Baseball Heads Out on the Road to Face Villanova

Friday, April 30

Villanova, Pa.

3 PM

Xavier University

Villanova

Baseball Heads Out on the Road to Face Villanova

04.29.21 | Baseball

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Three-game series with the Wildcats begins Friday at 3 PM

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI – Xavier baseball (16-17, 7-4 BIG EAST) heads out on the road this weekend for a three-game series with the Villanova Wildcats (13-10, 1-8 BIG EAST) in Plymouth Meeting, Pa. The series opens up on Friday, April 30 at 3:00 p.m., continues Saturday, May 1 at 1:30 p.m. and has a series finale set for Sunday, May 2 at noon.

The series was adjusted from its original four-game schedule, which featured a doubleheader on Saturday, to just a single game each day.

PROBABLE STARTERS

	XAVIER	NOVA
Game 1	Trevor Olson (LHP)	Gordon Graceffo (RHP)
Game 2	Nick Zwack (LHP)	Jimmy Kingsbury (RHP)
Game 3	Lane Flamm (RHP	Tyler Arella (LHP)

OPPONENT NOTABLES

Villanova enters the game at 13-10 overall and with a 1-8 record in BIG EAST play. After opening the season at 0-2 at Radford, the Wildcats won 12 straight games headed into BIG EAST play. VU was swept in a four-game series at Creighton and a three-game series with Seton Hall before taking one of three at Butler.
Game one starter Gordon Graceffo has made seven appearances, all starts with a league-best ERA of 1.58 in team-high 51.1 innings of work, allowing just nine hits and striking out 46 while holding opposing batters to a .230 average at the plate.
Jimmy Kingsbury is projected to start game two, his 10th start of the season. Kingsbury has a team-high 65 strikeouts, second most in the BIG EAST, in 49.2 innings of work with an ERA of 5.98.
Tyler Arella has made eight appearances on the season, including six starts, going 35.1 innings with an ERA of 4.58, with 37 strikeouts.
Danny Wilkinson has made 12 appearances out of VU's bullpen, going 17.1 innings, both team highs among Villanova's relievers. Wilkinson has an ERA of 2.60, allowing just five earned runs, holding opposing batters to a .180 average at the plate.
Ryan Toohers leads Villanova at the plate with a .346/.480/.531, all ranked in the top 10 in the BIG EAST among regular players. Toohers has a team-high 28 hits and 17 RBI.
Xavier is 12-6 all-time against Villanova. The Musketeers went 2-0 against the Wildcats in last series between the two in 2019, with the third game of the series canceled due to weather.

MUSKETEERS ON THE MOUND

Nick Zwack has made nine starts, pitching a team-high 52.0 innings, the second most in the league, with a 3.12 ERA, ranked in the top 10 in the BIG EAST. Zwack's 44 strikeouts also rank in the top 10 in the BIG EAST. Zwack picked up his team-best fourth win against UConn.
Trevor Olson has made 10 appearances, including six starts, and has a 3.08 ERA in 38.0 innings of work, top among Xavier's regular starters and sixth in the BIG EAST. Olson has limited opposing batters to a .201 average at the plate, fourth best in the league.
Lane Flamm has made seven starts on the season, with a 4.54 ERA through 37.2 innings. Flamm leads the Musketeers with 48 strikeouts, sixth most in the BIG EAST.
Jonathan Kelly has made 11 relief appearances, going 17.0 innings, both team highs among Xavier's relievers, with a 6.88 ERA, picking up two saves.
Dorsey Chatham has made 10 appearances out of the bullpen on the season, pitching 14.1 innings of work, with a 6.28 ERA, allowing 10 earned run and striking out 19.
Michael Dillon has made nine appearances out of the bullpen, going 13.0 innings with a 4.15 ERA.
Trey Schramm has made eight relief appearances, with a 5.06 ERA through 16.0 innings of work allowing nine earned runs, picking up two saves and earning a win in 3.0 innings of work against Dayton (4/3). Schramm's 11 career saves rank sixth all time in Xavier's record books, and his 94 career appearances rank third all-time in Xavier's records, just four from second most in program history, and five appearances from tying for most appearances in Xavier history.

