Xavier University Athletics
Three Musketeers Named Preseason All-BIG EAST
02.17.21 | Baseball
Natale Monastra, Jack Housinger and Nick Zwack earn preseason All-BIG EAST honors
NEW YORK - Prior to the 2021 Xavier baseball season kicking off this weekend, three Musketeers, Natale Monastra, Jack Housinger and Nick Zwack, were named to the the BIG EAST Preseason All-Conference list, as voted on by the coaches. Additionally, Xavier was picked the finish fifth in BIG EAST in the preseason coaches poll.
Graduate student Natale Monastra, the coaches' preseason pick at catcher, has appeared in 150 games as a Musketeer, starting in 128. In 15 appearances in 2020, Monastra had a .230 average at the plate, collecting 14 hits and scoring 10 runs, both team highs, against the nation's second toughest schedule.
In Xavier's last full season in 2019, Monastra batted .237 overall, with a .313 average in 15 BIG EAST appearances, collecting 15 hits against conference opponents, including a team-high three triples.On the field, Monastra posted a .997 fielding percentage overall, with a perfect 1.000 in conference action.
Following the 2019 season, Monastra was named Second Team All-BIG EAST. He also earned Preseason All-Conference honors prior to the 2020 season.
Junior Jack Housinger, a Preseason All-BIG EAST selection in the infield, has appeared in 70 games for the Musketeers, starting in 65 of those. He started in 15 games in 2020, batting .232 with 13 hits and and nine runs. Housinger had a team-best 12 walks and .377 on-base percentage in the abbreviated season against the second-toughest schedule in the country.
In Xavier's last full season in 2019, Housinger batted .275 overall and .279 in conference play, collecting 12 hits, including five doubles, and six RBI in 14 appearances. Housinger also 14 bases on balls in conference play, with an on-base percentage of .459, both second highest on the team.  Housinger had a fielding percentage of .974 for his rookie season, with only four errors and just one of those coming during conference play.
Housinger was named Second Team All-BIG EAST following the season, and was named Preseason All-BIG EAST for 2020.
Senior lefty Nick Zwack is a preseason All-Conference selection coming off a 2020 season where he posted a 2.31 ERA in four starts, collecting a record of 2-2 for the abbreviated season. In 23.1 innings pitched, a team-high, Zwack allowed just six earned runs on 10 hits and nine walks, while striking out a team-high 28 along the way. Zwack allowed just two hits in 5.2 innings in a win at Memphis, striking out nine, which matched his season-high in a 7.0 inning outing against No. 17 Long Beach State. In a win at Charleston, Zwack also went 7.0 innings, allowing no runs on two hits with seven strikeouts.
In 2019, Zwack made 20 appearances including 12 starts, pitching 53.0 innings with an ERA of 6.28. He tallied 43 strikeouts to help earn a record of 4-3, the second-most wins for a Musketeer. Zwack allowed 61 hits, including a stretch of three-straight outings of five innings without out allowing a hit and only issuing one walk.
Zwack was listed at No. 3 on D1Baseball's Top Junior Pitchers following the 2020 season, and has twice been named BIG EAST Pitcher of the week.
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First-place votes denoted in ( )Â
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Preseason Co-Players of the Year
Tyler Shedler-McAvoy, Seton Hall, Grad Student, OF
Kyler Fedko, UConn, So., OF
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Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Connor Schultz, Butler, Sr., RHP
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Preseason All-BIG EASTÂ
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Graduate student Natale Monastra, the coaches' preseason pick at catcher, has appeared in 150 games as a Musketeer, starting in 128. In 15 appearances in 2020, Monastra had a .230 average at the plate, collecting 14 hits and scoring 10 runs, both team highs, against the nation's second toughest schedule.
In Xavier's last full season in 2019, Monastra batted .237 overall, with a .313 average in 15 BIG EAST appearances, collecting 15 hits against conference opponents, including a team-high three triples.On the field, Monastra posted a .997 fielding percentage overall, with a perfect 1.000 in conference action.
Following the 2019 season, Monastra was named Second Team All-BIG EAST. He also earned Preseason All-Conference honors prior to the 2020 season.
Junior Jack Housinger, a Preseason All-BIG EAST selection in the infield, has appeared in 70 games for the Musketeers, starting in 65 of those. He started in 15 games in 2020, batting .232 with 13 hits and and nine runs. Housinger had a team-best 12 walks and .377 on-base percentage in the abbreviated season against the second-toughest schedule in the country.
In Xavier's last full season in 2019, Housinger batted .275 overall and .279 in conference play, collecting 12 hits, including five doubles, and six RBI in 14 appearances. Housinger also 14 bases on balls in conference play, with an on-base percentage of .459, both second highest on the team.  Housinger had a fielding percentage of .974 for his rookie season, with only four errors and just one of those coming during conference play.
Housinger was named Second Team All-BIG EAST following the season, and was named Preseason All-BIG EAST for 2020.
Senior lefty Nick Zwack is a preseason All-Conference selection coming off a 2020 season where he posted a 2.31 ERA in four starts, collecting a record of 2-2 for the abbreviated season. In 23.1 innings pitched, a team-high, Zwack allowed just six earned runs on 10 hits and nine walks, while striking out a team-high 28 along the way. Zwack allowed just two hits in 5.2 innings in a win at Memphis, striking out nine, which matched his season-high in a 7.0 inning outing against No. 17 Long Beach State. In a win at Charleston, Zwack also went 7.0 innings, allowing no runs on two hits with seven strikeouts.
In 2019, Zwack made 20 appearances including 12 starts, pitching 53.0 innings with an ERA of 6.28. He tallied 43 strikeouts to help earn a record of 4-3, the second-most wins for a Musketeer. Zwack allowed 61 hits, including a stretch of three-straight outings of five innings without out allowing a hit and only issuing one walk.
Zwack was listed at No. 3 on D1Baseball's Top Junior Pitchers following the 2020 season, and has twice been named BIG EAST Pitcher of the week.
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 PRESEASON COACHES POLL |
| Connecticut (5) | 45 |
| Creighton (2) | 44 |
| Seton Hall (1) | 35 |
| St. John's | 33 |
| Xavier | 26 |
| Villanova | 19 |
| Butler | 15 |
| Georgetown | 7 |
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 PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST |
Preseason Co-Players of the Year
Tyler Shedler-McAvoy, Seton Hall, Grad Student, OF
Kyler Fedko, UConn, So., OF
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Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Connor Schultz, Butler, Sr., RHP
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Preseason All-BIG EASTÂ
| Natale Monastra, Xavier, Grad Student., CÂ |
| Matt Toke, Seton Hall, Grad Student, 1B ^ |
| Christian Fedko, UConn, Jr., 2B |
| Jack Housinger, Xavier, Jr., 2B |
| Jake Lazarro, St. John's, RS-Fr., SS |
| Eddie McCabe, Georgetown, Sr., 3B/DH |
| Reggie Crawford, UConn., RS-Fr., DH |
| A.J. Lotsis, Georgetown, Grad Student, DH/OF |
| Tyler Shedler-McAvoy, Seton Hall, Grad Student, OF ^ |
| Kyler Fedko, UConn, So., OF |
| Connor Schultz, Butler, Sr., RHPÂ ^ |
| Gordon Graceffo, Villanova, Jr., RHP |
| Ian Murphy, St. John's, RS-So., RHP |
| Nick Zwack, Xavier, Sr., LHP |
| Caleb Wurster, UConn, LHP (Relief) Â ^ denotes unanimous selection |
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Players Mentioned
HIGHLIGHTS | 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