Xavier University Athletics
Friday, April 21
Hayden Field
3 p.m.
Xavier University
vs
Butler
Baseball Continues BIG EAST Play, Hosting For Butler for Three-Game Set at Hayden Field
04.20.17 | Baseball
XU enters 3-3 in league play and coming off a series win against Seton Hall last weekend
CINCINNATI – Xavier baseball returns to BIG EAST play this weekend at Hayden Field, hosting Butler for a three-game set.
The Musketeers (21-17, 3-3 BIG EAST) are coming off a series win against Seton Hall last weekend, while Butler enters at 23-13 and 2-4 in BIG EAST action.
• Xavier fell 12-6 to Miami (OH) in the championship game of the ninth annual Joe Nuxhall Classic, an annual tournament featuring four regional teams (UC, XU, Wright State and Miami).
• XU was appearing in the Joe Nuxhall Classic Championship for the first time since 2009 after a 9-1 win over UC on Tuesday.
• Matt Fallon continued to produce, going 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and a run scored. In his last four games, the senior center fielder is 7-for-12 (.583) with two homers, eight runs scored and six RBI.
• Joe Gellenbeck also had a second straight multi-hit day, recording a 3-for-5 line with three doubles, a run scored and two RBI.
• Will LaRue went 1-for-1 with three walks and his 18th stolen base of the year. LaRue is now batting .343 (24-for-70) over his last 22 games.
• The Musketeers worked seven walks as a team and have had a base on balls in all 38 games this season.
• XU has stolen at least one base in seven straight games, including 21 of the last 22 games.
• XU has homered in six of the last seven games.
• A painful streak continued over the last week as an XU player has been hit by a pitch in 10 straight games.
• Matt Fallon, Mitch Gallagher and Rylan Bannon all bring four game hitting streaks into the weekend.
• Bannon has reached base in a team-high 13 straight games. Chris Givin ranks second with an eight game reached base streak.
• The Musketeers have drawn at least one walk in all 38 games this season. XU also worked a walk in all 62 games played in 2016. Going back to 2015, Xavier has walked in 109 straight games. The Musketeers' last game without a walk was April 26, 2015 against Georgetown.
• Under Scott Googins, seven runs has been as good as a win. Since 2006, XU is 197-36 (.846) when scoring seven or more runs.
• Since 2011, XU's record when scoring seven has been even better at 111-12 (.902).
• XU hasn't lost more than one game in a season when scoring seven or more since 2014, going 43-3 (.935) in that span.
• Xavier has a 14-1 record in 2017 when scoring seven or more runs.
• Xavier ranks 38th nationally and first in the BIG EAST with 37 home runs on the season. XU is also 52nd nationally with an average of 0.97 homers per game.
• The Musketeers have homered in six of their last seven games entering the weekend.
• Rylan Bannon leads the team and BIG EAST while ranking 46th in the nation with 10 longballs.
• Joe Gellenbeck ranks second on the team and BIG EAST while ranking 87th in the nation with eight 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.
• 13 different Musketeers have left the yard this season, including every player that has at least 50 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 33rd in the nation with 54 stolen bases this season and 45th nationally with 1.42 steals per game.
• Will LaRue ranks 14th nationally with 18 stolen bases. The junior outfielder is 56-for-65 (86.2%) in steal attempts during his career.
• The Musketeers have stolen at least one base in seven straight games, including 21 of the last 22. XU has also stolen five bases in a game twice this season.
• Junior third baseman Rylan Bannon has recovered from a slow start for the second straight season, transitioning into the third spot in the lineup after beginning the year in the two-hole.
• After a 2-for-19 (.105) weekend at Troy, Bannon has recorded a .319 (38-for-119) line in his last 34 games with 25 runs, nine doubles, 10 homers and 27 RBI. He's also walked 27 times against 25 strikeouts to record a team-best .467 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.
• Rylan Bannon ranks 47th in the nation with 28 walks this season.
• Joe Gellenbeck ranks 88th nationally with 26 walks on the season.
• Both have walked nearly as many times as they have struck out: Bannon (28 BB, 34 K), Gellenbeck (26 BB, 33 K)
• Leadoff man Chris Givin has walked 18 times against just 14 strikeouts in 73 AB's.
• As a team, XU ranks 50th in the nation with 170 walks. XU has walked at least once in every game this season and in 109 straight games going back to 2015.
