Baseball Opens Spring Break Trip at Florida Gulf Coast

Friday, March 1

Fort Myers, Fla.

6:30 PM

Xavier University

Florida Gulf Coast

Baseball Opens Spring Break Trip at Florida Gulf Coast

02.29.24 | Baseball

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Musketeers and Eagles set to play three, starting on Friday at 6:30 p.m.

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI – Xavier baseball opens up an eight-game trip to the Southeast with a three-game series at Florida Gulf Coast. The series opens on Friday, March 1, at 6:30 p.m. at Swanson Stadium in Fort Myers, Fla.

Game two with the Eagles is set for Saturday, March 2, at 2:00 p.m., and the series finale is scheduled for Sunday, March 3 at 1:00 p.m. All three games will be live streamed on ESPN+ through the WatchESPN platform.

Xavier enters the series at 4-4 after taking two of three at Lipscomb last weekend, and posting a comeback win over Cincinnati on Tuesday in the Musketeers' home opener.

SERIES STARTERS

Friday - RHP Luke Hoskins vs. RHP Anthony Ursitti
Saturday - LHP Nolan Hughes vs. RHP Justin Hensche
Sunday - RHP Nick Boyle vs. LHP Chase Kriebel

LIPSCOMB NOTABLES

Florida Gulf Coast enters the weekend at 3-5 overall. The Eagles opened the season with a four-game series against a top-10 TCU squad, with the Horned Frogs taking the sweep, and have won three of its last four, including two of three against Bethune-Cookman and a midweek win over Miami.
FGCU went 42-18 overall last season, posting a 20-10 record in ASUN play to earn the two-seed in the league tournament.
The Eagles went 4-0 to open the ASUN Tournament to advance to the Championship, falling to the top-seed Lipscomb.
This will be the first match-up between the two programs.

XAVIER STARTING ROTATION

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.
Hoskins was a preseason All-BIG EAST pick after making 20 appearances, including 15 starts, in 2023. Hoskins finished with a 7-2 record after posting a 4.48 ERA through 78.1 innings pitched, allowing just 39 earned runs on 79 hits, finishing with 53 strikeouts to 18 walks for a WHIP of 1.24, and limited opposing batters to a .267 average at the plate.
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.
Hughes is a junior transfer from Fordham who split time between the weekend rotation and bullpen in 2023, making 17 appearances including six starts. He collected a pair of wins and finished with an 8.12 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 47.2 innings pitched.
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.
Boyle made 13 appearances, including five starts, in 2023, finishing the season with a 7.36 ERA through 18.1 innings pitched. He allowed 15 earned runs on 16 hits, with 17 strikeouts to 23 walks.

THE BULLPEN

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.
Jake Hooker has made a team-high five appearance, with a 3.00 ERA through 6.0 innings pitched. He's allowed two earned runs on six hits and has seven strikeouts to three walks.
Through four appearances, Alex Vera has an ERA of 3.38, allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits with four strike outs to two walks in 5.1 innings of work. Vera entered with one on and one out in the eighth on Tuesday against Cincinnati, going the final 1.2 innings without allowing a run or hit, picking up a strikeout and was credited with the save, his first of the season.
Connor Bailey has made four appearances on the season, including making the start at Louisville. He has 5.40 ERA in 6.2 innings, allowing six runs, four earned, on seven hits with six strikeouts to six walks. Against UC, Bailey went 2.1 innings in relief, allowing just one run on two hits, finishing with two strikeouts to one walk. Bailey was credited with the win, moving to 1-0 on the season
Tyler Sausville has made four appearances out of the bullpen, with a 5.68 ERA through 6.1 innings. He's allowed four earned runs on seven hits and has seven strikeouts to nine walks.
Logan Schmidt made his first start, and third appearance as a Musketeer, going 3.0 innings, allowing five runs on six hits with two strikeouts and one walk against the Bearcats. He has an ERA of 9.00 ERA through 8.0 innings of work. He's allowed eight earned runs on 11 hits with five strikeouts to five walks. Schmidt has 1-0 record after picking up the win at Louisville.
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.
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.
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.
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
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 eight starts behind the plate this season, batting .241 with six hits, including a double, and a team-leading nine walks, with eight RBI and eight runs scored.
Matt McCormick has started all eight games for the Musketeers at first, batting .273 on the season with nine hits, including a double and a pair of home runs, and five walks. He's driven in seven runs and scored five runs. McCormick enters the series with FGCU on a six-game hitting streak and has reached safely in every game this season.
Right fielder Tyler DeMartino has started all eight games this season, batting .440 with a team-high 11 hits so far, including two doubles and a home run for a .588 slugging percentage. He has five walks and four hit-by-pitches on the season, leading Xavier's starters with a .588 on-base percentage. DeMartino has reached base in all eight games this season.
Jared Cushing has made eight starts at second base, with seven hits on the season, including a double and a home run, driving in six RBI and scoring five runs.
Hayden Christiansen has played in seven games, making six starts at designated hitter, with a .400 average at the plate. He's driven in a team-high 11 RBI and has scored four runs. Among his 10 hits are six for extra bases, five doubles and a home run, for a .720 slugging percentage. He enters this weekend's series on a six-game hitting streak.
Luke Hammond has made seven starts, at third base, and is batting .308 for the season, driving in six RBI and scoring seven runs. Five of his eight hits have gone for extra bases, including a team-high three home runs. He's reached safely in all seven games he's played in.
Carter Hendrickson has made six starts in the outfield, with a .286 average at the plate, driving in four RBI and scoring seven runs. Among his six hits are a double and a home run.
Isaac Wachsmann has played in four games, starting in three in left field. He's batting .417 with a pair of home runs among his five hits has four RBI and two runs scored.
Grant Stephenson has played in seven games, starting in six, including making the last five starts at shortstop. He has three hits on the season and two walks and has scored three runs.
Aedan Anderson has appeared in all eight games this season, starting in one. He leads the team with a .444 average at the plate, with three of his four hits going for extra bases for a 1.000 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.

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

The Musketeers continue their spring break trip to the Southeast, traveling to Louisiana to face La Tech for a pair of games, on March 5 and 6.
Following the trip to Ruston, Xavier then heads to Baton Rouge to face 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.