CINCINNATI – Xavier baseball heads to Queens, N.Y. this weekend for the last road trip of the BIG EAST schedule, taking on St. John's in a three-game series at Kaiser Stadium. The Musketeers and the Red Storm get underway on Friday, May 12, set for a 6:00 p.m. start. Game two is scheduled for Saturday at 3:00 p.m., and the series wraps up on Sunday, with a 12:00 p.m. first pitch. All three games will be live streamed on the WatchESPN platform.
The Musketeers are 30-19 overall and 11-4 in BIG EAST play after taking a three-game sweep of Creighton on the road last weekend. The Musketeers currently sit in second place in the BIG EAST standings, and are receiving votes in the NCBWA Poll for a fifth-straight week.
- The Red Storm is currently 24-23 on the season and 4-10 in BIG EAST play, sitting in seventh place in the league standings.
- SJU has taken one of three against St. John's, Seton Hall and Villanova, and split a pair of games with Georgetown in a shortened series. Creighton took a three-game sweep of the Johnnies.
- St. John's went 22-32-1 overall last season, and 7-12-1 in BIG EAST play.
- Xavier is 15-15 all-time against the Red Storm after taking the three-game series sweep last season.
- Shortstop Jack Housinger is batting .209, with 20 of his 38 hits going for extra bases, including 11 home runs. Housinger has 30 RBI, a team high matching 44 runs scored on the season. Housinger leads the BIG EAST and is 15th in the nation with 46 walks and has reached safely in the last 12 games
- Catcher Matthew DePrey has a .293 average at the plate on the season, with nine doubles and 11 home runs among his 60 hits. He's driven in 32 RBI and scored 39 runs.
- Left fielder Andrew Walker is batting .327 on the season, with a team-leading, and conference-high 67 hits, as well as 43 RBIs. Among his hits are 14 doubles, a triple and seven home runs. Walker brings a 15-game reached safely streak into the weekend and a team-best six game hitting streak.
- Tyler DeMartino returned from injury to make his first appearance against Michigan on March 15 and has started in 32 games since that point, primarily at DH. He's batting .269 with 28 RBI and 26 runs scored, and has 10 home runs on the season.
- Matt McCormick has made 48 starts, primarily at first base, with a .337 average at the plate, best among Xavier's everyday players. Among his 59 hits are 22 for extra bases, including nine doubles and a team-high 13 home runs.
- Carter Hendrickson has made 42 starts, primarily in the outfield, with a .259 average at the plate. Among his 38 hits are 12 for extra bases, including five home runs. Hendrickson has 23 RBI and 31 runs scored on the season.
- Second baseman Jared Cushing has a .291 average at the plate, with nine doubles, a triple and 12 home runs. He leads the Musketeers with 44 RBIs and has scored 36 runs.
- Alex Helmin has appeared in 29 games, starting in 21, with .298 batting average. He has 21 RBIs and 14 runs scored.
- Third baseman Grant Stephenson is batting .229 on the season, including 10 hits for extra bases . He has 19 RBI and 19 runs scored.
- Garrett Schultz has 27 starts in center field, with a .255 average at the plate. He has 14 walks for the season, has driven in 17 RBI and scored 14 runs. He's reached base in 27 games.
- Connor Misch has appeared in 25 games, posting a .250 batting average with 10 hits, 10 RBIs and five runs scored.
- Luke Hammond has played in 23 games, making six starts, with a .267 average the plate. He has three RBI and six runs scored.
- Aedan Anderson has played in 23 games, has four hits and five walks on the season and has come around to score six times.
- Teddy Deters made his fourth start of the season against Indiana, his 13th appearance of the season. Deters finished the game with a career-high four RBIs after hitting his second home run of the season, a two-run shot, and hitting a two-RBI triple to bring his season total to eight RBIs.
- Xavier's offense has 81 home runs this season, a number that leads the BIG EAST and ranks No. 25 in NCAA DI.
- Ethan Bosacker has made 12 starts, with a 3.50 ERA through 72.0 IP with 28 earned runs allowed on the season. Bosacker leads team with 68 strikeouts, while allowing 21 walks. He has a WHIP of 1.13 and is 6-2 on the season, matching Brant Alazaus and Jake Bloss of Georgetown to lead the BIG EAST in wins.
