Xavier Baseball Opens Home Schedule with Cincinnati on Tuesday

Tuesday, February 27

Cincinnati, Ohio

2:00 PM

Xavier University

Cincinnati

Tickets

Xavier Baseball Opens Home Schedule with Cincinnati on Tuesday

02.26.24 | Baseball

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Musketeers and Bearcats set for a 2:00 p.m. start at Hayden Field

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI – Xavier baseball opens up the home schedule on Tuesday, February 27, hosting Cincinnati at Hayden Field. First pitch with the Bearcats is set for 2:00 p.m. on FloSports.

Xavier enters the series at 3-4 after going 3-1 last week, picking up a midweek win at Louisville and taking two of three at Lipscomb over the weekend.

CINCINNATI NOTABLES

The Bearcats are 3-3 entering the game with the Musketeers. UC opened the season at Jacksonville, falling in a pair of games before opening up the home schedule with a win over NKU. Last weekend the Bearcats took two of three at the Coastal Carolina Tournament, picking up wins over Ball State and Illinois before falling to the No. 25 Chanticleers.
This is the first of three games this season against the Bearcats. The two teams will meet at Prasco Park in the Joe Nuxhall Classic on April 2 and then wrap up the season series on April 17 at Cincinnati.
The Bearcats went 24-33 overall last season, with a 10-14 in UC's final season in the American Athletic Conference before joining the Big 12.
Xavier is 51-72 all-time against the Bearcats, going 0-2 against UC last season in a pair of midweek match-ups.

XAVIER STAFF

Luke Hoskins has made a pair of Friday starts for the Musketeers, with a 13.50 ERA through 8.0 innings pitched, with three strikeouts and no walks issued. He picked up his first win of the season at Lipscomb, moving to 1-1.
Nolan Hughes started in both Saturday games so far this season, allowing nine runs, eight earned, on five hits, with nine walks to seven strikeouts.
Nick Boyle has a 4.50 ERA through 8.0 innings of work in a pair of starts. He's allowed four earned runs on 12 hits, striking out seven, including a career-high matching five against Lipscomb and issuing 11 walks. He picked up the win at Lipscomb to give him a 1-0 record.
Jonathan Kelly has a 1.69 ERA through two appearances, and is now currently tied for seventh in Xavier's all-time records for career-appearances with 76. He's allowed just two runs, one earned, on five hits through 5.1 innings of work, with three strikeouts to no walks for the season.
Tyler Sausville has made a pair of appearances out of the bullpen, with a 1.69 ERA through 5.1 innings. He's allowed just one earned run on five hits and has five strikeouts to seven walks.
Through three appearances, Alex Vera has an ERA of 4.91, allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits with three strike outs to two walks in 3.2 innings of work.
Logan Schmidt has come out of the bullpen in two games this season, posting a 5.40 ERA through 5.0 innings of work. He's allowed three earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts to four walks. Schmidt has 1-0 record after picking up the win at Louisville.
Connor Bailey has appeared in three games, including making the start at Louisville. He has 6.23 ERA in 4.1 innings, allowing five runs, three earned, on five hits with four strikeouts to five walks.
Terry Murray has made a pair of appearances, with eight earned runs allowed on seven hits with three strikeouts to four walks in 3.2 innings of work
Eli Bridenthal has an 0.00 ERA through a pair of appearances, not allowing a run or a hit in 3.0 innings of work, with four strikeouts to just one walk.
Ashton Chronister has made a pair of appearances for the Musketeers, allowing five runs, four earned, on five hits. He has pair of strikeouts and no walks issued.
Sophomore Jack Niedringhaus entered with one out and the bases loaded in the season opener at Clemson, getting the Musketeers out of the inning with a 6-4-3 double play. Last season, he made 11 appearances, including one start, for the Musketeers as a freshman. He posted an ERA of 3.71 through 17.0 innings pitched, allowing seven earned runs on 16 hits, striking out 10 while walking eight.
Eric Podgorny made his collegiate debut in the season opener at Clemson, entering in the eighth inning, allowing two runs on one hit and a pair of walks in 0.1 inning.
Righty Jared Gadd returns for the Musketeers after sitting out last season due to injury. In his last season with the Musketeers (2022), he made 23 appearances, including two starts, finishing with a record of 5-4 with three saves. He posted an ERA of 4.20 with a WHIP of 1.38 through 49.1 innings pitched, finishing with 38 strikeouts on the season while only giving up 13 walks.
Last season, Nathan Stahl made five appearances in his first season with the Musketeers in 2023, posting a 9.00 ERA through 5.0 innings pitched. Stahl allowed four earned runs on four hits, finishing with four strikeouts and four walks.