XU AT THE PLATE

Andrew Walker is batting.350/.436/.550, with all three ranking in the top five in the BIG EAST among players who have appeared in 75 percent of the their team's games. Walker has 28 hits, 25 runs score dna 20 RBI for the season and currently has a reached-safely streak of 14 games. Walker leads Xavier with nine stolen bases (9-9 SBA) and ranks fourth in the BIG EAST.
Jack Housinger (.299/.429/.505) has 32 hits on the season, including a team-leading 10 doubles, fourth most in the BIG EAST. Housinger leads Xavier with 28 runs scored, tied for second in the conference, and 20 walks, the second most in the BIG EAST. Housinger has reached safely in 15 straight games, matching Luke Franzoni for current longest on-base streak on the team.
Ryan Altenberger is batting .477/.506/.672 for the season with 23 hits, including 10 for extra bases, and 11 walks. His two triples are tied for third in the BIG EAST.
Natale Monastra (.296/.406/.417) has a team-high 34 hits and 25 RBI, both ranking fourth in the conference.
Luke Stephenson added to his team-high with his sixth homer against UConn, the fifth most in the BIG EAST.
Luke Franzoni (.246/.372/.507) has reached safely in the last 15 games, and has a team-best eight game hitting streak currently.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

The Musketeers return home for an eight-game home-stand, starting with a four-game series against Seton Hall beginning Friday, May 7 at 3 p.m. and continuing on Saturday with a doubleheader set for noon, before wrapping up on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
Xavier will host Georgetown for a four-game series running May 14-16 at Hayden Field to close out the home schedule for the season.

VS. CANCER PLEDGE IT CAMPAIGN

Xavier Baseball teamed up with Vs. Cancer to raise money in support of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, taking part in a "Pledge It" campaign though the last eight games. Donors pledged to sponsor strikeouts or hits during the four-game series with Butler (April 16-18) and UConn (April 25-27) at Hayden Field.
The Musketeers raised nearly $22,000 for Vs. Cancer, collecting 74 hits and striking out 62 through those eight games.
Fans wishing to support the fundraising efforts can still make an outright gift of any amount at GoXavier.com/VsCancer.
Xavier Baseball has worked with Vs. Cancer since 2014 to help support children battling cancer, raising over $40,000 for the cause prior to this season. Those funds were, in part, used to help the Vs. Cancer organization make a $100,000 gift to Cincinnati Children's Hospital. With the donation, Cincinnati Children's Hospital was assisted in being able to establish its Proton Therapy Center, one of only two such centers in the world owned by a children's hospital.

VS. UCONN

The Musketeers spilt a four-game series with the UConn Huskies at Hayden Field, running from April 25-27.
Xavier split a Sunday doubleheader with the Huskies to open the series. In game one, Xavier took the early lead, scoring a pair in the bottom of the first, which was all Xavier would need on the strength of Nick Zwack's 7.0 shutout performance in the start. Xavier played add-on in the fifth and sixth, including a homer from Garrett Schultz to set the final score at 5-0.
In the second game, the Huskies struck first, putting up three runs in the third. Xavier countered with a run in the fourth and two runs in the fifth, both coming on a Jack Housinger homer, but the Huskies added runs in the fifth and eighth to take an 8-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth. Xavier added a pair of runs on a two-run homer from Luke Stephenson to set the final score at 8-5.
In game three, Xavier fell 15-13 in extra innings on Tuesday morning after the game was suspended due to lack of light in a 13-13 tie on Monday night. Xavier took a one-run lead in the bottom of the first but the Huskies responded in the next half inning to send the game to the third tied, 1-1. Xavier added four runs in the third and three in the fourth to take an 8-1 lead in to the fifth inning. After each team added a run in the seventh, Xavier's lead held until a nine-run eighth inning for the Huskies gave UConn its first lead, an 11-9 advantage. The Musketeers responded with two runs in the bottom of the eighth, sending the game to the ninth tied. After neither team got the winning run across the plate, the game went to extra innings,In extras, with each inning starting with a baserunner on second base, each team added a solo run in each frame, setting the score at 13-13 at the end of the 11th when the game was suspended due to darkness.When the game restarted at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday in the 12th inning and UConn scored a pair in the top of the frame and the Musketeers were unable to responded, falling 15-13.
In the series finale, A walk-off three run homer from Alex Helmin gave Xavier the 6-5 win. UConn scored a run in the top of the first and added another in the fifth to take a two run lead, but the Musketeers responded with three runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 3-2 lead into the eighth. UConn scored three unanswered to take a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth, but Alex Helmin's three-run homer gave the Musketeers the 6-5 win in walk-off fashion.