- Brant Alazaus has made 12 starts, with a 4.14 ERA in 61.2 innings pitched after pitching a complete game shutout in the series opener against Creighton. He's 6-3 on the season, matching Ethan Bosacker for league-high win totals. Alazaus has allowed 33 earned runs on the season, and has 74 strikeouts to just eight walks, for a BIG EAST-best 9.25 strikeout-to-walk ration, which ranks fourth in the NCAA DI.
- Luke Hoskins has made 16 appearances, including 11 starts, and has a 5.04 ERA through 55.1 innings pitched. He's allowed 31 earned runs on 55 hits, with 39 Ks to 14 walks.
- Luke Bell has made 13 appearances, including six starts, with a 7.29 ERA in 45.2 innings pitched and 37 Ks to 18 walks.
- Jonathan Kelly has a 3.91 ERA in 48.1 innings pitched, making a team-high 25 appearances including one start. Kelly has 34 strikeouts to 12 walks.
- Justin Loer has made 23 appearances, including one start, posting a 2.14 ERA through 46.1 innings, allowing 11 earned runs on 29 hits, with 52 Ks to 17 walks. He's 5-3 on the season with three saves.
- Nick Boyle has made nine appearances, including four starts, with a 8.62 ERA in 15.2 innings pitched, allowing 15 runs on 15 hits with 16 strikeouts to 16 walks.
- Jack Niedringhaus has made seven appearances, including making his first collegiate start against EKU, picking up his first win. He has a 3.37 ERA through 10.2 innings pitched, with four earned runs allowed on 11 hits and nine strikeouts to three walks issued.
- Connor Bailey has 12 appearances on the season, including one start with a 5.51 ERA through 16.1 innings pitched, allowing 10 earned runs on 15 hits, with nine strikeouts to nine walks.
- Clay Schwaner has made 17 appearances out of the bullpen, with a 6.39 ERA through 25.1 innings pitched, and has five saves on the season.
- Creighton Hansen has a 4.91 ERA through 7.1 IP in nine appearances, allowing four earned run on three hits, and has eight strikeouts to 14 walks.
- Jake Zicka (3.0 IP) has an ERA of 6.00 after making his third appearance of the season, allowing two runs on two hits with three strikeouts to four walks.
- Nathan Stahl has a 10.80 ERA through 3.1 innings of work across four appearances, with three Ks to four walks.
- Ryan Rumsey made his first appearance of the season against UC, allowing three earned runs on four hits and a walk in 1.0 IP.
- Carter Hendrickson made his first appearance on the mound during the NIU series, allowing two runs on three hits with a pair of strikeouts in 1.0 inning of work.
- Xavier's pitching staff leads the BIG EAST with a team WHIP of 1.29, the 11th best mark in the country. Xavier also leads the conference in ERA (4.68), hits allowed per nine innings (8.17), strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.37), and walks allowed per nine innings (3.43) all top-50 marks in NCAA DI.
- After pitching a complete game shutout in the series opener at Creighton, left-handed pitcher Brant Alazaus was named the BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week. Outfield Ander Walker also earned a spot on the Weekly Honor Roll after leading Xavier with a .556 average at the plate for the week.
- Alazaus, a graduate student from Alliance, Ohio, threw 9.0 scoreless innings in Xavier's 11-0 win in game one at Creighton. It was Alazaus' first complete game at Xavier, and the third complete game of his career, pitching two complete games at Walsh. Alazaus threw 10 strikeouts, his second game with 10 or more strikeouts on the year, did not issue a walk and only surrendered five hits. Alazaus picked up the win to move to 6-3 on the season.
- Alazaus set the tone for the Musketeers on the mound for the 3-0 weekend, as Xavier's pitchers combined to Creighton to just two earned runs, finishing the three-game series with a team ERA of 0.67. The Musketeers combined for 32 strikeouts while giving up just two walks, and held the Bluejays to a .152 batting average.
- Walker, a graduate student from Pittsburgh, Pa., led the Musketeers at the plate with a .556 average as Xavier swept the three game series at Creighton. Walker finished with a team-high five hits, including a pair of doubles, and four walks for a .667 on base percentage, best among Xavier's everyday players. Walker drove in an RBI in all three games against the Bluejays, finishing the week with a team-high four, and came around to score three times.
