Xavier University Athletics
Wednesday, April 26
Lexington, Ky.
7 p.m.
Xavier University
at
Kentucky
Baseball Travels to No. 6 Kentucky for Midweek Contest
04.25.17 | Baseball
The Musketeers are coming off a weekend sweep of Butler to move to 6-3, second place in the BIG EAST
CINCINNATI – Xavier baseball travels to No. 6 Kentucky for a midweek contest on Wednesday night at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
First pitch is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on the SEC Network/Watch ESPN app.
The Musketeers (24-17, 6-3 BIG EAST) are coming off a series sweep against Butler over the weekend and are 7-3 in their last 10.
Unranked to begin the season, Kentucky enters the game fresh off a 3-1 week against top-15 opponents LSU and Louisville and now stands 28-13 (12-6 SEC).
• Greg Jacknewitz turned in seven strong innings as XU clinched a sweep over Butler with a 3-2 win.
• Jacknewitz has now lowered his ERA in six straight starts, finishing the day with five strikeouts and just three hits allowed.
• Blaine Griffiths connected for the game-winning hit, dropping a low-liner into center field in the seventh to score Rylan Bannon.
• Matt Kent saved his second game of the season with two scoreless innings.
• Nate Soria hit his fifth homer of the season, a solo shot to left field in the second inning.
• With the win, XU clinched a sweep of Butler for the second straight year.
• XU has stolen at least one base in 10 straight games, including 24 of the last 25 games.
• XU has homered in three straight games and nine of the last 10.
• Rylan Bannon brings a seven-game hitting streak into the week.
• Bannon has also reached base in a team-high 16 straight games. Blaine Griffiths ranks second with a nine game reached base streak.
• The Musketeers have drawn at least one walk in all 41 games this season. XU also worked a walk in all 62 games played in 2016. Going back to 2015, Xavier has walked in 112 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 199-36 (.847) when scoring seven or more runs.
• Since 2011, XU's record when scoring seven has been even better at 113-12 (.904).
• XU hasn't lost more than one game in a season when scoring seven or more since 2014, going 45-3 (.938) in that span.
• Xavier has a 16-1 record in 2017 when scoring seven or more runs.
• Xavier ranks 37th nationally and first in the BIG EAST with 41 home runs on the season. XU is also 48th nationally with an average of 1.00 homers per game.
• XU has homered in three straight games and nine of the last 10.
• Rylan Bannon leads the team and BIG EAST while ranking 18th in the nation with 12 longballs.
• Joe Gellenbeck ranks second on the team and third in the BIG EAST while ranking 123rd 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 32nd in the nation with 60 stolen bases this season and 44th nationally with 1.46 steals per game.
• Will LaRue ranks 10th nationally with 20 stolen bases. The junior outfielder is 58-for-67 (86.6%) in steal attempts during his career.
• The Musketeers have stolen at least one base in 10 straight games, including 24 of the last 25. 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 .354 (46-for-130) line in his last 37 games with 30 runs, nine doubles, 12 homers and 33 RBI. He's also walked 27 times against 26 strikeouts to record a team-best .488 on-base percentage.
• In a bit of a statistical oddity, Bannon also shook off a 0-for-16 start at the plate last season to hit .296 (56-for-189) the rest of the way.
• Bannon leads the BIG EAST with 97 total bases, 12 homers and a .651 slugging percentage (nearly 100 points higher than St. John's Jesse Berardi, who ranks second at .562).
• As a junior, Bannon has seen a power surge as he already ranks near the top-10 in single season homers in XU history. He has homered in four of his last six games entering the week.
XU SINGLE SEASON HOME RUNS
• Rylan Bannon ranks 76th in the nation with 28 walks this season.
• Joe Gellenbeck ranks 107th nationally with 27 walks on the season.
• Both have walked nearly as many times as they have struck out: Bannon (28 BB, 35 K), Gellenbeck (27 BB, 37 K)
• Leadoff man Chris Givin has walked 18 times against just 17 strikeouts in 85 AB's.
