#BIGEASTbase League Play Kicks Off Friday
BIG EAST Baseball Update (4.4.19)
NEW YORK – BIG EAST play kicks off this weekend with Georgetown at Xavier, St. John’s at Butler and Seton Hall at Villanova. Creighton has the first “bye” weekend of the season and will play a three-game series against Kansas State. The Red Storm was picked to finish first in the league after winning both the regular season and championship last year.
BIG EAST Standings to date:
Creighton, 14-6
Butler, 16-10
St. John’s, 14-10
Seton Hall, 11-13
Xavier, 8-19
Georgetown, 8-21
Villanova, 6-20
In Store for the Weekend:
ST. JOHN’S at BUTLER
Butler and St. John’s played each other in the last weekend of the season last year as the Bulldogs played for a postseason bid. St. John’s and Butler have met 16 times in the history of the two programs with the Red Storm claiming victory in 14 of those contests. The Johnnies are 6-1 against Butler in the last two seasons, sweeping the Bulldogs in 2017 in Indianapolis before winning two out of three at Jack Kaiser Stadium in 2018 and taking the winners’ game of last year’s BIG EAST Tournament at Prasco Park, 12-8. St. John’s is 6-0 all-time in games played at Bulldog Park. In the final outing of the Red Storm’s 2017 sweep in Indianapolis, the two teams entered extra innings tied at three before the Johnnies posted nine runs in the top of the 11th. St. John’s has won its last 11 BIG EAST series, last dropping two of three to a conference foe to begin league play in 2017 at Creighton. Butler was picked to finish fifth in the league this season and made its first BIG EAST postseason appearance last year.
GEORGETOWN at XAVIER
Xavier leads the all-time series against Georgetown 9-6. Last year, the Hoyas swept the Musketeers in Washington, D.C. with a pair of one-run wins in extra innings. Xavier was picked to finish fourth in the preseason poll with 24 points. Georgetown was picked to finish sixth with 13 points. In 2017, Xavier swept Georgetown in Cincinnati, outscoring the Hoyas 36-5 at Hayden Field. Xavier has won the conference tournament three times in the past five years but missed the postseason last year. Georgetown made its second appearance in the postseason under the tutelage of coach Pete Wilk (2015, 2018).
SETON HALL at VILLANOVA
Seton Hall owns a 87-43 all-time series lead against Villanova. The Pirates have won 16 of the last 18 games against the Wildcats and the last nine in a row. The Hall swept the season series last year at Owen T. Carroll Field and out-scored the Wildcats, 21-5, in those games. Seton Hall was picked alongside Creighton to finish second in the league with 25 points. Villanova was picked seventh.
Creighton’s non-league weekend against Kansas State
Creighton has won seven of its last eight games. The Bluejays welcome Kansas State to TD Ameritrade Park Omaha for a three-game series. In the all-time series, Creighton trails Kansas State, 52-41-1. Kansas State enters the weekend having dropped eight of their last nine. This is the first time the two squads will play a weekend series since Servais has led the Bluejays. Creighton and Kansas State have typically played a home-and-home midweek game.
Upcoming Weekend Schedule
FRIDAY, April 5
GEORGETOWN at XAVIER, 3 p.m. (BEDN)
ST. JOHN’S at BUTLER, 4 p.m. (BEDN)
Kansas State at CREIGHTON, 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, April 6
SETON HALL at VILLANOVA (DH), 11:30 a.m.
GEORGETOWN at XAVIER, 1 p.m.
ST. JOHN’S at BUTLER, 2 p.m.
Kansas State at CREIGHTON, 3 p.m.
SUNDAY, April 7
SETON HALL at VILLANOVA, Noon
GEORGETOWN at XAVIER, Noon
Kansas State at CREIGHTON, 1 p.m.
ST. JOHN’S at BUTLER, 1 p.m.
TUESDAY, April 9
Albany at ST. JOHN’S, 3 p.m.
St. Joseph’s at VILLANOVA, 3 p.m.
BUTLER at Ball State, 3 p.m.
SETON HALL at Rider, 3:30 p.m.
XAVIER at Cincinnati, 6:30 p.m.
CREIGHTON at Nebraska, 7:35 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, April 10
GEORGETOWN at Coppin State, 3 p.m.
L.I.U. Brooklyn at ST. JOHN’S, 3 p.m.
XAVIER at TBD (Joe Nuxhall Classic), 3 p.m.
SETON HALL at Princeton, 4 p.m.