THE LINEUP

Center fielder Garrett Schultz has a .231 average at the plate in six starts, with six hits and four walks on the season, scoring five runs.
Catcher Matthew DePrey has made all seven starts behind the plate this season, batting .22 with six hits, including a double, and a team-leading six walks and seven runs scored.
Matt McCormick has started all seven games for the Musketeers at first, batting .276 on the season with eight hits, including a double and a home run, and four walks. He's driven in four runs and scored four.
Right fielder Tyler DeMartino has started all seven games this season, batting .458 with a team-high 11 hits so far, including two doubles and a home run for a .667 slugging percentage. He has five walks and three hit-by-pitches on the season, leading Xavier's starters with a .594 on-base percentage.
Jared Cushing has made seven starts at second base, with five hits on the season, driving in three RBI and scoring four runs.
Hayden Christiansen has played in six games, making five starts at designated hitter, with a .350 average at the plate. He's driven in a team-high 10 RBI and has scored a pair or runs. Among his seven hits are three for extra bases, two doubles and a home run, for a .600 slugging percentage.
Luke Hammond has made three starts at third base, and is batting .333 for the season, driving in five RBI and scoring six runs. Four of his seven hits have gone for extra bases, including a team-high three home runs.
Grant Stephenson has played in six games, starting in five, including making the last four starts at shortstop. He has a pair of hits on the season and two walks and has scored a pair of runs.
Carter Hendrickson has made five starts, including four at left field, and has a .333 average at the plate, driving in four RBI and scoring five runs. Among his six hits are a double and a home run.
Aedan Anderson has appeared in all seven games this season, starting in one. He leads the team with a .571 average at the plate, with three of his four hits going for extra bases for a 1.286 slugging percentage. He has five RBI and four runs scored on the season.
Donavan Canterberry has played in six games, starting in three at shortstop. He has a walk and a run scored on the season.
Connor Misch has played in four games, staring a pair at DH. For the season he has an RBI on a sac fly and a walk to his credit.
Isaac Wachsmann has played in three games, starting a pair in left field. He's batting .250 in eight at-bats and has an RBI and a run scored on his first career home run.

WEEKLY AWARDS

After helping Xavier go 3-1 last week, with a midweek win over Louisville and a series win at Lipscomb, a pair of Musketeers, Hayden Christiansen and Nick Boyle, were named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll, the league office announced on Monday.
Boyle, a senior right-handed pitcher from Goshen, Ky., started Sunday's game at Lipscomb, an 8-1 win for the Musketeers. In his second start of the season, Boyle went 4.1 scoreless innings, allowing six hits and four walks, and matching his career-high with five strikeouts. Boyle picked up the win against the Bisons to move to 1-0 on the season. With two appearances this season, both starts, Boyle has a 4.50 ERA through 8.0 innings.
Christiansen, a sophomore from Spring Grove, Ill., started all four games at designated hitter last week, with a .400 average at the plate and had a team-leading eight RBI and five walks. In Xavier's 9-1 win at Louisville, Christiansen finished 1-of-2 with three walks, picking up an RBI and a run scored on his third inning home run, his first of the season.In the series opening win at Lipscomb, he matched his career-high with four RBI after going 3-of-4 at the plate with a double.In Saturday's setback against the Bisons, Christiansen finished with a hit and two walks, driving in an RBI, and scoring a run, and in Sunday's series finale, he finished with two RBI after driving in a pair of runs with a single in the ninth.