• As a team, XU ranks 44th in the nation with 184 walks. XU has walked at least once in every game this season and in 112 straight games going back to 2015.
• Xavier ranks 33rd in the nation in a painful stat, getting plunked 50 times as a team this season.
• The Musketeers have been hit by a pitch in 12 of 13 games and have also reached via HBP in 25 of the last 27 games.
• Nate Soria leads the team, getting hit nine times this season.
• Sophomore Matt Kent has been XU's most reliable option out of the bullpen in 2017, going 4-1 in 16 appearances with a 1.50 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 45 innings in relief, allowing just six earned runs for a 1.20 ERA.
• The Xavier pitching staff has been much-improved in BIG EAST play, allowing two runs or less in five of nine games.
• As a whole, XU pitchers have posted a 2.82 ERA, striking out 87 and allowing just 58 hits in 79.2 innings. Opponents are batting just .201 against Musketeer pitching in nine games.
• XU's starting rotation of Zac Lowther, Garrett Schilling and Greg Jacknewitz has been incredible as well, posting this line in league play: 1.80 ERA. 45.1 IP, 33 H, 9 ER, 54 K.
• Conor Grammes, Matt Kent and David Williams have yet to allow a run out of the bullpen in league play, combining for 13.2 innings of scoreless relief.
• 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 3.42 ERA through nine starts. He has limited opponents to a .170 batting average.
• In BIG EAST play, he's been even more dominant with a 2.00 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 18 innings with just eight hits allowed.
• Lowther has racked up at least eight strikeouts in each of his last five starts, including three double-digit games and a career-high 16 at Villanova.
• Through his first nine starts, Lowther ranks third in the nation with 14.22 strikeouts per nine innings and ninth in the NCAA with 5.22 hits allowed per nine innings. He is also 20th nationally with 79 strikeouts.
• Over the summer, Lowther led the prestigious Cape Cod League in strikeouts.
XU CAREER STRIKEOUTS
XU SINGLE SEASON STRIKEOUTS
• Xavier junior Garrett Schilling is transitioning to the rotation in 2017 after serving in the bullpen for his first two years on the team.
• In BIG EAST play, Schilling has yet to allow more than one earned run in a start. He has posted a 1.13 ERA in three outings, striking out 10 in 16 innings while allowing 14 hits.
• Schilling set a new career-high with six strikeouts against Ohio State (3/19).
• Schilling threw seven innings of one-run ball, striking out five and scattering three hits in his first career start at Troy (2/18). He left after throwing just 72 pitches.
• Schilling picked up his first win as a starter at Penn State (2/25), allowing just three hits and one unearned run in six innings of work.
• A lights-out closer as a sophomore, Schilling posted a 1.91 ERA (tied for eighth in XU history) and broke the school record for saves with 14.
• Xavier has made just 31 errors in 41 games this season and holds a .980 fielding percentage, a number which ranks first in the BIG EAST and 13th nationally.
• XU has played errorless baseball in 11 of its last 15 games.
• The Musketeers also rank 50th in the nation with 36 double plays this season.
• XU is on pace to set a new record for fielding percentage in 2017 after tying the mark in 2016 with a .974 fielding percentage.
• Freshman Conor Grammes is among XU's top offensive threats as a freshman, sporting a .316 batting average, 48 hits and a team-high 17 multi-hit games on the season.
• 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 24-17 start to the season, his all-time record is now 331-347 (.488).
• 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.
First pitch is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on the SEC Network/Watch ESPN app.
The Musketeers (24-17, 6-3 BIG EAST) are coming off a series sweep against Butler over the weekend and are 7-3 in their last 10.
