Xavier Continues Homestand with Three-Game set against Western Carolina

Friday, April 1

Mason, Ohio / Prasco Park

5 PM

Xavier University

Western Carolina

Xavier Continues Homestand with Three-Game set against Western Carolina

03.31.22 | Baseball

Musketeers enter play riding a six-game win streak

By: Mark Leopold, Xavier Athletics Communications

CINCINNATI, OH – After a season sweep of Cincinnati, Xavier will stay home and compete against Western Carolina. Game One is at local Prasco Park on Friday, first pitch is scheduled at 5:00 pm ET. Saturday and Sunday's game will be at Hayden Field, with games starting at 2:00 pm ET and 1:00 pm ET respectively.

This will be the first meeting between Xavier and Western Carolina since 2007, a series that the Catamounts took 2-1.

OPPONENT NOTABLES

Western Carolina is 11-14 so far this season, starting with a four-game sweep of Niagara before dropping six-straight.
Highlights of the nonconference schedule include wins over Kansas, Cincinnati, and Houston.
The Catamounts were chosen to finish third SoCon Preseason Coaches Poll, and got one first place vote.
Western Carolina was chosen to finish fourth in the SoCon Preseason Media Poll, and got two first place votes.
An impressive four Catamounts received preseason honors:
- Shortstop Pascanel Ferreras, Preseason SoCon Player of the Year, is batting .280 this season. He has seven doubles, four home runs, 19 runs, and a team-high 20 RBIs.
- Second baseman Will Prater is second on the team with a .337 batting average, including a team-high 33 hits, five doubles and two triples. He has 14 runs and a team-high 20 RBIs.
- Starter Zebby Matthews Jr. has a 6.19 ERA and an 0-5 record. However, he has a team-high 50 strikeouts in just 36.1 innings.
- Daniel Walsh earned a spot on the SoCon Second Team, batting .182 with four hits and a home run in seven appearances this season.

STARTERS

Trevor Olson appeared in 14 games and made 10 starts for Xavier last season. He finished the season with an ERA of 2.97 and 1.12 WHIP through 63.2 innings pitched, allowing 21 earned runs on 53 hits with 18 walks, striking out 50 along the way. Olson wa strong in his first outing of the season, going five innings and only allowing six baserunners and one run before handing the ball off with the lead intact.
The Graduate senior has been with Xavier for four years, compiling eight wins, a save, and 108 strikeouts across 144.2 innings pitched.
Bryce Barnett with made his Xavier debut against Oregon State earlier this year, after having pitched for Arizona State his freshman year. He faced 11 batters and recorded two strikeouts against Alabama.
As a Sun Devil, Barnett tallied 17 strikeouts in just 8.1 innings of work. He didn't allow a run in seven of his eight outings, which were second-most on the team in the shortened season.
George Eisenhardt embarked on his freshman campaign against Oregon State. He was a four-year varsity letterman for Lakeridge High School in Portland, Oregon, and earned All-League honors his freshman and sophomore year, and All-State in his sophomore year. He struck out four of 11 batters in his collegiate debut against the Crimson Tide.

THE BULLPEN

Lane Flamm returns for his senior year as one of the most impactful players of his class. Last year, he made 12 starts including a complete game. He pitched 65.1 innings and had 67 strikeouts en route to four wins, a 4.41 ERA and 1.50 WHIP.
Junior Ethan Bosacker made 12 appearances and 10 starts in 2021, finishing with a 4-3 record. He struck out 54 batters in 62.0 innings and closed the season with a 3.34 ERA and 1.23 WHIP.
Junior Jonathan Kelly appeared in a team-high 16 games out of the bullpen, pitching 24.2 innings and earning three saves. He finished with a 6.93 ERA and 1.99 WHIP. He faced exactly 100 batters and struck out 32 of them.
As a Freshman Dorset Chatham pitched 20.1 innings across 16 appearances. He was 3-1 as the pitcher of record with a 7.08 ERA and 2.31 WHIP. He struck out 22 of the 95 batters faced.
Junior Jack Lynch pitched 15 innings in 2021 and closed out two save opportunities. He struck out 13 batters in 12 appearances and had an 8.40 ERA and 1.80 WHIP.
Xavier also returns relievers Xander Rojahn, Cooper Williams, Luke Bell, Jared Gadd, Shawn Hepler, Miles Halligan, Connor Bailey, Bobby Jones, and Nick Boyle.
The Musketeers add newcomers Carter Hendrickson, Justin Loer, Jake Zicka, Hyatt Utzman, DJ Morand, Luke Hoskins, and Ryan Rumsey,

