Xavier University Athletics
Five Musketeers Earn All-BIG EAST Honors
05.19.26 | Baseball
Burdette, Hammond, Helsel and Piech earn First Team; Chronister named to Second Team
NEW YORK – Five Musketeers earned All-BIG EAST honors following the 2026 regular season, as voted on by the league coaches. Outfielder Clay Burdette, third baseman Luke Hammond, relief pitcher Garrett Helsel and starting pitcher Ryan Piech earned First Team honors, while starting pitcher Ashton Chronister was named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team.
Clay Burdette, a redshirt sophomore from Cincinnati, leads the Musketeers and ranks third in the league with a .354 average at the plate for the season, and currently has team highs for RBIs (44) and runs scored (42). Burdette's 16 doubles and 17 home runs both rank second in the conference for the season, to give him a .730 slugging percentage, top in the league and No. 28 in NCAA DI. Burdette also leads the Musketeers with 10 stolen bases.
In BIG EAST play, Burdette had a .337 average at the plate and posted a .684 slugging percentage, third best in the league against conference opponents. Among his 32 hits, third most in the league, were a league-leading nine doubles and eight home runs, second most in the conference. He drove in 21 RBIs, fifth most in conference action, and scored 18 runs, eighth most among league players.
Luke Hammond, a graduate student from Cincinnati, has .290 average at the plate for the season, with his 61 hits trailing on Burdette among Musketeers, and leads Xavier with 21 multi-hit games. He has a career-best 37 RBIs and has scored 28 runs on the year. Hammond also has seven sacrifice bunts on the season, third most in the league.
Hammond led the Musketeers with a .400 average at the plate in BIG EAST play, fourth best among league players. with three doubles, two triples and three home runs among his team-high 34 hits in league play, second most in the conference. Hammond drove in a team-high 25 RBIs during conference action, third most among BIG EAST players, and came around to a score 15 runs. Hammond was tied for the most sac bunts in league play with four.
Garrett Helsel, a senior from Blacklick, Ohio, has a 4.35 ERA through 41.1 innings pitched, across 22 appearances, including one start this season. Helsel's 41 strikeouts trail only Piech among the Musketeers. For the season, he has a WHIP of 1.43. He's earned four wins on the year and his six saves on the season are tied for third most in the BIG EAST.
Helsel made 10 relief appearances in BIG EAST games, with a 3.32 ERA through 21.2 innings pitched, the seventh-best mark among qualified pitchers in the league. He collected 17 strikeouts to just nine walks, and allowed only 24 hits, wrapping up league play with a WHIP of 1.52. His eight earned runs allowed during conference play is best among qualified pitchers in the league. During conference play Helsel earned four wins and collected four saves.
Ryan Piech, a redshirt sophomore from Aurora, Ohio, has team-best 3.41 ERA, ranked fourth in the league. Piech has limited opposing batters to a .206 average at the plate for the season, with a WHIP of 1.17. His 89 strikeouts lead the Musketeers and rank No. 3 in the league, while his 11.67 strikeouts per nine innings rank second in the league and No. 55 in the country. Piech's 6.82 hits allowed per nine innings is the best in the BIG EAST and No. 48 in NCAA DI.
Piech had a 3.18 ERA through 39.2 innings pitched across seven starts in league play, sixth best among qualified BIG EAST pitchers. In BIG EAST games, Piech collected a team-high 49 strikeouts, third most in the league, while issuing just 17 walks and has a WHIP of 1.36. Piech earned four wins against BIG EAST opponents.
Ashton Chronister, a junior from Rogers, Ark., has made 16 appearances, including 12 starts, and has 3.62 ERA through 64.2 innings pitched this season, second best among Xavier's regular pitchers and ranked fifth in the BIG EAST. Chronister has a career-best 40 strikeouts for the year, and he leads the Musketeers with 2.23 walks per nine innings for the season, the fifth-best mark in the conference.