Unranked to begin the season, Kentucky enters the game fresh off a 3-1 week against top-15 opponents LSU and Louisville and now stands 28-13 (12-6 SEC).
 |
PROBABLE PITCHERS |
| Game | Xavier | Kentucky |
| 1 | Brad Kirschner, LHP -- 4.96 ERA, 32.2 IP, 26 K |
Zack Thompson, LHP -- 4.79 ERA, 41.1 IP, 51 K |
|
|
PROJECTED LINEUP |
| Name | Class | Position | Hometown (HS) | Notes |
| Mitch Gallagher | JR | 2B | Bradenton, Fla. (IMG Academy) | Has hit .306 in last 33 games, going 34-for-111 with two homers and 20 RBI since the Penn State series... hit a grand slam in Saturday's 17-12 win over Butler (4/22)... missed opening weekend in league play after suffering an injury during a collision in the FDU series... hit .385 (5-for-13) in return to action during Seton Hall series... was a homer shy of the cycle in series finale, going 4-for-5 with a pair of runs and three RBI (4/15)... named to BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (3/28) after hitting .467 (7-for-15) with six runs scored during a 3-1 week for XU... had two game-deciding RBI in Illinois State series win, including a walk-off single in Sunday's series-clinching, 3-2 win (3/25)... batted .455 (5-for-11) overall with four RBI in the Illinois State series... went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI in midweek win over Wright State (3/21)... drove in three runs, including a walk-off sacrifice fly in 5-4 win over Ohio State (3/19)... hit .400 (8-for-20) in five spring break starts at Charlotte and Georgia... has played all over the infield (1B, 2B and SS), but settled into shortstop as regular starter Chris Givin dealt with an injury... 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... third in BIG EAST with eight homers... leads BIG EAST and ranks 25th in the nation with 45 RBI... ranks 107th in the nation with 27 walks this season, including seven during XU's opening weekend at Troy... has reached base in 32 of 41 games this season... hitting .349 (22-for-63) with four homers and 26 RBI in last 16 games... has been a sneaky threat on the bases, going 9-for-9 in steals... went 1-for-3 and drove in four runs during XU's 17-12 win over Butler (4/22)... went 5-for-8 (.625) with three runs scored and five RBI in two games at the Joe Nuxhall Classic... had a big game on April 11 against Wright State, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored, his second career grand slam and five RBI... went 3-for-4 with his sixth homer and three RBI in a 9-4 against Miami (OH) on April 5... had a big weekend against Fairleigh Dickinson in which he hit .500 (6-for-12) with a homer and eight RBI... hit walk-off two run homer against Ohio State to cap a weekend sweep (3/19)... 2016 All-BIG EAST Second Team selection... 2016 BIG EAST All-Tournament Team... started all 62 games in 2016, tying a program record... led team and BIG EAST with 51 RBI and 125 total bases... ranked 57th in NCAA Division I with 13 longballs... homered in 10 of Xavier's 15 weekend series... |
| Rylan Bannon | JR | 3B | Joliet, Ill. (Joliet Catholic) |
Preseason All-BIG EAST selection... began season 2-for-19 (.105) but has since hit .354 (46-for-130) in last 37 games with 28 runs, nine doubles, 12 homers and 33 RBI... hitting .452 (14-for-31) with three homers and nine RBI in league play... leads the BIG EAST and ranks 18th nationally with 12 homers this season, including four in his last six games... hit .727 (8-for-11) with two homers, five runs and six RBI during last weekend's sweep against Butler... went 6-for-6 with a home run on his 21st birthday in a 17-12 win over Butler (4/22)... the six hits were a career-high and the most by an XU player since at least 2004... hit an opposite field three-run homer in 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) | Among the best freshmen in the BIG EAST... leads team with 17 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) | Preseason All-BIG EAST selection... 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-17)... hit .417 (5-for-12) with three runs scored and four RBI in the Butler sweep... had a career-high four hits and four runs scored in a 13-4 win against Butler (4/21)... coming off a .500 (5-for-10) series against SHU with a pair of multi-hit games, earning a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll... hit go-ahead two-run homer, his first of the season, in the fourth inning of a 2-1 win against the Pirates in the series opener (4/13)... went 1-for-5 with a walk, run, RBI and steal against Wright State (4/11)... was 1-for-4 with a run and a two-run double 9-4 win against the Miami (OH) on April 5... scored six runs and walked four times despite just one hit in the Penn State series... 