VS. BUTLER

Xavier went 3-1 against Butler on April 16-18 at Hayden Field.
Xavier opened the series with 9-2 win over the Bulldogs at Hayden Field. Luke Stephenson collected four RBI on a pair of home runs and Nick Zwack went 7.0 innings in the start on the way to the win. Xavier jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first three Butler scored runs in the fifth and eighth but the Musketeers continued to pad the lead with runs in the fifth and the seventh to take the 9-2 win.
The two teams split the Saturday doubleheader, picking up the 7-2 win in game one and falling, 7-3, in game two.
Butler jumped out to an early lead in game one, scoring a pair in the top of the first, but Xavier responded with three-run third and played add-on in the fourth and fifth to take the 7-2 win.
Lane Flamm picked up the win in game one, going 5.1 innings in the 7.0 inning game, allowing just two runs and striking out a career-high nine along the way. Alex Helmin's three RBI led the Musketeers at the plate, as he and Garrett Schultz each had a pair of hits in the first game of the day.
Both teams were scoreless through the first two innings of game two of the doubleheader before a Bulldog grand slam put Butler ahead for good. The Musketeers scored a run in the fourth, seventh and eighth innings, but three runs for Butler in the final three innings put the game out of reach for Xavier.
Ethan Bosacker made the start in game two, going 5.0 innings in the nine-inning game, with the only runs allowed coming on the third inning grand slam. Garrett Schultz had two more hits in game two, including his second homer of the season.
In the series finale, Xavier used an 11-run fourth inning to take 16-6 win for the 3-1 series victory at Hayden Field. After scoring a pair in the bottom of the first, Xavier headed into the fourth with a 2-1 lead. Luke Franzoni led off the inning with a homer and the Musketeers brought 15 batters to the plate in the inning to score 11 runs on five hits and six walks.
After adding another run in the fifth to take a 14-1 lead into the seventh. Butler scored five in the top of the seventh to make it a 14-6 lead for the Musketeers, but a run in the bottom of the inning, plus another Xavier run in the eighth set the final score at 16-6, ending the game on a run-rule with two outs in the bottom of the eighth.
Trevor Olson picked up the win, going 4.0 innings in the start. Jack Housinger and Jeff Holtz each had a team-high three hits while Ryan Altenberger and Alex Helmin each brought in three RBI.

AT ST. JOHN'S

Xavier opened up the BIG EAST schedule by taking two of three at St. John's on April 9-11.
In game one, Nick Zwack matched his career high in strikeouts with nine in the start, but Xavier fell, 2-1. Zwack went 6.2 innings, allowing three hits and two runs (one earned). Xavier held a 5-4 advantage in hits but left four more runners on base (10-6).
Andrew Walker was the only Musketeer with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with an run and a double. He now has six multi-hit games on the year, including four straight games with two or more hits.
In game two, Xavier used a big eighth inning to take control of game two at St. John's late, winning 12-3 to even the series at 1-1 with one game remaining.
The Red Storm took a two-run lead in the third and held on to the advantage going into the top of the eighth, with the Musketeers scoring just one run in the first seven innings.
Xavier batted around in the eighth, bringing 16 batters to the plate and scoring 11 runs to take control of the game, 12-2, with an inning and half remaining. St. John's added on one more run but failed to get any closer, setting the final score at 12-3.
In the series finale, Xavier took the 18-6 win to secure the series win. After heading into the fourth inning in a 3-3 tie, Xavier scored multiple runs in three of the final four innings in the seven-inning game.
Xavier scored three runs in the top of the first and the Red Storm responded in the bottom of the second to put the game in tie until the fourth inning. Another three-run frame put Xavier ahead for good, and the Musketeers added another 13 runs combined in the final two innings. SJU added runs in the fifth and the seventh before the final score was set at 18-6.

