Xavier University Athletics
Jack Housinger Picked as BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year
12.20.22 | Baseball
Housinger joined by Garrett Schultz and Luke Bell on Preseason All-BIG EAST squad
NEW YORK – Ahead of the 2023 baseball season, Xavier graduate student Jack Housinger was selected as the BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year, as voted on by the league coaches. Housinger was also selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, joined by fellow Musketeers Garrett Schultz and Luke Bell and the league's preseason squad.
Xavier was picked to finish third in the BIG EAST by the league coaches. UConn was selected first with 49 points. Creighton came in second with 43 points and the Musketeers had 36 points.
The Musketeers wrapped up 2022 at 33-27 overall, with a 13-8 record in BIG EAST play to earn the No. 3 seed in the BIG EAST Championship where Xavier advanced to the Championship series before finishing runners-up.
The Musketeers are set to get the schedule underway on February 17, 2023, with a trip to Eugene, Ore., to face the Oregon Ducks.
Preseason Player of the Year Jack Housinger, the league's preseason All-Conference pick at shortstop, finished 2022 with a .311 average in 228 at-bats, batting primarily in the two-hole. His 71 hits were the most among Xavier's returning players, with 30 of those going for extra bases. Housinger finished 2022 with 47 walks, the most among returning BIG EAST players, with a .445 on-base percentage.
Housinger, originally from Hawthorn Woods, Ill., finished with 68 runs scored to lead the Musketeers in 2022, a mark that was third most in the BIG EAST. Housinger drove in 58 RBI and had 16 home runs, marks that lead the returning Musketeers and ranked in the top five in the BIG EAST last season.
On defense, Housinger started all 60 games for the Musketeers at shortstop, finishing with a team-high 143 assists, the third most in the BIG EAST, and turned 24 double plays.
Housinger was selected to the All-BIG EAST Second Team following the 2022 season, the third all- conference honor of his career, earning First Team honors as a junior in 2021 and Second Team honors as a freshman in 2019. This is his fourth time being selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST, earning the honor prior to the 2022, 2021 and 2020 seasons.
Garrett Schultz, a senior from Nashville, Tenn., was picked Preseason All-BIG EAST in the outfield. Schultz was third among Xavier's regular players last season with a .322 batting average, collecting 66 hits, including 14 for extra bases, and had 23 walks. Schultz drove in 33 RBI and came around to score 28 runs.
Schultz appeared in 58 games for the Musketeers last season, starting in 56, making 52 starts in center field.
This is Schultz' first preseason honor of his Xavier career.
Luke Bell, a senior from Chandler, Ariz., was selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team as a starting pitcher. The righty wrapped up last season with a 4.31 ERA through 56.1 innings pitch, the most among returning Musketeers.
Bell made 25 appearances, including 10 starts, during his junior season and finishing with a 4-0 record. Bell's 59 strikeouts in 2022 leads Xavier's returners, throwing a career-high six strikeouts twice last season.
This is Bell's first preseason honor of his Xavier career.
Preseason Player of the Year
Jack Housinger, Gr., SS, Xavier
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Ian Cooke, So., RHP, UConn
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team*
C – Owen Carapellotti, So.., Georgetown
1B – Ben Huber, Gr., UConn
2B – Andrew Meggs, Sr., Creighton
3B – Kevin Michaels, RJr., St. John's
SS – Jack Housinger, Gr., Xavier
DH – Jack Grace, Sr., Creighton
OF – Korey Morton, Jr., UConn
OF – David Glancy, RJr., St. John's
OF – Will Gale, RJr., Seton Hall
OF – Garrett Schultz, Sr., Xavier
SP – Ian Cooke, So., UConn ^
SP – Cade Lommel, Jr., Creighton
SP – Dominic Cancellieri, Jr., Creighton
SP – Luke Bell, Sr., Xavier
RP – Tommy Steier, Gr., Creighton
^ - denotes unanimous selection
* due to a tie in voting, there is an extra member on the preseason all-conference team.