• Xavier ranks 38th in the nation in a painful stat, getting plunked 45 times as a team this season.
• The Musketeers enter the weekend with a streak of 10 straight games with an HBP and have also reached via HBP in 23 of the last 24 games.
• Nate Soria leads the team, getting hit eight times this season.
• Sophomore Matt Kent has been XU's most reliable option out of the bullpen in 2017, going 4-1 in 15 appearances with a 1.59 ERA.
• 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 this season. 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 43 innings in relief, allowing just six earned runs for a 1.26 ERA.
• Despite a 3-3 record in BIG EAST play thus far, the Xavier pitching staff has been dominant allowing one run or less in four of six games.
• As a whole, XU pitchers have posted a 1.88 ERA, striking out 57 and allowing just 27 hits in 52.2 innings. Opponents are batting just .153 against Musketeer pitching in six games.
• XU's starting rotation of Zac Lowther, Garrett Schilling and Greg Jacknewitz has been incredible as well, posting this line in league play: 0.77 ERA. 35.1 IP, 18 H, 3 ER, 37 K.
• Eight of the 11 runs scored in 54 innings of BIG EAST play have come on five hits in just two innings.
• In the other 52 innings, XU pitching has a 0.52 ERA with just 22 hits allowed.
• 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 3-2 with a 3.13 ERA through eight starts. He has limited opponents to a .150 batting average.
• In BIG EAST play, he's been even more dominant with a 0.64 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 14 innings with just two hits allowed.
• Lowther has racked up at least nine strikeouts in each of his last four starts, including three double-digit games and a career-high 16 at Villanova.
• Through his first eight starts, Lowther ranks third in the nation with 13.89 strikeouts per nine innings and second in the NCAA with 4.50 hits allowed per nine innings. He is also 22nd nationally with 71 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.
• 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 27 errors in 38 games this season and holds a .981 fielding percentage, a number which ranks first in the BIG EAST and 11th nationally.
• XU has played errorless baseball in 10 of its last 12 games, committing just five errors since March 31.
• The Musketeers also rank 40th in the nation with 34 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 leads XU with a .326 batting average, 45 hits and 16 multi-hit games on the season.
• Has been swinging a hot bat over last 21 games, batting .408 (31-for-76) with three homers and 12 RBI during the stretch.
• Went 4-for-6 (.667) in two games to open up BIG EAST play at Villanova.
• Had 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 a top option out of the bullpen, logging 19.1 innings in 11 appearances with a 3.72 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 21-17 start to the season, his all-time record is now 328-347 (.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 brings back 26 letterwinners from its most recent title run.
• Six everyday starters are back for the Musketeers. XU also brings back 13 pitchers, 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.
• XU returns quantity and quality, bringing back 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.
• 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
• 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.
The Musketeers (21-17, 3-3 BIG EAST) are coming off a series win against Seton Hall last weekend, while Butler enters at 23-13 and 2-4 in BIG EAST action.
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PROBABLE PITCHERS |
| Game | Xavier | Butler |
| 1 | Zac Lowther, LHP -- 3.13 ERA, 46 IP, 71 K |
Jeff Schank, LHP -- 1.31 ERA, 62 IP, 69 K |
| 2 | Garrett Schilling, LHP -- 3.24 ERA, 50 IP, 34 K |
Ryan Pepiot, RHP -- 3.00 ERA, 45 IP, 55 K |
| 3 | Greg Jacknewitz, LHP -- 3.22 ERA, 44.2 IP, 35 K |
Connor Mitchell, LHP -- 3.27 ERA, 52.1 IP, 40 K |
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PROJECTED LINEUP |
| Name | Class | Position | Hometown (HS) | Notes |
| Mitch Gallagher | JR | 2B | Bradenton, Fla. (IMG Academy) | Has hit .310 in last 30 games, going 31-for-100 with a homer and 16 RBI since the Penn State series... 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... 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... |
| Joe Gellenbeck | SR | RF | 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) twice this season... second in the BIG EAST with eight homers... leads BIG EAST and ranks 37th in the nation with 40 RBI... hitting .373 (19-for-51) with four homers and 21 RBI in last 13 games... has been a sneaky threat on the bases, going 9-for-9 in steals... 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)... ranks 88th in the nation with 26 walks this season, including seven during XU's opening weekend at Troy... has reached base in 30 of 38 games this season... 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... |
| Rylan Bannon | JR | 3B | Joliet, Ill. (Joliet Catholic) |
Preseason All-BIG EAST selection... began season 2-for-19 (.105) but has hit .319 (38-for-119) in last 34 games with 25 runs, nine doubles, 10 homers and 27 RBI... leads the BIG EAST and ranks 46th nationally with 10 homers this season, including two in his last three games... hit an opposite field three-run homer in Tuesday's 9-1 win over Cincinnati... 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)... 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 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... |
