Baseball Returns to Hayden Field to Host Butler

Thursday, April 18

Hayden Field

3 PM

Xavier University

Butler

Tickets

Baseball Returns to Hayden Field to Host Butler

04.17.19 | Baseball

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI – Xavier baseball returns home to host BIG EAST foe Butler for a three game series, beginning on Thursday, April 18 at 3:00 p.m. on the BIG EAST Digital Network. Friday's game is set for 3:00 p.m and Saturday's game is set for 1:00 p.m.

Xavier enters the game with a 14-23 overall record, and a 5-1 mark in BIG EAST play to stand atop the league standings early in the conference schedule. Xavier heads back out on the road next week with a midweek game at Miami (OH) before heading to Creighton for a three-game series.

BIG EAST STANDINGS

SCHOOL	CONF	OVERALL	HOME	AWAY	NEUTRAL	STREAK
Xavier	5-1	14-23	5-2	9-19	0-2	L1
Creighton	2-1	19-8	5-2	13-5	1-1	L1
Seton Hall	2-1	16-17	0-0	13-10	3-7	W2
St. John's	3-3	20-13	12-2	8-11	0-0	W1
Butler	2-4	18-16	6-5	4-8	8-3	L1
Georgetown	2-4	11-26	4-6	5-13	2-7	L1
Villanova	2-4	9-24	6-10	0-6	3-8	L2

OPPONENT NOTABLES

Butler enters the game at 18-16 overall and 2-4 in BIG EAST play.
The Bulldogs fell 5-3 in a midweek match-up with Purdue on Tuesday, after taking one of three against Creighton in Indianapolis last weekend. Butler also went 1-2 against St. John's in the opening weekend of conference play.
Butler enters the game with series wins against Valpo, Western Michigan and Rider.
The Bulldogs finished 34-20 last season, going 9-8 in the BIG EAST and earning a spot in the BIG EAST Championships.
Butler won 30 or more games for the fifth time in program history in 2018, qualifying for the BIG EAST Championships for the first time since joining the league in 2014. It was the first winning season for the Bulldogs in 13 years.
Head coach Dave Schrage enters his second year with the program in 2019 after directing an impressive turnaround in his first season.
Xavier leads the all-time series 57-33. The Musketeers won last season's weekend opener, 9-6, before dropping the back two games of the series.

PITCHING MATCHUPS

Game	Xavier	Ohio State
Thurs	Damien Richard, RHP	Ryan Pepiot, RHP
Fri	Griffin Lanoue, RHP	Sam Hubbe, RHP
Sat	Conor Grammes, RHP	Connor Schultz, RHP

PROJECTED LINEUP

1. Conor Grammes, DH .301 BA, 44 H, 5 HR
2. Jake Shepski, 2B .292 BA, 40 H, 25 BB
3. Allbry Major, LF .294 BA, 9 2B, 17 RBI
4. Matt Warkentin, 1B .277 BA, 38 H, 6 HR
5. Chris Givin, SS .291 BA, 46 H, 8 2B
6. Luke Franzoni, RF .236 BA, 17 H, 5 HR
7. Natale Monastra, C .213 BA, 27 H, 13 RBI
8. Kody Darcy, 3B .185 BA, 10 H, 10 R
9. Andrew Sexton, CF .175 BA, 11 H, 12 BB

LINEUP NOTES

Conor Grammes is hitting a team-best .301, with a team-high 30 runs scored on 44 hits and 24 walks and has collected 18 RBIs. His five home runs on the season match Luke Franzoni for second most on the team.
Allbry Major has a team-best .496 slugging percentage, matching the team-high for doubles (9) and triples (3) in his 35 hits.
Chris Givin enters the series with a .291 batting average and has a team-best 46 hits this season which ranks second in the BIG EAST. Givin extended his on-base streak to a team-best eight with a grand slam against Ohio State
Jake Shepski enters the game with a .292 batting average and an on-base percentage of .395 with 40 hits and a team-high 25 walks on the season, which is tied for league high. Shepski leads the team with 24 RBIs on the season and his current five-game hit streak matches Grammes for the longest on the team.
Matt Warkentin is batting .277 on the season with 21 runs scored on 38 hits. His grand slam against St. John's was his sixth home run of the season, a team high.
Luke Franzoni hit a pair of home runs over the weekend to bring his season total five, matching Conor Grammes for second-most on the team. Franzoni has 20 RBIs on 17 hits on the season and a slugging percentage of .472.
Natale Monastra has 27 hits on the season, with four doubles, a triple and three home runs.
Ryan Altenberger comes into the weekend with a team-high .415 on-base percentage and hitting .277, matching Allbry Major with a team-high nine doubles. Altenberger has taken 24 walks on the season, just one behind Shepski for team and league high, and has scored 26 runs.

