MASON, Ohio  – Top seed Connecticut rallied from a 5-4 loss in game six to take a 10-6 victory over No. 4 seed Xavier in game seven to win the Huskies' fourth baseball tournament title. It was the second time in three years at Prasco Park that the BIG EAST Championship Presented by JEEP went to the if-necessary game seven.
 
With the win, UConn receives the Conference’s automatic berth to the NCAA Championship. The NCAA bracket announcement starts at 12 p.m. ET on Monday, May 31. The selection show will be on ESPN2.
 
The Huskies also won ithe title in 2013, 1994 and 1990.
 
UConn (33-17) took a 5-1 run lead in the fourth inning and added two more runs in the fifth. In the ninth, with UConn leading 10-3; Xavier (28-26) rallied with a Natale Monastra two-out, two-run home run after Jack Housinger’s ground out to second sent in a run. Xavier’s Jared Cushing kept it going with a double. UConn got out of the inning behind closer Caleb Wurster, who earned his second save of the tournament on a called strikeout.
 
BIG EAST Player of the Year, UConn’s Kyler Fedko, added to his trophy collection for the season by earning the Jack Kaiser Most Outstanding Player award of the tournament. Fedko had eight hits, and seven RBI while scoring five times for the Huskies over the course of four games.


 
BIG EAST All-Tournament Team
Jonah Smith, Creighton, Sr., RHP
Ethan Bosacker, Xavier, So., RHP
Ben Casparius, UConn, Jr., RHP
Trevor Olson, Xavier, Sr., LHP
Connor Hood, Seton Hall, Grad., 2B
Ryan Mantle, Creighton, RS
Chris Brown, UConn, Fr., 3B
Natale Monastra, Xavier, Grad., C
Andrew Walker, Xavier, Jr., OF
Kyler Fedko, UConn, So., OF
David Langer, UConn, Sr., DH
 
Jack Kaiser Most Outstanding Player
Kyler Fedko, UConn, So., OF
 
Championship Stats (PDF) 

Xavier 5, UConn 4 (Box Score PDF)
Xavier used a big seventh inning to take control of the first game on the final day of the BIG EAST Championship series, scoring five runs in the frame. The two teams were scoreless until the seventh inning when back-to-back Musketeer homers, a two-run shot from Andrew Walker followed immediately by a solo homer from Natale Monastra, put the Musketeers in front. Xavier added two more runs in the inning when Luke Franzoni hit a two-RBI single. UConn answered with a run in the bottom of the seventh as Chris Winkel hit a two-out RBI double to right center, scoring Zach Bushling.  
 
Xavier pitcher Trevor Olson had made it through the 6.2 innings, allowing seven hits, striking out five and allowing just that one run. The Musketeers went to their bullpen after the run and got the final out of the inning. The XU Bullpen staff kept the Huskies off the board for the eighth inning, but UConn came rallying back in the ninth to make it interesting.
 
UConn had three hits and three runs in the ninth and Xavier went through three pitchers but the Musketeers hung on to force the if-necessary game for the 12th time in league history.


 
UConn 10, Xavier 6 (Box Score PDF)
Both teams combined for 10 pitchers in the decisive game seven of the 2021 BIG EAST Baseball Championship. For UConn, designated hitter David Langer, who batted seventh in the lineup, went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two walks. Fedko, the MOP, went 3-for-4 with two runs and a walk and two RBI. Erick Stock, Pat Winkel, Reggie Crawford and Chris Brown all had a multi-hit game for the champion Huskies. Bullpen pitchers Justin Willis and Wurster each had five strikeouts. For Xavier, designated hitter Tyler DeMartino went 3-for-5 in the six-spot with a run scored. Rightfielder Garrett Schultz went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a walk.
 


BIG EAST History of the If-Necessary Game:
The last time the BIG EAST baseball tournament went to the if-necessary game was in 2018. Seton Hall came from the losers’ bracket to score 19 runs to St. John’s 2 in Game 6. St. John’s won the championship game (Game 7) 7-0. That game was at Prasco Park, on May 27. St. John’s was the No. 1 seed, Seton Hall the No. 2 seed.
 
Prior to 2018, the last time a tournament went to the "if-necessary" game was in 2003. From 2006-14, the championship was single elimination and no if-necessary game was scheduled. Double-elimination through the entire tournament re-instated in 2015. It was also used from 1985-2005.
 
The extra game has occurred 10 other times in BIG EAST baseball history. In seven of those championships, the loser of the first game came back to win the title. The last time the champion came from the losers' bracket was 1991. Villanova won two games against St. John's, 6-2, 12-3.
 
In 1985, the first BIG EAST Baseball tournament, which was played in Bristol, Conn., St. John's and Seton Hall played a championship doubleheader. Seton Hall came out of the losers' bracket to defeat St. John's 5-4 in game six. St. John's won the title with a 7-6 victory in 11 innings in game seven.
 
 
2021 BIG EAST Baseball Championship Presented by JEEP 
Thursday, May 27 – BIG EAST Digital Network Presented by SoFi
Game 1: #2 Creighton 8, #3 Seton Hall 7
Game 2: #1 UConn 11, #4 Xavier 1

Friday, May 28 – BEDN
Game 3: Xavier 4, Seton Hall 2

Saturday, May 29 – BEDN
Game 4: UConn 2, Creighton 0
Game 5: Xavier 2, Creighton 1
 
Sunday, May 30 – Championship (FS2)
Game 6: UConn vs. Xavier at 1 p.m. ET
Game 7: UConn vs. Xavier at 4:30 p.m.