VS. DAYTON

Xavier took 3-of-4 against the Flyers in a pair of doubleheaders on April 2 and 3.
On Friday, the Musketeers split a pair of seven-inning outings on Friday at Hayden Field, falling 4-1 in game one, then bouncing back to even the series with a 5-1 win in game two.
Trevor Olson got the start in game one, striking out a career-high nine in 4.2 innings of work but the Flyers took a one run lead in the third and pushed it to a 4-0 advantage with a three run homer in the fifth. Xavier got a run back in the bottom of the frame on an RBI by Andrew Walker brining in Garrett Schultz, but were unable to pull any closer.
In game two, Nick Zwack made the start on the mound, going the full 7.0 innings, allowing just one run on seven hits, striking out eight without a walk. Xavier scored three in the first inning and added two more in the fourth to take a 5-0 lead into the fifth where the Flyers got a run back but were unable to get any closer, evening the series at 1-1 with a 5-1 Xavier win.
On Saturday, Xavier swept the Flyers in the doubleheader on the power of their bats, taking game one 24-16 with a season-high in hits, then coming from behind to take game two, 14-11, in a seven inning outing.
The Musketeers got the bats going early in the first outing, taking a 3-0 lead in the first inning, then building the lead out to 14-0 with a nine-run third inning. The Musketeers score in four of the remaining six innings, collecting a season-high 18 hits to take the 24-16 win. Lane Flamm made the start for the Musketeers, going 4.0 innings. Griffin Lanoue entered for the fifth inning, going 3.0 and picking up the win.
In game two, the Flyers struck first, taking a one-run lead early, but runs in the second, third and fourth innings put the Musketeers ahead 8-6 headed to the bottom of the fourth. The Flyers out score Xavier 5-1 over the next inning and half to take a 11-9 lead into the seventh, but a five-run frame for the Musketeers gave Xavier the 14-11 win in seven innings to win the series.

AT EVANSVILLE

Xavier went 1-3 in a four-game series at Evansville over the weekend of March 26-18
In game one, Xavier baseball opened up the four-game series at Evansville with a 6-1 win on Friday evening. The game went to the third inning in a 1-1 tie, but Xavier would go ahead for good on an Andrew Walker homer in the third, the only run the Musketeers would need the rest of the way.
Xavier added a pair of insurance runs in each the seventh and the ninth but Xavier's pitching didn't allow another Purple Ace run, setting the final score at 6-1. Trevor Olson picked up the win for a second-straight series opener after allowing just one run and three hits in 6.2 innings of work.
In game two, Xavier fell 7-4, evening the series at 1-1. Xavier took a two run lead in the second, but a five run third put the Purple Aces ahead for good. Each team plated a run in the fourth and Evansville added another in the fifth to go ahead 7-3.
Xavier added on more run in the seventh to set the final score at 7-4 in the seven-inning outing. Nick Zwack went 4.0 innings in the start, allowing six runs on seven hits.
In game three, Xavier fell 1-0 in the second game of the Saturday doubleheader, Xavier out-hit the Purple Aces, 6-2 overall, but Evansville got a run across in the third inning after UE's Troy Beilsmith reached on an error and scored on wild pitch. Xavier was unable to tie up the game, falling 1-0 in the second of two games on the day.
In game four, Xavier took Evansville to the seventh inning in a 2-2 tie, but the Purple Aces scored seven in the seventh and eighth to take a 9-2 win in game four, securing the series victory for Evansville, 3-1.
Xavier scored a pair in the second inning to take the lead. Evansville responded in the bottom of the inning, then added another in the fourth inning to send the game to the Ethan Bosacker went 6.0 innings in the start, striking out a career-high 10 strikeouts, exiting the game in a 2-2 tie.
The tie held through the seventh inning, when the Purple Aces added a run to take the 3-2 lead, then Evansville broke the game open with a six-run eighth, taking a 9-2 lead into the final inning.