RECORD WATCH

Junior Conor Grammes entered the season for 11th all-time in career batting average at XU with a .331 mark. Grammes stands at .327 currently with a season batting average of .301.
Senior Chris Givin's 12 career triples rank fourth in program history, moving past John McCambridge in the record book with his third of the season against Cincinnati. He tied the XU single season mark with six in 2018 and could make a run at all-time leader Dan Froehle's mark of 18.
Givin also entered the program's all-time top 10 in both hits and doubles at Cincinnati. His 221 hits rank 10th all-time at Xavier, just four hits away from the No. 9 spot, and his 40 doubles are tied for eighth in program history.
Senior Matt Kent's career ERA of 3.44 entering the season ranks 11th in program history. The righty made his 64th career appearance against St. John's, just six appearances from entering the program's top 10.

ROAD WARRIORS

Xavier played its first 20 games on the road this spring before returning to Cincinnati to open the home schedule on March 22 against Evansville.
XU will play a total of 39 games on the road. Following the Butler series, Xavier travels to Miami next Tuesday, then heads to Creighton for a three game series.
The Musketeers' are 9-22 in non-conference play, with a strength of schedule rated No. 3 in the nation by D1Baseball.com.

X CAN PICK IT

Xavier has been a reliable defensive unit so far, posting a BIG EAST-leading .980 fielding percentage with 28 errors in 37 games. The Musketeers' fielding percentage ranks eighth nationally.
The Musketeers have 29 double plays on the season, the most in the conference and 43rd most in NCAA DI.
Xavier posted a .973 fielding percentage in 2018, ranking fourth in program history.
Xavier has set three of the top four program marks in fielding percentage in the last three seasons, including a program record mark of .977 in 2017.

BOMBS AWAY

After going without a home run in their season-opening series at No. 7 UNC, the Musketeers exploded for seven in their series at Samford. That included a five homer game in the Friday opener. After Chris Givin's grand slam at Ohio State, the Musketeers now have 32 longballs for the 2019 season, the most in the BIG EAST.
So far this season, 10 Musketeers have hit a home run, led by six for Matt Warkentin after his grand slam against St. John's and five each for Conor Grammes and Luke Franzoni after Franzoni hit a pair over the weekend.
Xavier baseball has become one of the most prolific power-hitting teams in the country in recent years, breaking the XU program record with 68 bombs in 2018.
The previous program record was 64 hit by the 1997 Musketeers. Xavier has now hit 129 homers in the last two seasons, the most in successive seasons in the history of the program.
Last year's total of 68 led the BIG EAST by 21 and ranked 21st in the NCAA.
Matt Warkentin led the team and the BIG EAST with 14 homers as 13 different batters provided a longball for XU.
Xavier returns eight players who contributed a homer in 2018, totaling 42 longballs. That number would have ranked second in the league.

ABOUT XAVIER

The Musketeers return 20 letter-winners and six starters from last season's team, which went 7-11 in the BIG EAST Conference and failed to reach the postseason for just the second time in five years. Xavier returns a number of standouts, including sophomore pitcher/outfielder Allbry Major, who took home All-BIG EAST Second Team, Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-America and BIG EAST Freshman of the Year honors.
The Musketeers also return top hitters Conor Grammes (.330, 10 HR, 27 RBI) and Chris Givin (.342, 4 HR, 45 RBI) in addition to the power bat of Matt Warkentin, who hit 14 homers in his first season with the program last year. Incoming freshman Kody Darcy should slot into the everyday lineup at third base and could be an impact freshman, already earning Preseason BIG EAST Freshman of the Year honors from D1Baseball.com and Baseball America.

2019 AWARDS

Conference/National Awards

Conor Grammes	BIG EAST Co-Preseason Player of the Year	Link
Conor Grammes	Preseason All-BIG EAST	Link
Chris Givin	Preseason All-BIG EAST	Link
Allbry Major	Preseason All-BIG EAST	Link

Weekly Awards

Jake Shepski	BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (2/18)	Link
Nick Zwack	BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week (2/25)	Link
Matt Warkentin	BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (2/25)	Link
Lane Flamm	BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (3/4)	Link
Conor Grammes	BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (3/4)	Link
Ryan Altenberger	BIG EAST Player of the Week (3/11)	Link
Chris Givin	BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (3/18)	Link
Conor Grammes	BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (3/25)	Link
Jake Shepski	BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (4/1)	Link
Allbry Major	BIG EAST Player of the Week (4/8)	Link
Conor Grammes	BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (4/15)	Link

BIG (EAST) SUCCESS

The Musketeers had a down season in 2018, but have won three BIG EAST Championships in the last five seasons overall.
XU won its last title in 2017, sweeping their way to a BIG EAST Championship in Omaha, Neb. XU swept the regular season and tournament titles in 2016 and also won the tournament in 2014, its first year in the league.
Since joining the league in 2014, Xavier has won three of five BIG EAST Championships (2014, 2016, 2017) and ranks third all-time in league championships with Seton Hall, Rutgers and Connecticut. XU and Seton Hall are tied for the most BIG EAST titles amongst current league members.
With back-to-back wins in 2016 and 2017, Xavier became the first team since Louisville in 2008 and 2009 to repeat as tournament champions.

