Luke Franzoni Named BIG EAST Player of the Year

NEW YORK - Following a record-breaking season at the plate, Xavier first baseman Luke Franzoni was named the 2022 BIG EAST Player of the Year, as voted on by the league's coaches, sharing the honor with Creighton's Alan Roden. Franzoni was also one of five Musketeers selected to All-BIG EAST Teams, earning a spot on the First Team. Jared Cushing and Jack Lynch were also First Team selections, while Jack Housinger and Jeff Holtz were named to the Second Team.

The Musketeers wrapped up the regular season with a 31-25 record overall, going 13-8 in BIG EAST play to earn the No. 3 seed in the BIG EAST Championships, opening up play on Thursday evening against No. 2 seed Creighton at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio.

Luke Franzoni, a senior from Robbinsville, N.J., wrapped up the regular season leading the BIG EAST and ranked in the top five in the country for home runs, using a Xavier single-season record of 24 home runs to set a new Xavier career record at 47. Franzoni has played 54 games for the Musketeers this season, all at first base, and leads the Musketeers with a .355 average at the plate with a team-high 70 hits, with 36 going for extra bases for a BIG EAST-best .782 slugging percentage.

Franzoni leads the conference with 62 RBI, and also has a league-best 49 walks, helping him to a team-best .486 on-base percentage, the second highest in the BIG EAST. On the field, Franzoni has a .987 fielding percentage and has helped Xavier to a league-best 36 double-plays, assisting in 27 of those.

This is first BIG EAST All-Conference honor of Franzoni's career.

Junior Jared Cushing is the league's First Team pick at third base after playing in 54 games for the Musketeers this season, making 50 starts including 34 at third base. Cushing, originally from Naperville, Ill., is batting .293 for the season, with a .359 mark for conference play, ranking in the top-10 in the league for regular players. Of Cushing's 56 hits for the season, 28 have come during BIG EAST play, second only to Luke Franzoni for the Musketeers in league action.

Cushing has come around to score 29 runs, 15 against BIG EAST opponents, and has 30 RBI on the season, with 11 coming in conference play. He recorded a six-hit game against Butler, a single-game league high for the season.

This is Cushing's first All-Conference honor of his career.

Jack Lynch, a junior LHP from Dallas, Texas, earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST First Team as a relief pitcher with 56.2 innings of work in a team-high 26 appearances. Among Xavier's pitchers who have gone 10.0 or more innings, Lynch has a team-leading ERA of 2.70 for the season, and has an opponents' batting average of .197. Both marks rank in the top five in the BIG EAST.

Lynch leads the BIG EAST with nine wins on the season, earning a 9-0 record, with five of those coming against conference opponents. In games against BIG EAST opponents, Lynch's 2.30 ERA in 31.1 innings of work through 11 appearances ranks third in the league.

This is the first All-Conference honor of Lynch's career.

Jack Housinger, a senior infielder from Hawthorn Woods, Ill., was picked to the All-BIG EAST Second Team after starting in all 56 games for the Musketeers at shortstop. Housinger has a .289 average at the plate with 61 hits for the season, 23 coming during BIG EAST play. Of thosse 61 hits, 26 went for extra bases, including 13 home runs, helping Housinger drive in 52 RBI, second most on the team.

Housinger's 59 runs scored on the season matches for team high and ranks third in the league. His 42 walks on the season are second in the BIG EAST behind Franzoni, with a .486 on-base percentage, second highest on the team. On the field, Housinger has been a part of 23 of Xavier's league-leading 36 double plays.

This is the third all-conference honor of Housinger's career, earning First Team honors as a junior in 2021 and Second Team honors as a freshman in 2019.

Jeff Holtz, a senior from Hartland, Wisc., was the league's Second Team pick at designated hitter, playing in 29 games and making 13 starts overall for the Musketeers. Holtz has a .345 average overall with a .467 average in 13 BIG EAST games played, tied for the best mark in the BIG EAST for regular players during conference play.

Of Holtz' 20 hits, nine went for extra bases, with five of those coming in conference play. In BIG EAST play, Holtz has the second-best slugging percentage in the league at .767. For the season, Holtz has 16 RBI and 12 runs scored, with 10 RBI and seven runs scored in conference play.

This is Holtz' first All-Conference honor at Xavier.

2022 BIG EAST AWARDS

Co-Players of the Year
Luke Franzoni, Xavier, Sr., 1B
Alan Roden, Creighton, So., 1B

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

Freshman of the Year
Owen Carapellotti, Georgetown, Fr., C ^

Coaching Staff of the Year
Georgetown, Head coach Edwin Thompson

All-BIG EAST First Team
^ Austin Peterson, UConn, R-Jr., SP
^ Dylan Tebrake, Creighton, Jr., SP
^ Nolan McCarthy, Georgetown, Grad, SP
Pat Gallagher, UConn, R-So., SP
Jack Lynch, Xavier, Jr., RP
Matt Donlan, UConn, R-Jr., C
Luke Franzoni, Xavier, Sr., 1B
Ethan Stern, Georgetown, Grad, 2B
Kevin Michaels, St. John's, R-So., SS
Jared Cushing, Xavier, Jr. 3B
Korey Morton, UConn, So., DH
^ Erik Stock, UConn, Sr., OF
^ Jared Wegner, Creighton, Jr., OF
Chris Rotondo, Villanova, Sr., OF

All-BIG EAST Second Team
Alan Roden, Creighton, So., 1B
Jake Hyde, Georgetown, So., OF
Travis Holt, Butler, Grad, SS
Casey Dana, UConn, Grad, OF
Tommy Steier, Creighton, Jr. RP
David Smith, UConn, So., 2B
Andrew Meggs, Creighton, Jr., 2B
Jeff Holtz, Xavier, Sr., DH
Derek Drees, Butler, R-Sr., SP
Enzo Stefanoni, UConn, Grad, SP
Tate Ballestero, St. John's, R-So., 3B
Joey Castellanos, Villanova, Sr., 3B
Tyler Arella, Villanova, Sr., SP
Jack Housinger, Xavier, Sr., SS

^ denotes unanimous selection

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