#BIGEASTsb Conference Play Starts Saturday
NEW YORK – BIG EAST Softball league games will commence on Saturday as all eight teams are in action. Preseason favorite, Creighton, will travel to Washington, D.C. to take on Georgetown. DePaul heads into conference play with the best nonconference record at 19-8 and will battle Butler in Indianapolis. Providence makes its way down to Queens, N.Y. for a series with St. John’s, while Villanova heads north to square off with Seton Hall in South Orange, N.J.
Butler (9-17) will host DePaul to kick off league play this weekend. The Bulldogs have struck out the most batters in the BIG EAST with 143, and hold the third-best ERA at 3.66. Senior outfielder Jenna Foreman has the most stolen bases with 20 and is second in hits with 30. Sophomore pitcher Alyssa Graves has collected a conference second-most 76 strikeouts.
Creighton (9-9), picked to finish atop the league, meets Georgetown this weekend. The Bluejays will look to take the crown this year after finishing as the 2018 BIG EAST runners-up. Creighton currently has the league’s second-best on base percentage at .366 and opposing batting average at .237. Sophomore pitcher Kiele Miller leads the conference in opposing batting average at .209 and hits allowed at 28.
DePaul (19-8), 2018 BIG EAST Champions, arrive at conference play with the best overall record. The Blue Demons will travel to Butler for the weekend. DePaul leads the league in runs scored (122), hits (182), RBI (112) and opposing batting average (.235). The Blue Demons are second in ERA (2.60) and batting average (.264). Junior outfielder Angela Scalzitti leads the BIG EAST in runs with 23, while teammate junior catcher/third baseman Jessica Cothern is first in hits (31) and RBI (25). Sophomore pitcher Natalie Halvorson tops the conference with 10 wins.
Georgetown (7-21) will host Creighton for the first series of BIG EAST action. The Hoyas have picked up the second-most hits in the league with 179. Junior first baseman Noelle Holiday has collected a team-leading and conference second-most RBI with 23.
Providence (14-10) goes to New York to take on St. John’s with the second-best record in the league after being picked to finish last in the preseason coaches’ poll. The Friars lead the league in ERA at 2.30 and runs allowed with only 47. They sit in second in hits allowed with 149. Freshman pitcher Daniela Alvarez holds the lowest ERA in the BIG EAST at 1.56, while teammate senior pitcher Megan McCune sits in third with an ERA of 2.35. Senior outfielder Emma Lee is currently tied for the third-best batting average in the conference of .397.
St. John’s (11-13) will welcome Providence after leading the league in three offensive categories so far, including batting average (.286), slugging percentage (.440) and on base percentage (.385). Junior first baseman Marissa Rizzi sits atop the conference in batting average (.448), slugging percentage (.896), on base percentage (.526), and is tied for second in runs scored with 21. Senior pitcher Madison Morris is the strikeout leader so far in the BIG EAST with 83.
Seton Hall (9-13) begins its first league series when Villanova visits over the weekend. The Pirates have tallied the second-most strikeouts in the conference (132) and have fanned the second-most batters (110). Their batting average (.262) and slugging percentage (.425) is third overall. Junior outfielder Hailey Arteaga is hitting .400 for the second-best batting average in the BIG EAST and is third in slugging at .692.
Villanova (14-13) heads to Seton Hall with the third-best overall record in the conference at 14-13. The Wildcats have gathered a league-leading 23 home runs and have the best fielding percentage of .970. They sit second in slugging percentage (.426), runs scored (118) and RBI (108). Versatile player sophomore Paige Rauch is at the top of both batting and pitching categories. She is second in slugging percentage (.824), on base percentage (.510) and opposing batting average (.221). Rauch is tied for second in the BIG EAST in runs scored (21) and RBI (23).
BIG EAST Softball Weekend Schedule
SATURDAY, MARCH 23
CREIGHTON at GEORGETOWN at 12 p.m.
DEPAUL at BUTLER at 12 p.m.
PROVIDENCE at ST. JOHN’S at 12 p.m.
VILLANOVA at SETON HALL at 12 p.m.
CREIGHTON at GEORGETOWN at 2 p.m.
DEPAUL at BUTLER at 2 p.m.
PROVIDENCE at ST. JOHN’S at 2 p.m.
VILLANOVA at SETON HALL at 2 p.m.
SUNDAY, MARCH 24
CREIGHTON at GEORGETOWN at 11 a.m.
DEPAUL at BUTLER at 12 p.m.
PROVIDENCE at ST. JOHN’S at 12 p.m.
VILLANOVA at SETON HALL at 12 p.m.
All times Eastern