BILLY BALL

After a decorated playing career and four years as an assistant on the Xavier baseball staff, Billy O'Conner enters his second season at the helm of the program in 2019.
During his time on the staff, XU has posted three 30-win seasons, made three appearances in the NCAA Tournament and had nine players selected in the MLB First Year Player Draft. That number includes three straight years with at least one selection and a program record four selections in the 2017 draft.
Billy O'Conner's first career win came at No. 8 Kentucky on Feb. 20, 2018 and he picked up a second top-10 victory on Feb. 26 of this season as XU took down No. 8 Louisville, 5-4, on the road.
Prior to his time as an assistant at XU, O'Conner spent one year as an assistant at Northern Kentucky and two years in the volunteer assistant role at Xavier.

ARMS APLENTY

Xavier went through attrition and injuries with its pitching staff last season, beginning 2018 with the loss of seven seniors and 373.1 innings of total production (70% of total innings). Last season's weekend rotation featured two true freshmen and just 52.2 innings of career experience, all belonging to Damien Richard.
This spring will be a different story as the Musketeers bring back 91 percent of their total innings from 2018. XU lost just four pitchers who logged a total of 42 innings last season.
Fifth year righty Damien Richard is now two seasons removed from Tommy John surgery, while Taylor Williams and David Williams return from the same surgery this season.
Xavier lost time to injury from five pitchers a year ago, including Trey Schramm, Taylor Williams, David Williams, Henry Miller and Roger Danison.

DRAFTING MUSKETEERS

Xavier has had a number of players go on to play professionally in recent years, including at least one MLB Draft selection in each of the last three years.
Lefty pitcher Zac Lowther was the highest-ever selection by a Xavier baseball player, going in the second round compensatory selections of the 2017 MLB Draft at 74th overall. XU's previous high pick was Seth Willoughby, who was drafted in the fourth round in 2012 by the Colorado Rockies.
Xavier had a program record four players selected in the 2017 MLB First-Year Player Draft. Additionally, two committed players were taken in the draft for the first time in program history.
Xavier's four draft picks were: Zac Lowther (Comp. Round B, 74th pick, Baltimore Orioles), Rylan Bannon (8th Round, 250th pick, LA Dodgers), Garrett Schilling (18th Round, 536th pick, Colorado Rockies), Greg Jacknewitz (22nd Round, 666th pick, San Francisco Giants)
Xavier has had at least one player drafted in 12 of the last 14 years.
17 total XU players have been drafted since 2005.

PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS

As a team, Xavier was picked to finish fourth in the league with 25 points in the annual BIG EAST coaches poll. XU was just behind Creighton and Seton Hall, who tied for second in the poll with 25 points. Defending league champion St. John's was picked to repeat in 2019 with 36 points.
Conor Grammes was named the BIG EAST Co-Preseason Player of the Year, marking the second time an XU player has received the honor (Joe Gellenbeck, 2017).
Chris Givin, Conor Grammes and Allbry Major were each selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.
XU was picked to finish fourth in the league for the fourth time.
Xavier was picked second in last season's poll and was picked to win the league ahead of the 2017 season.

First place votes in ( )
1. St. John's (6) – 36 points
T2. Creighton (1) – 25 pts.
T2. Seton Hall – 25 pts.
4. Xavier – 24 pts.
5. Butler – 17 pts.
6. Georgetown – 13 pts.
7. Villanova – 7 pts.

LOOKING AT THE SCHEDULE

Xavier announced a 56-game schedule in October, featuring 16 home contests, four home series and road trips to 11 different states.
The 2018 schedule features eight NCAA Tournament participants, including two College World Series participants in North Carolina and Texas.
16 of Xavier's 23 opponents posted a .500 or better record a year ago.
Overall, the Musketeers will face a challenging schedule that features opponents that combined for a 720-579-1 (.554) record in 2018.

XU TO HOST LEAGUE TOURNEY

Xavier will co-host the 2019 BIG EAST Championships at Prasco Park for the second straight season. The tournament will last from May 23-26.
There will be no charge for admission or concessions for BIG EAST Championship fans in attendance.
The finale of the 2019 BIG EAST Championship will air on FS2. All other games will be available to stream on the BIG EAST Digital Network, a dedicated channel on the FOX Sports GO app. FOX Sports is the BIG EAST Conference's broadcast partner.
Prasco Park is only the second ballpark to host the BIG EAST Baseball Championship not on the East Coast. TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, home of the 2014 and 2016 championships, is the other.