BEHIND THE PLATE

Leading the trio of catchers is Preseason All-BIG EAST honoree Jerry Huntzinger. The graduate student joined Xavier in Summer 2021 as a transfer from Seton Hall, coming off a 2021 season where he shared All-BIG EAST First Team honors with Xavier graduate catcher Natale Monastra.
Originally from Staten Island, N.Y., Huntzinger was the only Pirate to start in all 48 games for Seton Hall last season, leading the team in walks, runs, hits and stolen bases. His 24 stolen bases led the BIG EAST last season and he ranked in the top 10 in the BIG EAST conference in hits (55), runs scored (35) and walks (25).
Sophomore Matthew DePrey appeared in 16 games last year and started in seven. He bat .120 with three hits including a double and a home run, three runs and an RBI. He drew four walks and was hit by a pitch en route to a SLG% of .280 and an OBP of .267.
Xavier also adds freshman Emmanuel Scott at catcher.

X IN THE OUTFIELD

Andrew Walker was picked as a Preseason All-BIG EAST outfielder. He's coming off a season where he was named All-BIG EAST Second Team. He appeared in 47 games, starting in 39, and led Xavier's every-day players at the plate with a .316 batting average, which ranked eighth in the conference. Walker collected 30 RBI last season, the most among Xavier's returners, and scored 32 runs, trailing just Housinger among Musketeers in 2021.
Walker ranked in the top 10 in the league on on-base percentage (.407), collecting 48 hits, third most on the team, and 19 bases on balls. He led the Musketeers with 18 stolen bases, trailing only Xavier's own Jerry Huntzinger in the BIG EAST last season.
Junior Garrett Schultz's started in the outfield in 42 games last season, and made 48 total appearances. He had a batting average of .235 including 35 hits, five doubles, one triple and one home run. He recorded 20 RBIs and 27 runs, had .383 SLG% and .349 OBP, and drew 20 walks to go with five stolen bases.
Transfer Alex Helmin appeared in 45 games and started in 44 last year. He bat .234 with 36 hits, seven doubles, one triple, and five home runs. He recorded 26 RBIs and 22 runs, drew 21 walks and 3 HBPs with five atolen bases. Helmin had eight multi-hit games including a three-hit night against Cincinnati.
Tyler DeMartino was also a transfer, and he appeared in 36 games, starting in 25. He had .314 batting average, which was second most among qualified teammates, including 33 hits, four of which were doubles and one triple. He hit 10 RBIs and scored eight runs as well.
Xavier adds freshmen Aedan Anderson and Teddy Deters to their loaded outfield this season.