- In game one, Walker went 2-2 with three walks, driving in an RBI and scoring three runs to help Xavier to the 11-0 win. In game two, Walker went 1-3, driving in an RBI as Xavier took the 4-1 win. In the series finale, Walker went 2-4, hitting a pair of RBI singles to drive in two runs in Xavier's 3-1 win.
- Xavier wraps up the non-conference schedule on Tuesday, May 16, with a trip to Michigan.
- The Wolverines are 23-22 overall with a 10-8 record in Big Ten play.
- Michigan went 34-28 overall last season with a 12-12 record in Big Ten play, earning the No. 5 seed in the Big Ten Tournament.
- UM won the Big Ten Tournament Championship, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, where they were eliminated in the Louisville Regional.
- Xavier is 4-4 all-time against the Wolverines after falling, 7-3, at Hayden Field earlier this season
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DEPREY ON POSEY WATCH LIST |
- Xavier junior catcher Matthew DePrey was listed on the most recent Watch List for the 2023 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year award, released by the Wichita Sports Commission on May 10. DePrey is one of three from the BIG EAST, joined by Tate Ballestero of St. John's and Owen Carapellotti of Georgetown.
- The watch list will be narrowed down to the semifinalists, announced on May 22, 2023. Ballots will be sent to the national voting committee at the end of May for a vote to determine the three finalists. The finalists will be announced June 6, 2023.
- A final vote among the national committee will occur during the College World Series. All finalists will be brought to Wichita and the winner will be announced on June 29, 2023.
- After helping Xavier rewrite several records last season, BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year shortstop Jack Housinger is positioned to make moves in the Xavier career record books.
- Housinger currently stands at 229 appearances, the most all time by a Musketeer. Housinger broke the previous school record of 225 during the Creighton series.
- Last season, Housinger moved into Xavier's top five for career doubles, with 52 for his time as a Musketeer, second most in program history, and just 10 shy of matching the school record of 62.
- After setting the single season school record of 68 runs scored last season, Housinger has 44 runs scored this season and now has a career total of 185, second-most in program history. The current school record is 211.
- He also had 47 walks on the season for 2022, the sixth most in a single season in program history. Housinger has 46 walks for 2023, tied for seventh most walks in a single season, with his current career total standing at 178, second most career walks for a Musketeer. The current school record is 188.
- With 812 career at-bats, Housinger has the fourth most in program history, with the school record standing at 833.
- Xavier opened the season on the road, playing 18 away games before opening the home portion of the schedule on Wednesday, March 15 against Michigan.
- Overall, Xavier will play 36 games on the road, playing games in 11 different states and facing opponents from 12 different conferences, including the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC.
- Among Xavier's 25 scheduled opponents are six teams that competed in last season's NCAA Tournament.
- The Musketeers return a strong core from last season's bullpen which posted a new school record of 482 strikeouts.
- RHP Ethan Bosacker returns to the rotation after sitting out last season due to injury. Prior to 2023, Bosacker was last in action in 2021, making 12 appearance, including 10 starts, with an ERA of 3.34 through 62.0 innings pitched and 53 strikeouts.
- Lefty Brant Alazaus, a transfer from Walsh University, started in 12 games last season at Walsh, pitching a total of 78.1 innings in 15 appearances. He finished had 2.88 ERA, had 100 strikeouts and only seven walks, and finished with a 6-1 record.
- Justin Loer made 15 appearances, including three starts, in 2022 finishing with an ERA of 3.55 through 25.1 innings pitched and a record of 2-0, with 18 strikeouts.
- Among the returners, Preseason All-BIG EAST selection Luke Bell's 59 strikeouts from last season leads the way. Bell made 25 appearances for the Musketeers, including a team-high 10 starts, posting a 4-0 record. He had a 4.31 ERA through 56.1 innings pitched.
- Bryce Barnett (40), Jared Gadd (38) and Jonathan Kelly (32), key contributors to last season's strikeout record, also return for Xavier.
- Xavier also returns contributors from last season Conner Bailey and Luke Hoskins, as well as letterwinners Ryan Rumsey, Jake Zicka. Nick Boyle and Carter Hendrickson
- Off the transfer portal, Xavier added righties Clay Schwaner (Wofford), Creighton Hansen (Wichita State) and Nathan Stahl (Indiana).