| Conor Grammes | FR | 1B | McLean, Va. (McLean) | Swinging a hot bat over last 21 games... batting .408 (31-for-76) with three homers and 12 RBI during the stretch... saw a 12-game reached base streak snapped on April 5 against Miami (OH)... leads team with 16 multi-hit games... 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 'Nova... 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 a top option out of the bullpen, posting a 3.72 ERA in 19.1 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... |
| Chris Givin | SO | SS | Castle Rock, Colo. (Rock Canyon) | Made return to lineup on March 29 at Miami (OH) after missing 17 games due to a hand injury... has walked more than he has struck out on the season (18-to-14)... coming off a .500 (5-for-10) series against SHU with a pair of multi-hit games, earning him 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... 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... |
| Nate Soria | JR | C | Homer Glen, Ill. (St. Rita of Cascia) | 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 reached base in 90 of 116 games going back to 2015... 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... 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... |
| Blaine Griffiths | JR | DH | Lebanon, Ohio (Lakota West) | Saw a five-game hitting streak snapped on Wednesday... has worked seven walks in last five starts... had a career-high three walks at Wright State (4/11)... has exhibited great plate discipline throughout career, drawing 35 walks in 186 career AB's (19% walk rate)... ranked in top four on team in OBP in each of last two seasons... made 29 appearances and 22 starts in 2016 before suffering a season-ending injury in mid-April... |
| Will LaRue | JR | LF | Evansville, Ind. (Mater Dei) |
Has raised batting average 110 points over last 22 games (.148-.258), hitting .343 (24-for-70) with a homer and eight RBI... one of the top stolen base threats in the nation... leads team and ranks 14th nationally with 18 steals... went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, four walks and a steal during two games at the Joe Nuxhall Classic... walked a career-high three times and went 1-for-1 against Miami (OH) on Wednesday... 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)... 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... |
| Matt Fallon | SR | CF | Glenview, Ill. (Loyola) | Leads team with .421 batting average (8-for-19), two homers, five runs scored and seven RBI in BIG EAST play... one of the top defenders on the team, playing errorless baseball in 38 starts this season... has raised average 45 points in last nine games, going 13-for-30 (.433) with eight runs scored, two homers and nine RBI... 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 last weekend against Villanova... collected hits in each game of last weekend's series against Illinois State, going 4-for-10 (.400) with four runs scored... hit .400 (6-for-15) in 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... |
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PROBABLE STARTERS |
| Zac Lowther | JR | LHP | Brooklyn Heights, Ohio (Cuyahoga Heights) | Preseason All-BIG EAST selection... ranks third in the nation with 13.89 strikeouts per nine innings... ranks 22nd nationally with 71 strikeouts overall... has allowed just 46 hits in 71 innings, ranking second nationally with 4.50 hits allowed per nine innings and 20th in the NCAA with a 0.87 WHIP... widely considered to be the top MLB Draft prospect in the BIG EAST... named to Baseball America Top 100 MLB Draft Prospects list (No. 99)... led prestigious Cape Cod League in strikeouts over the summer... held Seton Hall scoreless on FS1 in last outing 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... has struck out at least nine in each of last four starts (46 K in last 25.1 IP)... 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... 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... |
| Garrett Schilling | JR | RHP | Clawson, Mich. (Bishop Foley) | Preseason All-BIG EAST selection... went five innings and allowed just one unearned run last Friday at home against Seton Hall (4/14)... took a tough loss last Saturday as XU was shut out at Villanova... pitched six innings of one-run ball, striking out four in the outing... picked up second win of season against Fairleigh Dickinson (4/1), going six innings and allowing just two earned runs with three strikeouts... struck out a career-high six against Ohio State (3/19)... made first career start at Troy, throwing seven innings of one-run ball and leaving with just 72 pitches thrown (2/18)... continued his hot start with six innings without an earned run against PSU (2/25)... 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... |
| Greg Jacknewitz | SR | LHP | Delaware, Ohio (Bishop Watterson) | Has lowered ERA in five straight outings... earned a win in last weekend's series finale against Seton Hall (4/15), pitching six scoreless innings with two strikeouts... picked up first win of the season against Fairleigh Dickinson with five innings of two-run ball (4/2)... allowed two runs in 5.1 innings last time out against Illinois State in a no-decision (3/25)... turned in six innings of one-run ball, striking out six against Ohio State (3/19)... had best start of XU career against Penn State (2/26)... tied a career-high with seven innings, allowing zero runs and striking out a career-high 13 against the Nittany Lions... struck out five in 5.2 innings, allowing three earned runs in series finale at Troy... 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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LAST TIME OUT |
• Xavier fell 12-6 to Miami (OH) in the championship game of the ninth annual Joe Nuxhall Classic, an annual tournament featuring four regional teams (UC, XU, Wright State and Miami).