In BIG EAST play, Chronister had an ERA of 3.13 through 37.1 innings pitched across seven starts, the best mark among Xavier's qualified pitchers in conference play and fifth best in the league. His WHIP of 1.29 against BIG EAST opponents also leads the Musketeers. Chronister collected 24 strikeouts to 10 walks against league opponents and earned three wins in conference play.
The Musketeers open 2026 BIG EAST Tournament play on Wednesday, May 20, at 6:30 p.m. against No. 2 seed UConn at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio.
Player of the Year
Jackson Marshall, UConn, So., 1B *
Pitcher of the Year
Cayden Suchy, UConn, So., LHP
Freshman of the Year
Cam Righi, UConn, Fr., OF
Coaching Staff of the Year
St. John's, Mike Hampton
All-BIG EAST First Team
Peyton Jemison, UConn, RSo., 2B
Jackson Marshall, UConn, So., 1B *
Cayden Suchy, UConn, So., SP *
Charlie West, UConn, Jr., SP
Nate McHugh, Creighton, Sr., DH
Ben North, Creighton, Gr., SS
Isaac Wachsmann, Creighton, Jr., CF
Adam Agresti, St. John's, R-So., C
Jon LeGrande, St. John's, Sr., CF
Liam O'Leary, St. John's, Jr., SP *
Clay Burdette, Xavier, RSo., OF
Luke Hammond, Xavier, Gr., 3B
Garrett Helsel, Xavier, Sr., RP
Ryan Piech, Xavier, RSo., SP
All-BIG EAST Second Team
Brock Buckley, Butler, Sr., SP
Anthony Belisario, UConn, So., OF
Rob Rispoli, UConn, RSo., SS
Nater Wachter, UConn, Jr., OF
Connor Capece, Creighton, Jr., C
Connor Peek, Georgetown, Gr., SS/INF
Evan Hoeckele, St. John's, So., RP
Shaun McMillan, St. John's, So., 1B
Jayder Raifstanger, St. John's, Jr., 3B
Lewis Rodriguez, St. John's, Jr., LF
Brayden Leonard, Villanova, So., 2B
JoJo Montgomery, Villanova, So., OF
Collin Quintano, Villanova, Sr., UTIL
Ashton Chronister, Xavier, Jr., SP
*Unanimous Selection
Clay Burdette, a redshirt sophomore from Cincinnati, leads the Musketeers and ranks third in the league with a .354 average at the plate for the season, and currently has team highs for RBIs (44) and runs scored (42). Burdette's 16 doubles and 17 home runs both rank second in the conference for the season, to give him a .730 slugging percentage, top in the league and No. 28 in NCAA DI. Burdette also leads the Musketeers with 10 stolen bases.
In BIG EAST play, Burdette had a .337 average at the plate and posted a .684 slugging percentage, third best in the league against conference opponents. Among his 32 hits, third most in the league, were a league-leading nine doubles and eight home runs, second most in the conference. He drove in 21 RBIs, fifth most in conference action, and scored 18 runs, eighth most among league players.
Luke Hammond, a graduate student from Cincinnati, has .290 average at the plate for the season, with his 61 hits trailing on Burdette among Musketeers, and leads Xavier with 21 multi-hit games. He has a career-best 37 RBIs and has scored 28 runs on the year. Hammond also has seven sacrifice bunts on the season, third most in the league.
Hammond led the Musketeers with a .400 average at the plate in BIG EAST play, fourth best among league players. with three doubles, two triples and three home runs among his team-high 34 hits in league play, second most in the conference. Hammond drove in a team-high 25 RBIs during conference action, third most among BIG EAST players, and came around to a score 15 runs. Hammond was tied for the most sac bunts in league play with four.
Garrett Helsel, a senior from Blacklick, Ohio, has a 4.35 ERA through 41.1 innings pitched, across 22 appearances, including one start this season. Helsel's 41 strikeouts trail only Piech among the Musketeers. For the season, he has a WHIP of 1.43. He's earned four wins on the year and his six saves on the season are tied for third most in the BIG EAST.
