BIG EAST Softball Championship Field Set
May 3, 2015
NEW YORK -- It took until the final day of the regular season, but the 2015 BIG EAST Softball Championship field is set. Returning to The Ballpark at Rosemont in suburban Chicago for the second straight year, the BIG EAST Championship, presented by New York Life, kicks off Friday, May 8, with Semifinals set for 1 and 3:30 p.m. (CT). Championship host DePaul, which claimed the No. 2 seed, will face No. 3 Seton Hall in Game 1, followed by regular-season champion and top seed St. John's versus No. 4 Villanova in Game 2. The semifinal winners will square off on Saturday at 1 p.m. (CT). All three games will air on FOX Sports 2.
St. John's, DePaul and Seton Hall all had clinched their spots in the BIG EAST Championship by the end of the day on Saturday, with the final spot up for grabs between Providence, Butler and Villanova. The Friars had the edge going into the day, controlling their own destiny as a win would clinch the No. 4 seed regardless of the outcome of the other two games. PC fell to Creighton 6-3 after taking two from the Bluejays the day before, transferring the fate into Nova's hands as a win over St. John's would clinch the No. 4 seed for Villanova regardless of what Butler did based on the Wildcats' series win over the Bulldogs. Villanova earned a 3-0 win over St. John's to earn the berth, ending PC and Butler's seasons.
No. 1 St. John's won their first BIG EAST regular-season crown in program history and will make its ninth trip to the Conference tournament. The Red Storm set a program standard for BIG EAST wins with their 16-2 record, entering the postseason 26-17 overall. St. John's is 4-11 all-time in the league tourney, going 1-1 last year, advancing to the title game for the second time before falling to DePaul, 3-0. The Red Storm are eyeing their first BIG EAST title in program history.
St. John's will face No. 4 Villanova, which clinched its first postseason berth since 2010. The Wildcats are 12-23 in 12 BIG EAST Championship appearances and enter the postseason 24-29 overall. Nova went 9-12 in BIG EAST play this season, earning more wins this year than the last two seasons combined. The Wildcats' .429 mark in BIG EAST play is their best since going 12-10 (.545) in 2010 when they also finished in fourth place. Nova has two BIG EAST Final appearances to its credit, finishing runner-up in both title games (1993, 2003).
St. John's won the season series with Villanova 2-1 as the two teams just met this weekend. The Red Storm won the first two games with scores of 6-1 and 5-4 before the Wildcats snagged the series finale 3-0. The longtime foes last met in the postseason in 1992 with the third-seeded Wildcats topping second-seeded St. John's 5-1 in a nine-inning duel.
DePaul finished second in the BIG EAST standings at 13-4, and 22-23 overall. The Blue Demons were the preseason favorite to win the league in 2015 as the reigning tournament champs aim for the third BIG EAST title in program history. DePaul won the BIG EAST Championship in 2008 and 2014, and is eyeing its 19th NCAA Championship berth. The Blue Demons are 13-7 all-time in BIG EAST Championship play for the third-highest winning percentage in league postseason history (Louisville, .714; Connecticut, .652), and best among current members.
No. 3 Seton Hall is making its 11th BIG EAST Championship appearance and second in the last three seasons. The Pirates' third-place finish in the Conference standings is their highest since a second-place showing in 2005. The Hall is 11-12 all-time in the BIG EAST Championship, including two titles (2004, 2005) and four Final appearances. SHU finished 10-10 in BIG EAST play for its most wins since 2009 and highest winning percentage since 2005 (.833).
DePaul swept the season series with Seton Hall, March 24-25. The Blue Demons outscored the Pirates 32-11 over the three-game span in South Orange, N.J. The two squads last met in the postseason in 2009 when top-seeded DePaul avoided the upset by No. 8 Seton Hall in the Quarterfinals, 1-0. They also met in the 2007 Quarterfinals with No. 1 DePaul scoring a 10-1 win over No. 8 Seton Hall.
The winner of the BIG EAST Championship receives the Conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Championship. Ticket prices per day are $5 (Age 13 and Over) and free admission is available for those 12 and under. BIG EAST students can also receive complimentary game tickets by showing a valid school I.D. at the box office. To reserve tickets in advance, call the DePaul University Ticket Office at (773) 325-SLAM (7526). Tickets will also be available on game days at The Ballpark at Rosemont box office.
2015 BIG EAST Softball Championship, presented by New York Life
The Ballpark at Rosemont -- Rosemont, Ill.
Friday, May 8
Semifinal 1: No. 2 DePaul vs. No. 3 Seton Hall, 1 p.m. (CT)
Semifinal 2: No. 1 St. John's vs. No. 4 Villanova, 3:30 p.m. (CT)
Saturday, May 9
Final: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 1 p.m. (CT)
All games airing live on FOX Sports 2