- The Musketeers also added freshman Jack Niedringhaus (LHP) to the bullpen.
- The Musketeers bring back seven every-day position players and eight contributors from last season's school-record breaking offensive lineup. Xavier is coming off a season where they drove in a school record 425 RBI, score a program-best 450 runs, and had 100 home run season, crushing the previous school record of 68.
- Among the returners, Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year and the league's Preseason All-BIG EAST selection at shortstop, Jack Housinger, led the way with 16 home runs last season. The mark tied the previous school record and trails only Luke Franzoni's 29 home run season in 2022 in Xavier's single season records. last season, Housinger started at shortstop in all 60 games, batting .311 for the season, with 30 of his 71 hits going for extra bases for a .588 slugging percentage.
- Garrett Schultz joined Housinger on the Preseason All-BIG EAST squad. Last season he played in 58 games, starting in 56, primarily in center field, batting .322, with 66 hits, including 14 for extra bases, and took 23 walks. Schultz drove in 33 RBI and came around to score 28 times.
- Andrew Walker played in 57 games in 2022, starting in 56, all in left field. Walker batted .309 for the season, with hits 23 going for extra bases for a .505 slugging percentage. Among the extra base hits, he had 15 doubles and five home runs. He took 35 bases on balls, and finished with a career-best .437 on-base percentage.
- Tyler DeMartino appeared in 57 games last season, making 55 starts, including 44 at center field and 11 at DH. DeMartino batted .309 for the season, driving in 47 RBI and scoring 40 runs on 63 hits. He had a .564 slugging percentage, collecting 27 hits for extra bases, including 14 doubles and 12 home runs.
- Jared Cushing appeared in 58 games, starting in 54, making 34 starts at third base and 20 starts at second base. He Batted .290 for the season knocking in 31 RBI and scoring 33 runs on 60 hits. Of those hits, 20 went for extra bases including 10 home runs.
- Matthew DePrey appeared in 42 games, starting in 26 last season, making 20 starts at catcher and six at DH. DePrey batted .266 with 29 hits, scoring 20 runs and driving in 16 RBI.
- Alex Helmin appeared in 39 games in 2022, making 16 starts, primarily in right and center field. He finished with a .253 average at the plate, with 19 hits, including three doubles, and seven walks.
- Grant Stephenson appeared in 27 games last season, starting in 26, all at third base, batting .310 for the season, with 27 hits, driving in 19 RBI and coming around to score 14 runs.
- The Musketeers have made the four-team BIG EAST Tournaments six times since joining the conference for the 2013-14 season.
- Xavier has advanced to the conference championship series in each of it's six trips to the league tournament, claiming the tournament championship three times (2014, 2016, 2017), as well as winning the regular season title in 2016.
- The Musketeers have advanced to the championship series and finished runners-up in each of the last three tournaments held (2019, 2021, 2022).
- A pair of Musketeers were selected in the 2022 MLB First-Year Player Draft, with junior Jack Lynch going to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 18th round, and senior Luke Franzoni selected in the 19th round by the Los Angeles Angels.
- The two selections in 2022 makes it 20 total Musketeers selected in the MLB Draft since 2005.
- At least one Xavier player has been selected in seven of the last nine years, and the 2022 draft marked the fourth time in that period that multiple Musketeers were picked.
- Ahead of the 2023 season, Xavier was picked the finish third in BIG EAST by the league coaches
- Graduate student Jack Housinger was named the Preseason Player of the Year, and was the coaches' preseason All-League pick at shortstop.
- Senior outfielder Garrett Schultz and Senior RHP Luke Bell were also selected to the Preseason All-Conference Team.
2023 Preseason Baseball All-BIG EAST Team and 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
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XU TO HOST LEAGUE TOURNEY |
- The 2023 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 Tournament will open on Wednesday, May 24 and is scheduled to run through Saturday, May 27. The opening day of the tournament has been moved up a day from previous years.
- The BIG EAST announced in 2019 that Prasco Park would extend the partnership, which began in 2018, with Xavier remaining the co-host of the annual postseason tournament.