RETURNING MUSKETEERS

The Musketeers, who received votes in the NCBWA Preseason Poll, return seven every-day players from the 2023 roster that won the program's fourth BIG EAST Championship and made the program's fifth NCAA appearance. The Musketeers took part in the 2023 Nashville Regional, advancing to the Regional Finals before wrapping up the season at 39-25, tying the school record for wins (Also set in 2009).
Matthew DePrey, the 2023 All-BIG EAST First Team selection at catcher, started all 64 games behind the plate for the Musketeers, tying the Xavier single-season record for appearances. He batted .278, primarily hitting No. 2 in the order, with 10 doubles and a team-high matching 14 home runs among his 73 hits, finishing the season with a .475 slugging percentage. DePrey, who drove in 42 RBI and scored 50 runs last season, was named to D1Baseball's Preseason Top 50 Catchers list.
Preseason All-BIG EAST selection Matt McCormick was a second-team all-conference pick last season after starting in 62 games, mostly at first base. McCormick batted primarily in the five-hole, finishing with a .309 average for the season. He had 12 doubles and team-high matching 14 home runs among his 69 hits for a .552 slugging percentage, best among Xavier's everyday players, driving in in 44 RBI and scoring 40 runs. He also had 32 walks on the season, leading Xavier's starters with a .421 on-base percentage. McCormick was named to D1Baseball's Preseason Top 50 list for first basemen.
Preseason All-BIG EAST selection Jared Cushing was the All-BIG EAST Second Team pick at second base in 2023, after starting in a school-record matching 64 games. He batted .284, finishing the season with 71 hits, including 10 doubles, a triple and a team-high matching 14 home runs for a .500 slugging percentage, driving in 50 RBI and scoring 43 runs. Cushing, who was named to D1Baseball's Preseason Top 50 list for second basemen, posted a .980 fielding percentage and helped the Musketeers turn 35 double plays.
The league's preseason pick at third base, Grant Stephenson, was a 2023 All-BIG EAST Second Team selection after batting .236 on the season, with a .313 average at the plate in BIG EAST play. He finished with 10 doubles and three home runs among his 48 hits, driving in 29 RBI and scoring 27 runs.
Outfielder Garrett Schultz, was a 2024 Preseason All-BIG EAST Selection after starting in 39 games at center field last season. Schultz, who dealt with a mid-season injury in 2023, batted .278 with 40 hits, including six doubles and three home runs. He drove in 23 RBI and scored 17 runs.
Carter Hendrickson played in 58 games last season, starting in 55, splitting time between right and center field. The junior batted .250 for the season, collecting 46 hits, including eight doubles, a triple and five home runs, and drove in 23 RBI and scored 39 runs. He finished with an on-base percentage of .398, taking 31 walks on the season. He was hit by pitches 15 times, second most in a single season in Xavier's records. During the BIG EAST Tournament, he batted .308 through four games, going 4-of-13 with two walks and scoring four runs to earn All-BIG EAST Tournament Team honors.
After dealing with an early-season injury, Tyler DeMartino started in 43 games for the Musketeers, including 41 at DH, batting .255 primarily in the cleanup spot. He finished the season with 40 hits, including five doubles, a triple and 10 home runs, driving in 32 RBI and scoring 28 runs. DeMartino was named to the BIG EAST All-Tournament Team after batting .308 through the four games of the tournament, finishing 4-of-13 at the plate with three walks and three hit-by-pitches, driving in three RBI.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Following the game with the Bearcats, Xavier heads south for an eight-game road trip to the Gulf Coast, starting with three games against Florida Gulf Coast, running from Friday, March 1 through Sunday March 3.
The Musketeers then head to Louisiana to face La Tech for a pair of games, on March 5 and 6, and the head to defending National Champions LSU for a three-game series, running March 8-10.
Xavier is scheduled to face are nine programs that played in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, including four teams that advanced to a Super Regional and a pair of teams that competed in the College World Series.

BIG (EAST) SUCCESS

In 2023, Xavier finished second in the BIG EAST regular season and won the BIG EAST Tournament Championship to earn a bid to the NCAA Championship for the first time since 2017. Xavier, the No. 2 seed in the league tournament, beat the No. 3 seed Seton Hall in the opening game and No. 1 seed UConn in the winner's bracket to advance to the Championships series. UConn took game one of the series, forcing a deciding game seven of the tournament, where the Musketeers posted a five-run ninth inning to come from behind and take the 7-3 win and clinch the title.
The 2023 championship was the program's fourth tournament title in the nine times the league has held the event since Xavier joined the conference for the 2013-14 season.
The Musketeers have made the four-team BIG EAST Tournaments seven times since joining the conference, including every season the event has been held since 2019.
Xavier has advanced to the conference championship series in each of its seven trips to the league tournament, claiming the tournament championship four times (2014, 2016, 2017, 2023) and finishing runners up three times (2019, 2021, 2022). Xavier also won the regular season title in 2016.

PRESEASON PICKS

Xavier, coming off the 2023 BIG EAST Tournament Championship, was picked to finish second in the league, earning a pair of first place votes in the coaches' poll.
Four Musketeers earned Preseason All-BIG EAST honors, as voted on by the league's coaches, including a trio of infielders, Matt McCormick, Jared Cushing and Grant Stephenson, as well as right-handed pitcher Luke Hoskins.

Preseason Player of the Year
Jake Studley, OF, UConn

Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Stephen Quigley, SP, UConn

Preseason All-BIG EAST Team*
C – Owen Carapellotti, Georgetown
1B – Matt McCormick, Xavier ^
2B – Jared Cushing, Xavier
3B – Grant Stephenson, Xavier ^
SS – Max Viera, Seton Hall
DH – Jack Grace, Creighton
OF – Joey Urban, Butler
OF – Jake Studley, UConn ^
OF – Devin Hack, Seton Hall
SP – Garrett Coe, UConn
SP – Stephen Quigley, UConn ^
SP – Dominic Cancellieri, Creighton
SP – Cody Bowker, Georgetown
SP – Luke Hoskins, Xavier
RP – Ryan Reich, Seton Hall

^ - denotes unanimous selection
* due to a tie in voting, there is an extra member on the preseason all-conference team.

BIG EAST Baseball Preseason Poll
First place votes in ( )
1. UConn (6) – 48
2. Xavier (2) – 44
3. Seton Hall – 35
4. Creighton – 29
4. Georgetown – 29
6. St. John's – 17
7. Butler – 14
8. Villanova – 8

XU TO HOST THE LEAGUE TOURNAMENT

The 2024 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 four-team tournament opens on Wednesday, May 22, 2024 and is scheduled to run through Saturday, May 25, 2024.
The BIG EAST announced in 2023 that Prasco Park would extend the partnership, which began in 2018, with Xavier remaining the co-host of the annual postseason tournament through 2028.