Big East update
The conference season is here and the Big East has struggled this year.
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Big East Baseball Preview
Conference play begins this week, as UConn takes on Xavier. The rest of the six schools start next weekend. After what was a banner year in 2024, including five top-100 RPI teams, just two have a winning record at this stage.
Butler
RPI: 275
Record: 7-16
The Bulldogs had a streaky start to their season, losing three straight games to Tarleton State. Following a three-game win streak, they lost four of their next five, then won back-to-back games against Lindenwood on March 7 and 8. Starting March 9, they dropped nine-straight games before picking up a win against Miami Ohio Wednesday. Mix in three cancellations and the sum is a 7-16 non-conference record with the 16th-easiest schedule in Division I, according to Warren Nolan.
Jack Moroknek (.462/.514/.945) and Jack Bello (.405/.435/.726) headline the lineup, both with an OPS over 1.150. Though the Bulldogs carry a team-wide .301 batting average, only one of Butler’s other six qualified hitters hold an average over the .300 mark. The pitching staff is fronted Marcus Goodpaster, who holds a 6.58 ERA in a team-high 26 innings pitched, and the problem has been an overall instability. Including Goodpaster, nine Bulldogs have made a start thus far for head coach Blake Beemer, none of whom hold an ERA under 5.00.
Creighton
RPI: 49
Record: 14-6
Unlike many Big East teams, non-conference play has been quite fruitful for the Blue Jays. This is especially so as of late, with Creighton having won six of their last seven games. Picked to finish fourth in the Big East, Creighton began the season losing two of three to UNC Greensboro — whom UConn swept last weekend — but have seemingly righted the ship since. With head coach Ed Servais well into his final season, he has had no issues with his pitching staff so far. Five pitchers have made at least three starts. Ian Koosman, whose 5.96 ERA is the highest of the bunch, has been on fire as of late, going 3-0 in his last three turns with a 1.13 ERA and 0.56 WHIP. On the back end, Garrett Langrell has locked down four saves in over 16 innings of work, carrying a 2.16 ERA into April. The offense has posted 6.3 runs per game, and the team has been especially good a home, holding a 6-1 record in Omaha. Creighton will host UConn in its first series of Big East play next week.
Georgetown
RPI: 230
Record: 9-16
The Hoyas have held their own at home (8-9) but have struggled tremendously to win games away from Capital One Park (1-7 on road). They weren’t expected to make much noise in the Big East, picked to finish just fifth despite a 36-21 record in 2024 and a trip to the Big East Tournament championship game. The trio of Blake Schaaf (.350/.448/.525), Kavi Caster (.345/.390/.529) and Ashtin Gilio (.324/.446/.529) have peddled the offense forward — one that runs the bases aggressively with runners on. Georgetown has swiped 79 bags in 25 games, the fourth-most in the nation. On the mound Andrew Williams (2-1, 2.25), an all-Big East preseason team nominee as well as JT Raab (2-1, 3.31) have combined to make 12 starts and and throw over 60 innings.
St. John’s
RPI: 73
Record: 12-12
Not much went right for the Red Storm to start the year. They were swept by Liberty and No. 16 Wake Forest as part of their 0-7 start, but they’ve since rebounded and have begun to build momentum heading into Big East play. St. John’s is 12-5 in their last 17 games, including winners of four straight games in which the team scored 45 runs. That offense — which had just five runs in the team’s first five games — has sprung to life, paced by sophomore Jayder Raifstanger (.367/.466/.561). Raifstanger leads the team in hits (36), total bases (55) and RBI (20), as well as all qualified hitters in all three slash line categories and is tied for the lead in walks (14). St. John’s was picked to finish third in the Big East and earned UConn’s first-place vote in the poll. Defending conference champs, St. John’s has picked up the energy at the right time with their first Big East series on deck against Seton Hall next weekend.
Seton Hall
RPI: 233
Record: 10-15
Seton Hall hasn’t finished higher than fourth in the Big East in a decade and it looks like that streak may continue, as the only series it’s won is against Stony Brook, dropping weekends to the likes of Cal Poly and Iona. Aiden Robbins (.429/.509/.694) is one of the best hitters in the Big East and forms a strong combination with Kevin Milewski (.337/.425/.629) to anchor an offense that slashes .291/.396/.436 and scores more than seven runs per game. However, the opposition has a slash line of .313/.424/.440. Ryan Reich (0-4, 4.63) has only reached the fifth inning once, while Cole Hansen (0-1, 6.48) averages just over four innings per start, though John Downing (4-0, 2.11) has shined out of the bullpen and is second on the team in innings.
Xavier
RPI: 2
Record: 12-13
Xavier’s best result is its most recent one, going to Kentucky Proud Park and taking down Kentucky on Tuesday. The Musketeers have played the strongest schedule in the country, according to Warren Nolan, which is why they own a lofty RPI ranking despite a losing record. Without wins in April and May, Billy O’Conner’s squad won’t be this high for long. Ben Weber (2-2, 2.91) moved into the starting rotation three weeks ago and has allowed just one earned run. Four qualifiers, including Tucker Nolan (.297/.391/.514) have an OPS above .800, as well. However, the remainder of the pitching staff has struggled, while the lineup hasn’t been long enough against some brutal competition.
Villanova
RPI: 101
Record: 13-10
Villanova was picked at the bottom of the Big East by the coaches, slotted seventh in the preseason poll. The Wildcats had a tough opening weekend in the Puerto Rico Challenge, but have lost just one other series this season. The problem has been putting teams away, as they’ve been unable to sweep a weekend. Villanova’s lineup just hasn’t been long enough, with Jason Neff (.325/.433/.750) and Michael Whooley (.300/.390/.533) owning an OPS over .900. Brayden Leonard (.302/.368/.512) isn’t far behind. However, no other hitter has a batting average over .250 and the Wildcats are hitting .257/.372/.404 as a team.
Bracketology
Baseball America
Baseball America has released its first midseason field of 64. Creighton supplanted UConn as the Big East’s projected champion, which remains a one-bid league. The Bluejays are the 4-seed in the Oxford Regional, hosted by No. 15 Ole Miss.
There aren’t any full series opponents in the field, but the Huskies played No. 14 Vanderbilt, as well as 2-seed North Carolina and 3-seed Duke, in a single game.
D1Baseball
D1Baseball.com didn’t release a bracket this week, but UConn had the Big East’s automatic bid in the preseason version.
The Week Ahead
Friday: at Xavier; 3 p.m.; FloSports
Saturday: at Xavier; 2 p.m.; FloSports
Sunday: at Xavier; 1 p.m.; FloSports
Tuesday: Quinnipiac; 3:05 p.m.; UConn+
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