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) | Preseason All-BIG EAST selection... Named to 2017 Johnny Bench Award Watch List... fourth straight year XU has had a catcher on the list... returning to catcher role after serving as an outfielder/DH during sophomore season... has reached base in 93 of 119 games going back to 2015... leads team with nine HBP... hit .333 (3-for-9) with three runs scored, a homer and two RBI in the Butler series... hit a solo homer in a 3-2 win over Butler (4/23)... went 1-for-3 with two runs scored and a two-run homer in a 9-4 win against Miami (OH) on April 5... hit .500 (5-for-10) with a a homer and five RBI in the Fairleigh Dickinson sweep... rebounded from a tough series (1-for-15) against Penn State to hit .333 (3-for-9) with a homer at Charlotte... also went 3-for-9 in a pair of midweek games at Georgia (3/7-8)... put together a .308 (4-for-13) series with a homer and three RBI in XU's opening weekend trip to Troy... 2016 All-BIG EAST First Team selection... 2015 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American... 2015 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year... tied for first on team with a .333 (20-for-60) batting average in BIG EAST play... |
| Blaine Griffiths | JR | DH | Lebanon, Ohio (Lakota West) | Leads team with a .471 batting average (8-for-17) in BIG EAST play... enters with a three-game hitting streak... has worked eight walks in last eight starts... hit .545 in the Butler series (6-for-11) with three runs scored and four RBI... tied a career-high with three hits in a 13-4 win over Butler (4/21)... had a career-high three walks at Wright State (4/11)... has exhibited great plate discipline throughout career, drawing 36 walks in 197 career AB's (18.2% 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) |
Preseason All-BIG EAST selection... Has raised batting average 104 points over last 25 games (.148-.252), hitting .325 (25-for-77) with a homer and 10 RBI... one of the top stolen base threats in the nation... leads team and ranks 10th nationally with 20 steals... has walked in five straight games, drawing nine free passes during the span... went 1-for-3 with two walks and two steals, scoring a career-high four runs in a 17-12 win over Butler (4/22)... went just 1-for-7 (.143), but walked five times and scored six runs in the Butler series... went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, four walks and a steal during two games at the Joe Nuxhall Classic... 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)... 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) | Off to strong start in league play, hitting .345 (10-for-29) with two homers, eight runs scored and nine RBI... one of the top defenders on the team, playing errorless baseball in 41 starts this season... has raised average 34 points in last 10 games, going 13-for-34 (.382) with 11 runs scored, two homers and 11 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... |
|
|
PROBABLE STARTERS |
| Brad Kirschner | SR | LHP | Russellville, Ohio (Ripley-Union) | Has made two starts and 16 appearances out of the bullpen this season... fourth in program history with 79 appearances... has compiled a 3.52 ERA and held opponents to a .217 batting average with 21 K's in 23 innings since March 11... has contributed eight scoreless outings in last 13 appearances... picked up a win in last start with six innings of one-run ball, allowing just three hits and striking out two against Cincinnati (4/18)... pitched four innings of shutout relief with three strikeouts against FDU (3/31)... picked up a win and tossed 3.2 innings with three K's in scoreless relief turn against Illinois State (3/25)... took five turns in the weekend rotation during the 2016 season... finished the year with a 5-2 record over 21 appearances... was second on the team with 44 K's as a junior... served in a key role at the back of the bullpen as a freshman, recording six saves in 25 appearances... |
|
|
LAST TIME OUT |
• Greg Jacknewitz turned in seven strong innings as XU clinched a sweep over Butler with a 3-2 win.
• Jacknewitz has now lowered his ERA in six straight starts, finishing the day with five strikeouts and just three hits allowed.
• Blaine Griffiths connected for the game-winning hit, dropping a low-liner into center field in the seventh to score Rylan Bannon.
• Matt Kent saved his second game of the season with two scoreless innings.
• Nate Soria hit his fifth homer of the season, a solo shot to left field in the second inning.