MUSKETEER INFIELD

Jack Housinger was named Preseason All-BIG EAST for a third-straight season prior to his senior campaign. Last season, he appeared in 50 games, and started in 49. His accolades were plentiful: .297 batting average (third on team), 52 hits (team-high), 17 doubles (team-high), five home runs. He scored 37 runs (team-high) and 28 RBIs (third on team), a team-high .437 OBP and third-best .480 SLG%. He drew a team-best 37 walks as well.
Luke Franzoni is the fourth Musketeer named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST team, and he represents first baseman. He started in all 41 games last year and held a .279 batting average including 36 hits, six doubles, and team-highs with two triples and nine home runs. He added 28 RBIs and 28 runs, drew 22 walks and was hit by four pitches. He finished with a team-high .566 SLG% and third-best .392 OBP.
Housinger and Franzoni have led the Xavier lineup with a combined 12 hits and four home runs at the top of the order.
After a season at Texas Tech, Jared Cushing appeared in 40 games and started in 35 as a sophomore for Xavier. He batted .221 with 27 hits, five doubles and two home runs, and recorded nine RBIs and 14 runs scored. He slugged .311 and OBP of .296, and drew 10 walks.
Sophomore Grant Stephenson appeared in 29 games and made 24 starts last year. He bat .171 including 13 hits, five doubles and one triple, recorded 10 RBIs and 10 runs, drew five walks, and had an OBP of .267.
Jackson Kaplowitz returns for Senior season after appearing in 27 games during his junior year. He went 4-15 for a .286 average, including two doubles and a homer. He also hit for four RBIs and scored two runs.
Senior Jeff Holtz appeared in 25 games and made 13 starts in 2021. He bat .255 including 13 hits, three doubles and three home runs across 51 at-bats. He added eight RBIs and eight runs, drew seven walks, and averaged a .490 SLG% and .345 OBP.
Xavier also returns Eddie Rivero and pitcher Jonathan Kelly who will take at-bats as an infielder on occassion. The Musketeers will also add incoming freshmen Ethan Hodge and Luke Hammond to their infield

ROAD WARRIORS

Xavier opens the season on the road, playing 22 away games before opening the home portion of the schedule on Saturday, March 23 against Michigan.
Overall, Xavier will play 40 games on the road, including trips to seven Power Five opponents: Alabama, Louisville, Oregon State, South Carolina, Indiana, Tennessee, and Michigan.
Xavier will also face BIG EAST opponents Seton Hall, Georgetown, Butler, and UConn on the road.
Xavier will play home and away with local rivals Cincinnati with a game at each home ball park, one at Prasco Park, and one as part of the Joe Nuxhall Classic.
The Musketeers will host BIG EAST opponents Villanova, Creighton, and St. John's.

BIG (EAST) SUCCESS

The Musketeers have made five of seven 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 15-11 in a 2021 conference schedule and advanced to the BIG EAST Championship series against UConn.

PRESEASON PICKS

Ahead of the 2021, Xavier was picked the finish third in BIG EAST in the preseason coaches poll.
Additionally, four Musketeers, Jerry Huntzinger, Luke Franzoni, Jack Housinger, and Andrew Walker, were named to the the BIG EAST Preseason All-Conference list, as voted on by the coaches.

Preseason Coaches Poll

Connecticut (7)	49
Creighton (1)	41
Xavier	36
St. John's	30
Seton Hall	29
Butler	16
Georgetown	13
Villanova	10

First-place votes denoted in ( )

Preseason Co-Players of the Year
Alan Roden, So., OF, Creighton

Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Dylan Tebrake, Jr., RHP, Creighton

Preseason All-BIG EAST

C – Jerry Huntzinger, Gr., Xavier
1B – Luke Franzoni, Sr., Xavier
2B – Andrew Meggs, Jr., Creighton
3B – Marty Higgins, RSo., St. John's *
SS – Jack Housinger, Sr., Xavier
DH – Alan Roden, So., Creighton
OF – Erik Stock, Sr., UConn *
OF – Will Gale, RSo., Seton Hall *
OF – Chris Rotondo, Sr., Villanova
OF – Andrew Walker, Sr., Xavier
SP – Austin Peterson, Sr., UConn
SP – Ian Murphy, RJr., St. John's
SP – Dylan Tebrake, Jr., Creighton
SP – Tyler Roche, So., St. John's
RP – Paul Bergstrom, Jr., Creighton

*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 taken.
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 15 years.
19 total XU players have been drafted since 1999.

XU TO HOST LEAGUE TOURNEY

The 2022 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.