Preseason Coaches' Poll
First place votes in ( )
1. UConn (7) – 49
2. Creighton (1) – 43
3. Xavier – 36
4. Georgetown – 30
5. Seton Hall – 23
6. St. John's – 21
7. Villanova – 15
8. Butler – 7
Xavier was picked to finish third in the BIG EAST by the league coaches. UConn was selected first with 49 points. Creighton came in second with 43 points and the Musketeers had 36 points.
The Musketeers wrapped up 2022 at 33-27 overall, with a 13-8 record in BIG EAST play to earn the No. 3 seed in the BIG EAST Championship where Xavier advanced to the Championship series before finishing runners-up.
The Musketeers are set to get the schedule underway on February 17, 2023, with a trip to Eugene, Ore., to face the Oregon Ducks.
Preseason Player of the Year Jack Housinger, the league's preseason All-Conference pick at shortstop, finished 2022 with a .311 average in 228 at-bats, batting primarily in the two-hole. His 71 hits were the most among Xavier's returning players, with 30 of those going for extra bases. Housinger finished 2022 with 47 walks, the most among returning BIG EAST players, with a .445 on-base percentage.Housinger, originally from Hawthorn Woods, Ill., finished with 68 runs scored to lead the Musketeers in 2022, a mark that was third most in the BIG EAST. Housinger drove in 58 RBI and had 16 home runs, marks that lead the returning Musketeers and ranked in the top five in the BIG EAST last season.
On defense, Housinger started all 60 games for the Musketeers at shortstop, finishing with a team-high 143 assists, the third most in the BIG EAST, and turned 24 double plays.
Housinger was selected to the All-BIG EAST Second Team following the 2022 season, the third all- conference honor of his career, earning First Team honors as a junior in 2021 and Second Team honors as a freshman in 2019. This is his fourth time being selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST, earning the honor prior to the 2022, 2021 and 2020 seasons.
Garrett Schultz, a senior from Nashville, Tenn., was picked Preseason All-BIG EAST in the outfield. Schultz was third among Xavier's regular players last season with a .322 batting average, collecting 66 hits, including 14 for extra bases, and had 23 walks. Schultz drove in 33 RBI and came around to score 28 runs.Schultz appeared in 58 games for the Musketeers last season, starting in 56, making 52 starts in center field.
This is Schultz' first preseason honor of his Xavier career.
Luke Bell, a senior from Chandler, Ariz., was selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team as a starting pitcher. The righty wrapped up last season with a 4.31 ERA through 56.1 innings pitch, the most among returning Musketeers.Bell made 25 appearances, including 10 starts, during his junior season and finishing with a 4-0 record. Bell's 59 strikeouts in 2022 leads Xavier's returners, throwing a career-high six strikeouts twice last season.
This is Bell's first preseason honor of his Xavier career.
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BIG EAST PRESEASON AWARDS |
Preseason Player of the Year
Jack Housinger, Gr., SS, Xavier
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Ian Cooke, So., RHP, UConn
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team*
C – Owen Carapellotti, So.., Georgetown
1B – Ben Huber, Gr., UConn
2B – Andrew Meggs, Sr., Creighton
3B – Kevin Michaels, RJr., St. John's
SS – Jack Housinger, Gr., Xavier
DH – Jack Grace, Sr., Creighton
OF – Korey Morton, Jr., UConn
OF – David Glancy, RJr., St. John's
OF – Will Gale, RJr., Seton Hall
OF – Garrett Schultz, Sr., Xavier
SP – Ian Cooke, So., UConn ^
SP – Cade Lommel, Jr., Creighton
SP – Dominic Cancellieri, Jr., Creighton
SP – Luke Bell, Sr., Xavier
RP – Tommy Steier, Gr., Creighton
^ - denotes unanimous selection
* due to a tie in voting, there is an extra member on the preseason all-conference team.
Preseason Coaches' Poll
First place votes in ( )
1. UConn (7) – 49
2. Creighton (1) – 43
3. Xavier – 36
4. Georgetown – 30
5. Seton Hall – 23
6. St. John's – 21
7. Villanova – 15
8. Butler – 7
Players Mentioned
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