• With the win, XU clinched a sweep of Butler for the second straight year.
|
|
STREAKING |
• XU has stolen at least one base in 10 straight games, including 24 of the last 25 games.
• XU has homered in three straight games and nine of the last 10.
• Rylan Bannon brings a seven-game hitting streak into the week.
• Bannon has also reached base in a team-high 16 straight games. Blaine Griffiths ranks second with a nine game reached base streak.
• The Musketeers have drawn at least one walk in all 41 games this season. XU also worked a walk in all 62 games played in 2016. Going back to 2015, Xavier has walked in 112 straight games. The Musketeers' last game without a walk was April 26, 2015 against Georgetown.
|
|
LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN |
• Under Scott Googins, seven runs has been as good as a win. Since 2006, XU is 199-36 (.847) when scoring seven or more runs.
• Since 2011, XU's record when scoring seven has been even better at 113-12 (.904).
• XU hasn't lost more than one game in a season when scoring seven or more since 2014, going 45-3 (.938) in that span.
• Xavier has a 16-1 record in 2017 when scoring seven or more runs.
|
|
BOMBS AWAY |
• Xavier ranks 37th nationally and first in the BIG EAST with 41 home runs on the season. XU is also 48th nationally with an average of 1.00 homers per game.
• XU has homered in three straight games and nine of the last 10.
• Rylan Bannon leads the team and BIG EAST while ranking 18th in the nation with 12 longballs.
• Joe Gellenbeck ranks second on the team and third in the BIG EAST while ranking 123rd 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.
|
|
CATCH 'EM IF YOU CAN |
• Xavier ranks 32nd in the nation with 60 stolen bases this season and 44th nationally with 1.46 steals per game.
• Will LaRue ranks 10th nationally with 20 stolen bases. The junior outfielder is 58-for-67 (86.6%) in steal attempts during his career.
• The Musketeers have stolen at least one base in 10 straight games, including 24 of the last 25. XU has also stolen five bases in a game twice this season.
|
|
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 .354 (46-for-130) line in his last 37 games with 30 runs, nine doubles, 12 homers and 33 RBI. He's also walked 27 times against 26 strikeouts to record a team-best .488 on-base percentage.
• In a bit of a statistical oddity, Bannon also shook off a 0-for-16 start at the plate last season to hit .296 (56-for-189) the rest of the way.
• Bannon leads the BIG EAST with 97 total bases, 12 homers and a .651 slugging percentage (nearly 100 points higher than St. John's Jesse Berardi, who ranks second at .562).
• As a junior, Bannon has seen a power surge as he already ranks near the top-10 in single season homers in XU history. He has homered in four of his last six games entering the week.
XU SINGLE SEASON HOME RUNS
| Rank | Name (Year) | Total HR |
| 1 | Ben Thomas (2009) | 16 |
| Dan Froehle (1986) | 16 | |
| 3 | Ben Thomas (2011) | 15 |
| Jim Dallio (1996) | 15 | |
| Sean West (1995) | 15 | |
| 6 | Matt Watson (1999) | 14 |
| Andre Jernigan (2016) | 14 | |
| 8 | Ben Thomas (2010) | 13 |
| Mike Sak (1995) | 13 | |
| Andy Jansen (1982) | 13 | |
| Joe Gellenbeck (2016) | 13 | |
| 12 | Rylan Bannon (2017) | 12 |
| Bobby Freking (2010) | 12 | |
| Jim Dallio (1998) | 12 | |
| Jim Dallio (1997) | 12 | |
| Scott Gordon (1989) | 12 | |
| Ted Shalloe (1985) | 12 | |
| Dan Froehle (1983) | 12 |
|
|
WAIT FOR THE GOOD PITCHES |
• Rylan Bannon ranks 76th in the nation with 28 walks this season.
• Joe Gellenbeck ranks 107th nationally with 27 walks on the season.
• Both have walked nearly as many times as they have struck out: Bannon (28 BB, 35 K), Gellenbeck (27 BB, 37 K)
• Leadoff man Chris Givin has walked 18 times against just 17 strikeouts in 85 AB's.