VS. CINCINNATI

Xavier split the four-game series with crosstown rival Cincinnati, 2-2, with each team winning one game at home and away.
On Friday, senior left-hander Trevor Olson went 7.0 innings in his second start of the season, pitching a perfect game through the first 6.0 innings, to help Xavier pick up the 2-1 win a UC Baseball Stadium
Xavier took the lead on an Alex Helmin homer in the second inning, then added a run when Jeff Holtz took a one-out walk, advanced to second and scored on a Kody Darcy single. Xavier held the two-run lead going into the seventh inning when the Bearcats led off the inning with a homer, breaking up Olson's perfect outing.
Olson remained on the mound through the seventh inning, and faced the leadoff batter in the eighth before Trey Schramm entered to close out the game, preserving the 2-1 win for the Musketeers.
On Saturday, Xavier took a 4-3 lead into the fourth inning, but two big innings for Cincinnati broke the game open, giving the Bearcats the 22-7 win at Hayden Field.
Cincinnati took a one run lead in the first abut the Musketeers answered with a Cushing single and three two-out walks to tie it up. UC added two more runs in the second but Xavier responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 4-1 lead that held into the fourth. A four-run fourth put UC ahead for good, and the Bearcats added multiple runs in each of the next four frames, including six run sixth and five run seventh, to extend the lead. Xavier scored three in the seventh but were unable to come all the way back.
On Sunday, Xavier used four big innings at the plate, featuring four home runs, to take the 2-1 edge in the season series with Cincinnati, topping the Bearcats 16-8 at Hayden Field.
UC took a one-run lead into the fourth, where Xavier responded with a three-run frame featuring a pair of home runs, from Alex Helmin and Matthew DePrey. Six runs in the top of the fifth put Cincinnati ahead 7-3, but the Musketeers used three hits to pick up two more runs to pull within two in the bottom of the inning. UC added one more tally in the sixth, the Bearcats' final run of the game, and the Musketeers responded by batting around, scoring six runs on four hits in the inning to go ahead for good in the sixth. Xavier added five more runs in the seventh, fueled by a grand slam from Natale Monastra and Jackson Kaplowitz's first career home run.
On Monday, Xavier took a 1-1 tie with Cincinnati into the bottom of the sixth, but a four-run inning for the Bearcats put UC out in front for good, taking the series finale, 7-2, at UC Baseball Stadium.
After Cincinnati took a one-run lead in the first inning, Xavier responded with a run in the top of the next frame, holding in a 1-1 tie until a four-run sixth inning but Cincinnati out front. The Bearcats added two more to lead 7-1 headed to the ninth where the Musketeers' first four batters got aboard, bringing in a run and forcing a pitching change with bases loaded and no outs, but UC got out of the jam to take the 7-2 win.

AT BAYLOR

The Musketeers went 0-3 at Baylor, played in Waco, Texas from March 12-14.
In game one, Baylor took the 7-3 win. Trevor Olson went 5.1 innings in his first start of the season for the Musketeers, allowing just two earned runs, and a three-run sixth inning helped send Xavier to the eighth in a 3-3 tie, but a late rally for the Bears put Baylor ahead for good in the eighth inning. The teams return to action tomorrow afternoon for game two. Baylor scored a run in the third and fifth innings to take a 2-0 lead into the sixth. A three-run top of the sixth gave the Musketeers the lead, and a Baylor run in the bottom of the inning tied the game until the bottom of the eighth. Baylor scored four in the bottom of the frame to set the final score a 7-3 in favor of the Bears.
In game two, Xavier took a 4-3 lead into the final innings, but a seven run seventh inning broke the game open in favor of the Bears, giving the Musketeers a 11-4 loss. Nick Zwack went 5.1 innings in his third start of the season, allowing two earned runs on eight hits, striking out three while walking two.
In the series finale, Xavier fell,10-0, after Baylor took a 2-0 lead in the first inning and continued to build the lead throughout the game, scoring in four frames to build a 10-0 lead to take game three and complete the series sweep. Ethan Bosacker picked up the loss in second start of the season after going a career-long 6.0 innings, allowing six earned runs on 10 hits. Bosacker also had a career-best seven strikeouts and just one walk.

AT WOFFORD

Xavier went 1-3 in its second series of the season at Wofford, featuring a pair of doubleheaders on Saturday, February 27 and Sunday, February 28, to move to 3-4 on the season.
In game one, the Terriers took a 2-0 lead in the first inning and added two more in the fourth. Xavier scored a pair of runs, one in the fifth and one in the seventh and final frame, to set the final score at 4-2. Lane Flamm went the full 6.0 innings in the start of the seven inning game.
In game two, Xavier took a 2-0 lead into the eighth inning after Nick Zwack went 6.2 scoreless innings in his second start, but a five run bottom of the frame put the Terriers ahead, 5-2, to set the final score.
Xavier picked up the win in game three of the series, the opening game of the Sunday double-header after Xavier led off the first two innings with solo home runs, and a two-run homer in the fourth gave the Musketeers the cushion to take the win, despite Wofford runs in the second and sixth innings. Ethan Bosacker allowed just one run in 4.1 innings in his first start to get the win, and Jonathan Kelly came in to close out the game, picking up the save.
In the series finale, Xavier took a two-run lead in the top of the first, but the Terriers got a run back in the bottom of the inning, then took the lead on a five-run second inning. Xavier scored a run in the fourth and seventh frames to pull within two, but two more runs for Wofford in the bottom of the eight made it a four-run deficit for the Musketeers. In the top of the ninth, Xavier loaded the bases with the tying run at the plate but were unable to bring the runs home, falling 8-4.

