NEW YORK (Dec. 19, 2023) – The Connecticut Huskies, the 2023 BIG EAST regular-season champion, were picked as the favorite in the BIG EAST Baseball Preseason Coaches’ Poll, which was announced by the Conference on Tuesday.
UConn’s graduate right-handed pitcher Stephen Quigley was selected as the BIG EAST Preseason Pitcher of the Year, while UConn graduate outfielder Jake Studley locked up Preseason Player of the Year accolades.
The Huskies enter the 2024 campaign after winning 44 games and securing an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament. Overall, three Huskies land on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, with senior left-handed pitcher Garrett Coe joining unanimous selections Studley and Quigley.
Picked to finish second in the league standings, the Xavier Musketeers led the way with four student-athletes selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. Last season, the Musketeers captured the BIG EAST Championship and matched the program record for wins in a season with 39.
Seton Hall collected 35 points and has been selected to finish third in 2024. The Pirates boast three players to the Preseason All-BIG EAST team after a 13-8 conference display a season ago.
Separated by just half a game in the 2023 league standings, Creighton and Georgetown both received 29 votes in the 2024 poll. Capping conference play 10-10, Georgetown will look to earn its third straight trip to Prasco Park in May, landing two players on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. Also with a pair of Preseason All-BIG EAST Team members, Creighton capped 2023 with a 10-11 mark in conference play.
Three points separated No. 6 St. John’s and No. 7 Butler, with the Red Storm earning 17 points. A season ago, St. John’s finished 8-12 in conference play. Receiving 14 points, Butler capped the 2023 campaign with a 5-16 mark. The Bulldogs are led by Preseason All-BIG EAST Team member and reigning BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Joey Urban.
Rounding out the poll, No. 8 Villanova collected eight points.
An All-BIG EAST First Team feature in 2023, Quigley appeared in 15 games and made 14 starts on the mound in his first season with Huskies, transferring from Wheaton College. He went 4-3 with a 4.83 ERA and led the team with 76.1 innings pitched and tied a team-high with 74 strikeouts. Quigley made his NCAA Tournament debut against Texas Tech with 4.1 innings that featured five strikeouts in the NCAA Gainesville Regional.
An All-BIG EAST First Team member and All-New England Second Team selection a season ago, Studley averaged .325 with 76 hits including 12 doubles, two triples, eight home runs and drove in 57. Added 48 runs scored, 30 walks and six stolen bases. Slugged .496 and had a .420 on-base percentage. Second on the team with 23 multi-hit games and had 13 multi-RBI games.
Along with the poll, the Preseason All-BIG EAST team was also Xavier first baseman Matt McCormick and third baseman Grant Stephenson also earning unanimous selections along with Studley and Quigley.
The coaches’ poll, all-conference team and major awards were voted on by the league’s eight coaches, who could not cast votes for their team or their players.
2024 Preseason Baseball All-BIG EAST Team and Awards
Preseason Player of the Year
Jake Studley, OF, UConn
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Stephen Quigley, SP, UConn
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team*
C – Owen Carapellotti, Georgetown
1B – Matt McCormick, Xavier ^
2B – Jared Cushing, Xavier
3B – Grant Stephenson, Xavier ^
SS – Max Viera, Seton Hall
DH – Jack Grace, Creighton
OF – Joey Urban, Butler
OF – Jake Studley, UConn ^
OF – Devin Hack, Seton Hall
SP – Garrett Coe, UConn
SP – Stephen Quigley, UConn ^
SP – Dominic Cancellieri, Creighton
SP – Cody Bowker, Georgetown
SP – Luke Hoskins, Xavier
RP – Ryan Reich, Seton Hall
^ - denotes unanimous selection
* due to a tie in voting, there is an extra member on the preseason all-conference team.
BIG EAST Baseball Preseason Poll
First place votes in ( )
1. UConn (6) – 48
2. Xavier (2) – 44
3. Seton Hall – 35
4. Creighton – 29
4. Georgetown – 29
6. St. John’s – 17
7. Butler – 14
8. Villanova – 8