Pirates Open BIG EAST Play vs. Xavier This Weekend

April 13 - 15, 2018
South Orange, N.J. - Owen. T. Carroll Field

SETON HALL (12-12-1) vs. XAVIER (11-21, 1-2)

Date

Seton Hall
Probable Starter

Xavier
Probable Starter

Live
Video

Live
Audio

Live
Stats

Twitter

Friday,
April 13
4:00 p.m. ET

SHANE
MCCARTHY
(1-3, 6.00 ERA)
RHP

Damien Richard
(1-4, 3.00 ERA)
RHP

LIVE
STATS

@SHUBaseball

Saturday,
April 14
1:00 p.m. ET

BILLY
LAYNE, JR.
(2-0, 2.70 ERA)
RHP

Matt Kent
(2-0, 3.82 ERA)
RHP

LIVE
STATS

@SHUBaseball

Saturday,
April 14
TBD

RICKY
DEVITO
(1-0, 2.45 ERA)
RHP

TBD

LIVE
STATS

@SHUBaseball

PREVIEW:
Seton Hall will open BIG EAST Conference play this weekend when it welcomes defending conference champion, Xavier, to Owen T. Carroll Field for a three-game series. All three games will be streamed live on the Pirate Sports Network. First pitch Friday is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.

The Pirates haven't had a traditional weekend series since playing four games in Hawaii, March 23-26. The Hall split the four-game set in O'ahu and Tyler Shedler-McAvoy was named BIG EAST Player of the Week for his efforts, while Matt Leon was added to the Weekly Honor Roll.

The Hall returned home and dropped a midweek contest to Wagner, 4-2, last Wednesday. Four Pirate relievers held the Seahawks scoreless over the final six innings, but the damage was done early.

Last weekend, Seton Hall swept a doubleheader, both seven-inning games, from Fairleigh Dickinson at Owen T. Carroll Field. Connor Hood went 4-for-5 with five RBIs in the doubleheader. Most recently, the Pirates bludgeoned Princeton, 28-8, on Wednesday.

SERIES INFORMATION:
Seton Hall owns a slim 7-6 all-time series lead against Xavier, but the Musketeers have won five of the last six meetings. Last season, the Pirates won only once in Cincinnati, a dramatic 6-3 victory. Seton Hall trailed 3-1 entering the ninth inning, but it rallied for five runs, capped by a two-run home run by Tyler Shedler-McAvoy. For the series, Ryan Ramiz batted a team-best .500, while Al Molina batted .385. Andrew Politi pitched four hitless innings in relief with six strikeouts and no walks.

Xavier enters the weekend with a 11-21 record, having dropped their last four games. This will be the Musketeers' second BIG EAST series of the season. Last weekend, they lost two of three games at Georgetown, both in extra innings. Although Xavier's offense has performed admirably this season, they have the highest team earned run average in the BIG EAST.

THINGS TO KNOW:
RECENT NEWS
Sophomore Connor Hood was named to the BIG EAST Baseball Weekly Honor Roll on Monday. Hood led the Pirates in batting last week with an even .500 batting average. Hood went 4-for-5 with five RBIs in a doubleheader sweep over Fairleigh Dickinson last Sunday.

POUNDING PRINCETON
Seton Hall is coming off a 28-8 victory at Princeton on Wednesday. The Pirates erupted for season-highs of 28 runs on 20 hits with the help of a season-high 16 walks. Mike Alescio reached base five times, walking four times and hitting a two-run home run. Casey Dana also belted a two-run shot, while Ryan Ramiz drove in four runs.

RECENT HOME CONTESTS
Seton Hall dropped a 4-2 game to Wagner at Owen T. Carroll Field last Wednesday, but bounced back to sweep a doubleheader from Fairleigh Dickinson on Sunday. Ryan Ramiz reached base four times in the loss to Wagner. Connor Hood had two hits and at least two RBIs in both victories over FDU. Billy Layne, Jr. had six strong innings and six strikeouts, both career-highs in Sunday's game one win.

LAST SERIES
Seton Hall went 2-2 in a four-game series, March 22-26, in its first-ever trip to Hawaii. Tyler Shedler-McAvoy was named BIG EAST Player of the Week for his efforts through the first three games, and Matt Leon was named to the Honor Roll. The Pirates won 9-8 in 11 innings in game one, and 5-1, in game two of the series.

HISTORIC OFFENSE
In Seton Hall's 28-8 victory at Princeton, the Pirates batted around three times. It is the Pirates' most runs scored in a game since defeating Saint Peter's, 31-13, on March 18, 1999. It's also the first time Seton Hall has scored 20 runs in a game since defeating NYIT, 21-0, exactly four years earlier, April 11, 2014. Seton Hall's team batting average is now up to a season-high .267.

SHEPPARD ON THE CUSP
Seton Hall head coach Rob Sheppard is only one win away from becoming only the second Pirate baseball coach to reach 400 career victories. Only his father, Mike Sheppard, Sr., has more wins at Seton Hall, 998.

HITTER TO WATCH
Sophomore Connor Hood is rebounding nicely from a very tough start to the season. The infielder started the year 0-for-16 through his first nine games. He has collected hits in seven of nine games since. Hood has collected at least two hits in the last three games and is 7-for-10 with seven RBIs in that time.

PITCHER TO WATCH
Sophomore Noah Thompson has emerged as a valuable bullpen arm this season. He has allowed just one earned run and three hits over his last six appearances, which totals 15.0 innings pitched. In that time, he has a 0.60 ERA with 18 strikeouts and six walks. Opponents are hitting just .064 against him.

PIRATE SPORTS NETWORK
The Pirate Sports Network at SHUpirates.com will again provide free live video streaming of all Seton Hall home baseball games. Additionally, Sports Information Director Matt Sweeney will provide a free live audio stream of most road contests. Be sure to visit the PSN at SHUpirates.com!