BIG EAST Title Quest Begins Thursday for Pirates

Thursday, May 23, 2019
Prasco Park – Mason, Ohio

#4 SETON HALL (25-26) vs. #1 CREIGHTON (35-11)

Date

Seton Hall
Probable Starter

Creighton
Probable Starter

Live
Video

Live
Audio

Live
Stats

Twitter

Thursday,
May 23
2:30 p.m.

RICKY
DEVITO
(2-5, 3.86 ERA)
RHP

Mitch Ragan
(8-2, 3.44 ERA)
RHP

LIVE
STATS

@SHUBaseball

Friday, May 24, 2019 – Prasco Park – Mason, Ohio

#4 SETON HALL (25-26) vs. #2 XAVIER (25-29)

Date

Seton Hall
Probable Starter

Xavier
Probable Starter

Live
Video

Live
Audio

Live
Stats

Twitter

Friday,
May 24
TBD

NOAH
THOMPSON
(4-2, 4.47 ERA)
RHP

Conor Grammes
(4-5, 4.40 ERA)
RHP

LIVE
STATS

@SHUBaseball

Friday, May 24, 2019 – Prasco Park – Mason, Ohio

#4 SETON HALL (25-26) vs. #3 ST. JOHN'S (30-21)

Date

Seton Hall
Probable Starter

St. John's
Probable Starter

Live
Video

Live
Audio

Live
Stats

Twitter

Friday,
May 24
TBD

NOAH
THOMPSON
(4-2, 4.47 ERA)
RHP

Jeff Belge
(4-5, 4.18 ERA)
RHP

LIVE
STATS

@SHUBaseball

PREVIEW:
For the ninth consecutive season, Seton Hall will compete in the BIG EAST Championship. The fourth-seeded Pirates will begin play at the conference's marquee event on Thursday with a first round contest against the regular season champion, Creighton. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio. All games will be broadcast live by the BIG EAST Digital Network. Championship Sunday games will be on FS2.

Last weekend, the Pirates were swept in a three-game series at St. John's in three close games. On Thursday, The Hall dropped a pitchers' duel, 3-0. Ricky DeVito allowed two runs over six strong innings. On Friday, the Pirates led, 6-3, heading to the ninth, but lost, as St. John's rallied for four runs. Seton Hall finished the weekend with a 6-2 loss to the Red Storm on Saturday.

2019 BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP
The 2019 BIG EAST Baseball Championship presented by Jeep will be co-hosted by Xavier University at Prasco Park in nearby Mason, Ohio. Prasco Park is the ninth location in the history of BIG EAST baseball to play host to the league's postseason championship series. The tournament will be held May 23-26, 2019.

Prasco Park is only the second ballpark to host the BIG EAST Baseball Championship not on the East Coast. TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, home of the 2014 and 2016 championships is the other. The park is about 20 miles north of Cincinnati and a 30-minute drive from Xavier's campus.

Prasco Park has a total seating capacity of 1,250, plus standing room space. There will be no charge for admission or concessions for BIG EAST Championship fans in attendance. Located on the campus of Prasco Laboratories, the park opened on June 19, 2008 and has become one of the premier amateur baseball destinations in America. Last year was the first time that the BIG EAST Championship was held there with St. John's defeating Seton Hall in the championship game.

THINGS TO KNOW:
BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP
Seton Hall qualified for the BIG EAST Championship for the ninth straight year. The Pirates have made the tournament a total of 25 times in their history, which ranks second among all teams that have ever played in the BIG EAST. Furthermore, their 37 tournament victories is tied for second-most.

SHEDLER-MCAVOY NETS FIRST TEAM
Junior Tyler Shedler-McAvoy was named to the 2019 BIG EAST All-Conference First Team. He is the lone Pirate on the First Team, and one of three outfielders, joining Butler's Harrison Freed and St. John's Mike Antico. Shedler-McAvoy leads Seton Hall with a .327 batting average and leads the BIG EAST with 22 stolen bases.

DEVITO, TOKE SECOND TEAMERS
Juniors Ricky DeVito and Matt Toke were named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team. DeVito, the Preseason BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year, enters the tournament with a 3.86 ERA and 61 strikeouts in a team-high 58.1 innings pitched. Toke is batting .343 in conference only games and leads the BIG EAST with 379 defensive chances this season without an error.

PIRATES SWEPT BY ST. JOHN'S
Seton Hall finished the regular season at St. John's last weekend and dropped three close games at Jack Kaiser Stadium. The Pirates fell in a pitchers' duel on Thursday, 3-0. Ricky DeVito allowed two runs over six strong innings. On Friday, the Pirates led 5-1, and took a 6-3 advantage into the ninth inning, but the Red Storm rallied to defeat Seton Hall, 7-6. On Saturday, The Hall fell, 6-2.

LEAGUE LEADER
Junior Tyler Shedler-McAvoy finished the regular season as the BIG EAST leader in both triples (6) and stolen bases (22). Additionally, the outfielder candidate ranks sixth in the conference with a .327 batting average, RBIs and hits, and 10th in runs scored.

STRIKEOUTS APLENTY
Seton Hall's 467 strikeouts this season are among the most-ever for the program. Last season, the Pirates had 471 strikeouts, their most since 1985. That year, The Hall struck out a team-record 497. Seton Hall has recorded at least 400 strikeouts in a season nine times in its history, including the last four years.

ROAD WARRIORS
Due to ongoing renovations at Owen T. Carroll Field, Seton Hall has not played a true home game all season. Six of their nine "home" contests during BIG EAST competition were played at St. John's home, Jack Kaiser Stadium. Seton Hall went 5-1 in those games. Three more were played at the home of the Staten Island Yankees in Richmond County Bank Ballpark. Creighton swept that series.

A LEGEND PASSES AWAY
On April 6, former Seton Hall student-athlete, coach and administrator Mike Sheppard, Sr. passed away at the age of 82. The skipper was the head coach of the Pirate baseball program for 31 years compiling 998 victories and guiding The Hall to four College World Series appearances. He was a member of several Halls of Fame and leaves a significant legacy on all who were fortunate enough to have known him.