AT TEXAS A&M

Xavier opened the season by taking two of three at Texas A&M, from February 20-21, marking the first time the Musketeers have won a series against an SEC opponent.
The Musketeers took game one of the season opening double-header on the strength of their bats, winning 10-6 after collecting 13 hits, including three home runs. Six Musketeers collected multiple hits, including a two-homer day for Luke Franzoni, who collected three RBI for Xavier.
Lane Flamm went 4.0 innings in the start in game one at Texas A&M, allowing just two earned runs on six hits with six strikeouts. Xander Rojahn was the first reliever out of the pen, pitching 2.0 scoreless innings and picking up the win. Trey Schramm picked up the save after not allowing a hit or a run in the final 2.1 innings.
Game two of the Saturday double header was a pitcher's duel, with Xavier using one swing of the bat to move the winning runs across the plate, winning 2-0. Nick Zwack went 5.0 innings in the start, not allowing a hit or a run and striking out eight on the way to picking up the win. Michael Dillon, Trevor Olson and Jonathan Kelly each only allowed one hit in relieve, with Kelly picking up the save.
Jonathan Kelly also collected the two RBIs on a home run, bringing in Jack Housinger who was on base after taking a walk.
Xavier fell in the series finale, 15-0. Griffin Lanoue made the start, and Jared Gadd, Sam Czabala, Evan Miller, Connor Bailey and Trevor Olson came out of the bullpen.
Five Musketeers collected hits, but were unable to score.

STARTING ROTATION (2020)

Lane Flamm, a preseason all-conference pick in 2020, appeared in 12 games, making 10 starts, including four starts on the mound for the Musketeers last season. Flamm finished the season with an ERA of 5.73 through 22.0 innings pitched, allowing 14 earned runs on 20 hits with 14 walks, striking out 16 along the way.
As a freshman, in 2019 the righty emerged as the Musketeers' go-to closer, appearing in 25 games as a reliever. Flamm finished with an ERA of 2.68 overall and 1.80 in BIG EAST action, collecting eight saves in 53.2 innings of work in 2019, with four coming in against conference opponents.
Nick Zwack, a preseason All-BIG EAST selection, is 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.
In 2019, Zwack made 20 appearances with 12 starts, finishing with a record of 4-3 and an ERA of 6.28. Zwack gave up 37 earned runs on 61 hits, struck out 43 and walked just 24 in 53.0 innings of work as a sophomore.
Griffin Lanoue made four starts on the mound in in 2020, allowing just nine earned runs off of 17 hits in 11.1 innings of work for a 7.15 ERA against the No. 2 ranked strength of schedule. Lanoue had nine strike outs and nine walks for the season.
In 2019, Lanoue made 10 starts in 13 appearances during 2019, finishing the season with a 3-3 record after allowing 34 earned runs on 54 hits, while striking out 25 in 45.1 innings of work.

THE BULLPEN (2020)