• XU was appearing in the Joe Nuxhall Classic Championship for the first time since 2009 after a 9-1 win over UC on Tuesday.
• Matt Fallon continued to produce, going 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and a run scored. In his last four games, the senior center fielder is 7-for-12 (.583) with two homers, eight runs scored and six RBI.
• Joe Gellenbeck also had a second straight multi-hit day, recording a 3-for-5 line with three doubles, a run scored and two RBI.
• Will LaRue went 1-for-1 with three walks and his 18th stolen base of the year. LaRue is now batting .343 (24-for-70) over his last 22 games.
• The Musketeers worked seven walks as a team and have had a base on balls in all 38 games this season.
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STREAKING |
• XU has stolen at least one base in seven straight games, including 21 of the last 22 games.
• XU has homered in six of the last seven games.
• A painful streak continued over the last week as an XU player has been hit by a pitch in 10 straight games.
• Matt Fallon, Mitch Gallagher and Rylan Bannon all bring four game hitting streaks into the weekend.
• Bannon has reached base in a team-high 13 straight games. Chris Givin ranks second with an eight game reached base streak.
• The Musketeers have drawn at least one walk in all 38 games this season. XU also worked a walk in all 62 games played in 2016. Going back to 2015, Xavier has walked in 109 straight games. The Musketeers' last game without a walk was April 26, 2015 against Georgetown.
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LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN |
• Under Scott Googins, seven runs has been as good as a win. Since 2006, XU is 197-36 (.846) when scoring seven or more runs.
• Since 2011, XU's record when scoring seven has been even better at 111-12 (.902).
• XU hasn't lost more than one game in a season when scoring seven or more since 2014, going 43-3 (.935) in that span.
• Xavier has a 14-1 record in 2017 when scoring seven or more runs.
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BOMBS AWAY |
• Xavier ranks 38th nationally and first in the BIG EAST with 37 home runs on the season. XU is also 52nd nationally with an average of 0.97 homers per game.
• The Musketeers have homered in six of their last seven games entering the weekend.
• Rylan Bannon leads the team and BIG EAST while ranking 46th in the nation with 10 longballs.
• Joe Gellenbeck ranks second on the team and BIG EAST while ranking 87th in the nation with eight 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.
• 13 different Musketeers have left the yard this season, including every player that has at least 50 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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CATCH 'EM IF YOU CAN |
• Xavier ranks 33rd in the nation with 54 stolen bases this season and 45th nationally with 1.42 steals per game.
• Will LaRue ranks 14th nationally with 18 stolen bases. The junior outfielder is 56-for-65 (86.2%) in steal attempts during his career.
• The Musketeers have stolen at least one base in seven straight games, including 21 of the last 22. XU has also stolen five bases in a game twice this season.
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RIDING RYLAN |
• Junior third baseman Rylan Bannon has recovered from a slow start for the second straight season, transitioning into the third spot in the lineup after beginning the year in the two-hole.
• After a 2-for-19 (.105) weekend at Troy, Bannon has recorded a .319 (38-for-119) line in his last 34 games with 25 runs, nine doubles, 10 homers and 27 RBI. He's also walked 27 times against 25 strikeouts to record a team-best .467 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.
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WAIT FOR THE GOOD PITCHES |
• Rylan Bannon ranks 47th in the nation with 28 walks this season.
