection... 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... has reached base in 75 of last 92 games going back to 2015... returning to catcher role after serving as an outfielder/DH during sophomore season... |
| Mitch Gallagher | JR | 2B | Bradenton, Fla. (IMG Academy) | 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... |
| Will LaRue | JR | LF | Evansville, Ind. (Mater Dei) |
Preseason All-BIG EAST selection... Appeared in 61 games with 60 starts during a breakout season... became one of the nation's best basestealers... 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... |
| Ethan Schmidt | SR | 1B | Granville, Ohio (Granville) | 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... |
| Matt Fallon | SR | CF | Glenview, Ill. (Loyola) | Played in all 62 games last season, tying XU record, and made 61 starts... named to 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 on May 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... |
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WEEKEND ROTATION |
| Zac Lowther | JR | LHP | Brooklyn Heights, Ohio (Cuyahoga Heights) |
Preseason All-BIG EAST selection... 2016 All-BIG EAST Second Team selection... developed into Xavier's Friday starter and one of the top pitchers in the BIG EAST during breakout sophomore season... 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... led prestigious Cape Cod League in strikeouts over the summer... widely considered to be the top MLB Draft prospect in the BIG EAST... |
| Garrett Schilling | JR | RHP | Clawson, Mich. (Bishop Foley) |
Preseason All-BIG EAST selection... will be making first career start over the weekend after spending his first two years in the bullpen... 2016 All-BIG EAST Second Team selection... 2016 BIG EAST All-Tournament Team... made a team-leading 29 appearances out of the bullpen, tied for sixth in XU single season history... turned in one of the best season's in XU history by a closer... set a new Xavier single season record, while leading the BIG EAST and ranking seventh in NCAA Division I with 14 saves... led team with a 1.91 ERA, which ranks tied for eighth in XU single season history... tied for third on team with four wins... third in the league with 24 games finished... |
| Trent Astle | SR | LHP | Jeffersonville, Ind. (Jeffersonville) | Was fantastic in BIG EAST play in 2016, leading XU starters with a 3-0 record and a 2.82 ERA... helped seal series sweeps against Butler, Seton Hall and Villanova with game three wins... was second on team in starts (15), innings (69.2) and tied for second in wins (5)... was the winning pitcher in XU's win over Villanova to clinch the regular season title... was All-BIG EAST Second Team as a sophomore in 2015 after posting a career-best 3.42 ERA and leading XU in IP, K and GS... three a complete-game, three-hit shutout against No. 1 seeded Creighton to lead XU to the 2014 BIG EAST Championship as a freshman in 2014... |
| Greg Jacknewitz | SR | LHP | Delaware, Ohio (Bishop Watterson) | Made 16 appearances and nine starts in 2016... was fifth on team with 53 innings pitched and third on the team in strikeouts with 39... helped clinch the BIG EAST regular season title with two innings of scoreless relief in a win against Villanova... Made a team-high 20 appearances and ranked sixth in the nation with 5.37 hits allowed per game as a sophomore in 2015... |
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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 brings back 27 letterwinners from its most recent title run.
• Six everyday starters, in addition to most of the pitching staff, will be back for the Musketeers.
• XU also returns All-BIG EAST First Team selections Rylan Bannon and Nate Soria, as well as All-BIG EAST Second Team honorees Zac Lowther, Joe Gellenbeck and Garrett Schilling.
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SCHILLING TO ROTATION |
• Xavier junior Garrett Schilling will look to become a key rotation piece in 2017 after serving in the bullpen for his first two years on the team.
• 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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A RUN + RECORDS 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.
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A MILESTONE YEAR FOR GOOGS |
• Head coach Scott Googins begins his 12th season in 2017 after reaching a couple 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.
• Googins also picked up career win No. 300 on May 19 against Villanova.
• His all-time record entering the 2017 season stands at 307-330 (.482).
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XU'S FIRST PRESEASON POY |
• One of just four unanimous preseason All-BIG EAST selections, senior Joe Gellenbeck was named the program's first-ever preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year in December. The lefty swinger had a breakout season in 2016, homering in 10 of XU's 15 weekend series and leading the BIG EAST with 51 RBI and 125 total bases. A force in the middle of the lineup, the Lebanon, Ohio native and St. Xavier grad also ranked second for Xavier with 13 homers, 16 doubles, 41 runs, 70 hits and a .508 slugging percentage.
• Clutch in big moments, Gellenbeck had back-to-back walk-off hits to clinch a series win over Creighton in mid-May in addition to a game-tying homer in the third inning of the 2016 BIG EAST Championship game.
• Gellenbeck played in and tied all 62 games for Xavier last season, tying a school record, while also hitting .300 (9-for-30) with a homer and six RBI in seven postseason starts.
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SEVEN ALL-BIG EAST PICKS |
• Seven Musketeers – Nate Soria, Joe Gellenbeck, Chris Givin, Rylan Bannon, Will LaRue, Zac Lowther and Garrett Schilling – were selected by the league's coaches as Preseason All-BIG EAST honorees – the most for the program since joining the league for the 2014 season.
• Xavier had two preseason All-BIG EAST selections in each of the last two seasons and had one selection during its first year in the league.
• The seven selections more than doubles the total preseason All-BIG EAST picks in Xavier's proram history. The Musketeers had five overall in the last three seasons.
• Each of the selections is a first-time honoree.
• Five juniors, one senior and one sophomore were honored for Xavier.
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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 on Tuesday.
• 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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VIDEO |
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C
/ BaseballHIGHLIGHTS | Baseball vs. UConn (BIG EAST Tournament)
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Saturday, May 17
HIGHLIGHTS | Baseball at Creighton (Game Three)
Sunday, May 11
HIGHLIGHTS | Baseball at Creighton (Game 2)
Sunday, May 11