Sophomore Jonathan Kelly appeared made five appearances out of the bullpen, pitching 6.0 innings with a team-best ERA of 1.50 in shortened 2020 season, allowing just one run on four hits and a walk, striking out five along the way. He picked up the first win of his collegiate career against No. 17 Long Beach State after holding the Dirtbags scoreless in the extra frames, going 2.0 innings with just one hit allowed overall.
Sophomore Jack Lynch was named a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American following a 2020 season where he posted a 1.69 ERA through 10.2 innings of work in five appearances. Lynch allowed just one earned run on four hits and a walk, while striking out five. He picked up the first win of his college career in his first outing, helping the Musketeers to a 9-6 win against Memphis, and also pitched season-high five innings in the 2-1 win at No. 17 Long Beach State, allowing no runs on two hits with a season-best four strikeouts.
Sophomore Xander Rojahn made six appearances, including one start, in 2020, pitching 14.0 innings, a team-high among Xavier's relievers. Rojahn finished with a 5.79 ERA, allowing nine earned runs on 11 hits with nine walks and 15 strikeouts.
Trevor Olson made five appearances, including a pair of starts, in 2020, allowing 13 earned runs on 19 hits and four walks for 10.97 ERA. Olson struck out five on the season, including a season-high three against Ole Miss.
In 2019, Olson appeared in 22 games and made one start. The junior left-hander ended 2019 with an ERA of 6.19 in 36.1 innings of work, with 31 strikeouts to just 16 bases on balls.
Trey Schramm made seven appearances in 2020, pitching a total of 7.1 innings and allowing nine earned runs on 13 hits and two walks for a 10.57 ERA while recording four strikeouts. Schramm led the Musketeers with a pair of saves.
Schramm appeared in 20 games in relief for the Musketeers in 2019. The righty went 3-2 on the season with an ERA of 5.66 in 35.0 innings of work, allowing 22 earned runs on 38 hits with 19 strikeouts.
Sam Czabala, a lefty, pitched 6.2 innings in four appearances during season shortened 2020 season. He collected six strikeouts and walked just one in 30 batters faced and ended the season with an ERA of 6.75, allowing five earned runs on six hits.
Czabala made 18 relief appearances in 2019, posting an ERA of 3.44 in 34.0 innings pitched with a record of 3-2. Czabala allowed just 13 earned runs on 26 hits with 27 strikeouts to his credit and just 10 walks.
Xavier also returns relievers Ethan Bosacker, Evan Miller, Shawn Hepler who made appearances last season, as well as sophomore Michael Dillon, Jared Gadd, Connor Gill, Luke McCollough, Bobby Spencer and Cooper Williams.
The Musketeers add transfer Luke Bell (Chandler-Gilbert) in addition to newcomers Connor Bailey, Nick Boyle, Dorsey Chatham, Colin Clifford, Miles Halligan and Bobby Jones.

BEHIND THE PLATE (2020)

Natale Monastra, the coaches' preseason pick at catcher for a second-straight season, made 15 appearances in 2020, finishing with a .230 average at the plate, collecting 14 hits and scoring 10 runs, both team highs. Monastra had a .992 fielding percentage when the 2020 season came to a close.
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. Monastra finished the 2019 season with a fielding percentage of .997, the highest among Xavier's regular players. Monastra has just one error in 51 appearances, and has a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 13 starts in BIG EAST play.
Luke Stephenson returns as a key utility player making three starts at catcher in 2020, in addition to seven starts in the outfield. Stephenson collected four hits in 33 at bats, including three doubles to match team-high, bringing in two RBI and scoring four runs.
Stephenson made 28 appearances in 2019, including 12 starts at catcher, batting .203 on the season and .231 in conference play.
Xavier also adds freshman Matthew DePrey at catcher.

X IN THE OUTFIELD (2020)

Luke Franzoni started in all 15 games in 2020, primarily in right field, collected 13 hits in 54 at bats. Franzoni had 12 RBI for the season, matching the team-high, and scored eight runs, and had a team-best three home runs and .407 slugging percentage.
In 2019, Franzoni made 42 appearances, including 32 starts, mostly in center field. Franzoni hit .254 for his freshman season, hitting his stride during BIG EAST play where batted .320 in 14 appearances with a .620 slugging percentage, boosted by a team-high four home runs against BIG EAST opponents. Franzoni led the Musketeers with 11 homers overall for a team-best slugging percentage of .563 for the season. His 35 RBI from 2019 are the most among Xavier's returnees.
Garrett Schultz's started in the outfield in all 15 games in 2020, making eight starts in center. Schultz finished his rookie season with a .228 average at the plate after collecting 13 hits in 57 at-bats, bringing in 12 RBI, second most on the team. For the season, he had three doubles, matching for team high, and two home runs, for a .386 slugging percentage, third highest on the team.
Andrew Sexton appeared in 13 games, starting in seven games in center field. Sexton collected three hits and seven bases on balls for a .357 on-base percentage, second highest on the team.
Andrew Walker appeared in 11 games, starting in eight in season in 2020, including seven starts in left field. He collected four hits and six walks, scoring four runs and bringing in four RBI for the season.
Xavier returns reserve Jack Krumbach, and adds transfers Alex Helmin (Arizona State) and Tyler DeMartino (West Virginia) to its outfield roster.