• Joe Gellenbeck ranks 88th nationally with 26 walks on the season.
• Both have walked nearly as many times as they have struck out: Bannon (28 BB, 34 K), Gellenbeck (26 BB, 33 K)
• Leadoff man Chris Givin has walked 18 times against just 14 strikeouts in 73 AB's.
• As a team, XU ranks 50th in the nation with 170 walks. XU has walked at least once in every game this season and in 109 straight games going back to 2015.
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TAKING ONE FOR THE TEAM |
• Xavier ranks 38th in the nation in a painful stat, getting plunked 45 times as a team this season.
• The Musketeers enter the weekend with a streak of 10 straight games with an HBP and have also reached via HBP in 23 of the last 24 games.
• Nate Soria leads the team, getting hit eight times this season.
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THE OTHER INVINCIBLE KENT |
• Sophomore Matt Kent has been XU's most reliable option out of the bullpen in 2017, going 4-1 in 15 appearances with a 1.59 ERA.
• 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 this season. 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 43 innings in relief, allowing just six earned runs for a 1.26 ERA.
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LIGHTS OUT IN LEAGUE PLAY |
• Despite a 3-3 record in BIG EAST play thus far, the Xavier pitching staff has been dominant allowing one run or less in four of six games.
• As a whole, XU pitchers have posted a 1.88 ERA, striking out 57 and allowing just 27 hits in 52.2 innings. Opponents are batting just .153 against Musketeer pitching in six games.
• XU's starting rotation of Zac Lowther, Garrett Schilling and Greg Jacknewitz has been incredible as well, posting this line in league play: 0.77 ERA. 35.1 IP, 18 H, 3 ER, 37 K.
• Eight of the 11 runs scored in 54 innings of BIG EAST play have come on five hits in just two innings.
• In the other 52 innings, XU pitching has a 0.52 ERA with just 22 hits allowed.
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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 3-2 with a 3.13 ERA through eight starts. He has limited opponents to a .150 batting average.
• In BIG EAST play, he's been even more dominant with a 0.64 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 14 innings with just two hits allowed.
• Lowther has racked up at least nine strikeouts in each of his last four starts, including three double-digit games and a career-high 16 at Villanova.
• Through his first eight starts, Lowther ranks third in the nation with 13.89 strikeouts per nine innings and second in the NCAA with 4.50 hits allowed per nine innings. He is also 22nd nationally with 71 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 | Jon Richard (2010-13) | 212 |
| 6 | Jeff Barger (1998-01) | 203 |
| 7 | Zac Lowther (2015-Present) | 197 |
XU SINGLE SEASON STRIKEOUTS
| Rank | Name (Years) | Total K's |
| 1 | Lou Witte (1997) | 107 |
| 2 | Tommy Shirley (2010) | 98 |
| 3 | Lou Witte (1999) | 92 |
| 4 | Bobby Bevel (1995) | 87 |
| 5 | Josh Bradford (1996) | 85 |
| 6 | Zac Lowther (2016) | 84 |
| 7 | Danny Rosenbaum (2008) | 82 |
| 8 | Bobby Bevel (1994) | 80 |
| 9 | Danny Rosenbaum (2009) | 77 |
| Lou Witte (1998) | 77 | |
| 11 | Jim Rieder (1981) | 76 |
| Zac Lowther (2017) | 71 |
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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.
• 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 27 errors in 38 games this season and holds a .981 fielding percentage, a number which ranks first in the BIG EAST and 11th nationally.
• XU has played errorless baseball in 10 of its last 12 games, committing just five errors since March 31.
• The Musketeers also rank 40th in the nation with 34 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 leads XU with a .326 batting average, 45 hits and 16 multi-hit games on the season.
• Has been swinging a hot bat over last 21 games, batting .408 (31-for-76) with three homers and 12 RBI during the stretch.
• Went 4-for-6 (.667) in two games to open up BIG EAST play at Villanova.
• Had 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 a top option out of the bullpen, logging 19.1 innings in 11 appearances with a 3.72 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 21-17 start to the season, his all-time record is now 328-347 (.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 brings back 26 letterwinners from its most recent title run.
• Six everyday starters are back for the Musketeers. XU also brings back 13 pitchers, 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.
• XU returns quantity and quality, bringing back 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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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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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