• As a team, XU ranks 44th in the nation with 184 walks. XU has walked at least once in every game this season and in 112 straight games going back to 2015.
|
|
TAKING ONE FOR THE TEAM |
• Xavier ranks 33rd in the nation in a painful stat, getting plunked 50 times as a team this season.
• The Musketeers have been hit by a pitch in 12 of 13 games and have also reached via HBP in 25 of the last 27 games.
• Nate Soria leads the team, getting hit nine times this season.
|
|
THE OTHER INVINCIBLE KENT |
• Sophomore Matt Kent has been XU's most reliable option out of the bullpen in 2017, going 4-1 in 16 appearances with a 1.50 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 45 innings in relief, allowing just six earned runs for a 1.20 ERA.
|
|
LIGHTS OUT IN LEAGUE PLAY |
• The Xavier pitching staff has been much-improved in BIG EAST play, allowing two runs or less in five of nine games.
• As a whole, XU pitchers have posted a 2.82 ERA, striking out 87 and allowing just 58 hits in 79.2 innings. Opponents are batting just .201 against Musketeer pitching in nine games.
• XU's starting rotation of Zac Lowther, Garrett Schilling and Greg Jacknewitz has been incredible as well, posting this line in league play: 1.80 ERA. 45.1 IP, 33 H, 9 ER, 54 K.
• Conor Grammes, Matt Kent and David Williams have yet to allow a run out of the bullpen in league play, combining for 13.2 innings of scoreless relief.
|
|
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 3.42 ERA through nine starts. He has limited opponents to a .170 batting average.
• In BIG EAST play, he's been even more dominant with a 2.00 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 18 innings with just eight hits allowed.
• Lowther has racked up at least eight strikeouts in each of his last five starts, including three double-digit games and a career-high 16 at Villanova.
• Through his first nine starts, Lowther ranks third in the nation with 14.22 strikeouts per nine innings and ninth in the NCAA with 5.22 hits allowed per nine innings. He is also 20th nationally with 79 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 | Zac Lowther (2015-Present) | 205 |
| 7 | Jeff Barger (1998-01) | 203 |
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 | Zac Lowther (2017) | 79 |
| 10 | Danny Rosenbaum (2009) | 77 |
| Lou Witte (1998) | 77 | |
| 12 | Jim Rieder (1981) | 76 |
|
|
SCHILLING AT THE START |
• Xavier junior Garrett Schilling is transitioning to the rotation in 2017 after serving in the bullpen for his first two years on the team.
• In BIG EAST play, Schilling has yet to allow more than one earned run in a start. He has posted a 1.13 ERA in three outings, striking out 10 in 16 innings while allowing 14 hits.
• Schilling set a new career-high with six strikeouts against Ohio State (3/19).
• Schilling threw seven innings of one-run ball, striking out five and scattering three hits in his first career start at Troy (2/18). He left after throwing just 72 pitches.
• Schilling picked up his first win as a starter at Penn State (2/25), allowing just three hits and one unearned run in six innings of work.
• A lights-out closer as a sophomore, Schilling posted a 1.91 ERA (tied for eighth in XU history) and broke the school record for saves with 14.
|
|
X CAN PICK IT |
• Xavier has made just 31 errors in 41 games this season and holds a .980 fielding percentage, a number which ranks first in the BIG EAST and 13th nationally.
• XU has played errorless baseball in 11 of its last 15 games.
• The Musketeers also rank 50th in the nation with 36 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.
|
|
THE KID CAN PLAY |
• Freshman Conor Grammes is among XU's top offensive threats as a freshman, sporting a .316 batting average, 48 hits and a team-high 17 multi-hit games on the season.
• 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.
|
|
2017 WEEKLY HONORS |
• Seven different Musketeers have been honored by the BIG EAST Conference with weekly awards this season.
|
|
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 24-17 start to the season, his all-time record is now 331-347 (.488).
|
|
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.
|
|
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.
|
|
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.
|
|
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
|
|
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.
|
|
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
IF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ 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