MUSKETEER INFIELD (2020)

Jack Housinger was named Preseason All-BIG EAST for a second-straight season prior to his junior campaign. In 2020, he started in 15 games, 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.
As a freshman, he batted .275 on the season, with 47 hits and a team-high matching 36 walks for an on-base percentage of .407. Housinger had 12 doubles on the season, with five coming in BIG EAST play. Housinger finished his freshman year with fielding percentage of .974.
Ryan Altenberger appeared in 10 games, starting in nine in 2020. During his junior season, he batted .212 in 33 plate appearances, collecting seven hits, including a double, a triple and a home run. On defense he had a .942 fielding percentage playing primarily in the middle infield, and was part of team-high nine double plays.
Last season, Altenberger was a preseason All-BIG EAST selection after a 2019 campaign where he hit .259 in 158 plate appearances, scoring 32 runs on 41 hits and 27 walks. He finished 2019 with a slugging percentage of .443, finishing with 12 doubles a triple and five home runs, collecting multiple hits in 11 games last year. He also collected eight stolen bases in 14 attempts in 2019.
In 2020, Kody Darcy made 13 appearances, including 12 starts, in season shortened to 15 games, collecting six hits and two walks in 41 at bats for a .146 batting average. For the season he knocked in two RBI and scored three runs. Darcy finished with two doubles, and two home runs, matching the second most on the team, for a slugging percentage of .341. On defense he made seven appearances at shortstop and five at second base, finishing the season with a .960 fielding percentage.
In 2019, Darcy appeared in Xavier's starting line-up 26 times, including 10 conference match-ups during his freshman season, primarily at third base. Darcy batted .170 overall but had a mark of .206 in 11 BIG EAST appearances, scoring seven runs on seven hits.
In addition to making six appearances on the mound, Jonathan Kelly also made seven starts playing at first base for the Musketeers. He collected four hits in 29 at-bats, including a season-high two in win over Charleston and had four walks on the season.
Xavier also returns Sam Olson and Eddie Rivero who each made multiple starts in the infield for the Musketeers, as well as junior Jackson Kaplowitz, and adds transfers Jared Cushing (Texas Tech) and Jeff Holtz (Madison College) in addition to freshman Grant Stephenson.

ROAD WARRIORS

Xavier opens the season on the road, playing 16 away games before opening the home portion of the schedule on Saturday, March 20 against Cincinnati.
Overall, Xavier will play 34 games on the road, including trips to two SEC opponents, Texas A&M and Auburn, as well as Wofford, Mercer and Evansville in non-conference action.
Xavier will also face BIG EAST opponents St. John's, Villanova and Creighton on the road for four-game series.
Xavier will play home and away with local rivals Cincinnati and Dayton, with each team hosting two of the four-game series.
The Musketeers will host BIG EAST opponents Butler, UConn, Seton Hall and Georgetown for four-game series.

BIG (EAST) SUCCESS

The Musketeers have made four of six of the four-team BIG EAST Tournaments since joining the conference, and claiming the tournament championship three times (2014, 2016, 2017), as well as winning the regular season title in 2016.
The Musketeers went 12-4 in a 2019 conference schedule abbreviated by two rain-outs, earning the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament, and advanced to the BIG EAST Championship series.

PRESEASON PICKS

Ahead of the 2021, Xavier was picked the finish fifth in BIG EAST in the preseason coaches poll.
Additionally, 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.
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.
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.
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.

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

First-place votes denoted in ( )

Preseason Co-Players of the Year
Tyler Shedler-McAvoy, Seton Hall, Grad Student, OF
Kyler Fedko, UConn, So., OF

Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Connor Schultz, Butler, Sr., RHP

Preseason All-BIG EAST

Natale Monastra, Xavier, Grad Student., C

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., RHP ^

Gordon Graceffo, Villanova, Jr., RHP

Ian Murphy, St. John's, RS-So., RHP

Nick Zwack, Xavier, Sr., LHP

Caleb Wurster, UConn, LHP (Relief)

^ denotes unanimous selection

MUSKETEERS IN THE DRAFT

Xavier had pair of selections in the 2019 MLB Draft, with Conor Grammes going in the fifth round to the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chris Givin selected in the 19th round by the San Diego Padres. The pair's selection marked the third time in four years multiple Musketeers were selected.
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.
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 has had at least one player drafted in 12 of the last 16 years.
19 total XU players have been drafted since 1999.

XU TO HOST LEAGUE TOURNEY

The 2021 BIG EAST Baseball Championship presented by Jeep will be co-hosted by Xavier baseball at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio during Memorial Day Weekend.
The BIG EAST announced in 2019 that Prasco Park would serve as host through 2022, extending the partnership, which began in 2018, through five years. Xavier will remain the co-host of the annual postseason tournament.