Helsel made 10 relief appearances in BIG EAST games, with a 3.32 ERA through 21.2 innings pitched, the seventh-best mark among qualified pitchers in the league. He collected 17 strikeouts to just nine walks, and allowed only 24 hits, wrapping up league play with a WHIP of 1.52. His eight earned runs allowed during conference play is best among qualified pitchers in the league. During conference play Helsel earned four wins and collected four saves.
Ryan Piech, a redshirt sophomore from Aurora, Ohio, has team-best 3.41 ERA, ranked fourth in the league. Piech has limited opposing batters to a .206 average at the plate for the season, with a WHIP of 1.17. His 89 strikeouts lead the Musketeers and rank No. 3 in the league, while his 11.67 strikeouts per nine innings rank second in the league and No. 55 in the country. Piech's 6.82 hits allowed per nine innings is the best in the BIG EAST and No. 48 in NCAA DI.
Piech had a 3.18 ERA through 39.2 innings pitched across seven starts in league play, sixth best among qualified BIG EAST pitchers. In BIG EAST games, Piech collected a team-high 49 strikeouts, third most in the league, while issuing just 17 walks and has a WHIP of 1.36. Piech earned four wins against BIG EAST opponents.
Ashton Chronister, a junior from Rogers, Ark., has made 16 appearances, including 12 starts, and has 3.62 ERA through 64.2 innings pitched this season, second best among Xavier's regular pitchers and ranked fifth in the BIG EAST. Chronister has a career-best 40 strikeouts for the year, and he leads the Musketeers with 2.23 walks per nine innings for the season, the fifth-best mark in the conference.
In BIG EAST play, Chronister had an ERA of 3.13 through 37.1 innings pitched across seven starts, the best mark among Xavier's qualified pitchers in conference play and fifth best in the league. His WHIP of 1.29 against BIG EAST opponents also leads the Musketeers. Chronister collected 24 strikeouts to 10 walks against league opponents and earned three wins in conference play.
The Musketeers open 2026 BIG EAST Tournament play on Wednesday, May 20, at 6:30 p.m. against No. 2 seed UConn at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio.
2026 BIG EAST Regular Season Awards
Player of the Year
Jackson Marshall, UConn, So., 1B *
Pitcher of the Year
Cayden Suchy, UConn, So., LHP
Freshman of the Year
Cam Righi, UConn, Fr., OF
Coaching Staff of the Year
St. John's, Mike Hampton
All-BIG EAST First Team
Peyton Jemison, UConn, RSo., 2B
Jackson Marshall, UConn, So., 1B *
Cayden Suchy, UConn, So., SP *
Charlie West, UConn, Jr., SP
Nate McHugh, Creighton, Sr., DH
Ben North, Creighton, Gr., SS
Isaac Wachsmann, Creighton, Jr., CF
Adam Agresti, St. John's, R-So., C
Jon LeGrande, St. John's, Sr., CF
Liam O'Leary, St. John's, Jr., SP *
Clay Burdette, Xavier, RSo., OF
Luke Hammond, Xavier, Gr., 3B
Garrett Helsel, Xavier, Sr., RP
Ryan Piech, Xavier, RSo., SP
All-BIG EAST Second Team
Brock Buckley, Butler, Sr., SP
Anthony Belisario, UConn, So., OF
Rob Rispoli, UConn, RSo., SS
Nater Wachter, UConn, Jr., OF
Connor Capece, Creighton, Jr., C
Connor Peek, Georgetown, Gr., SS/INF
Evan Hoeckele, St. John's, So., RP
Shaun McMillan, St. John's, So., 1B
Jayder Raifstanger, St. John's, Jr., 3B
Lewis Rodriguez, St. John's, Jr., LF
Brayden Leonard, Villanova, So., 2B
JoJo Montgomery, Villanova, So., OF
Collin Quintano, Villanova, Sr., UTIL
Ashton Chronister, Xavier, Jr., SP
*Unanimous Selection
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
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