Even though the Big East isn’t a traditional baseball powerhouse, the conference did send two teams to the 2023 NCAA Tournament. So, what’s on tap for the conference in 2024? Here’s our 2024 Big East baseball season preview.
Related: 2024 College Baseball Season Preview: Big 10
Butler
We start off our 2024 Big East baseball preview with the Butler Bulldogs. Butler’s had success in recent years producing pro talent — Rays pitcher Ryan Pepiot is one such product — but the Bulldogs haven’t had great success in the Big East over the last five years. Big East coaches voted Butler to finish seventh in the conference for 2024.
Sophomore outfielder Joey Urban, who led Butler in total hits (66) last spring, is back for 2024.
Creighton
The Creighton Bluejays have been a regular at or near the top of the Big East conference for years. That should remain the case in 2024, as Creighton did retain 2023 home run leader Jack Grace and pitcher Dominic Cancellieri for the 2024 campaign. The two were named to the All-Big East Preseason Team.
Head coach Ed Servais has been a good recruiter during his time with the Bluejays and that remained true last year. Pitchers Eli Nissen (#313 in the Class of 2023 according to Perfect Game), Shea Wendt (#369), and C/P Connor Capece (#431) are all freshmen on Creighton’s 2024 roster.
Georgetown
After a last-place finish in the Big East in 2021, the Georgetown Hoyas have trended upwards. Georgetown finished fourth in the Big East both in 2022 and 2023, and the coaches’ preseason poll put the Hoyas tied with Creighton for fourth this year.
Georgetown lost Jake Bloss to the Houston Astros last July but sophomore pitcher/outfielder Cody Bowker is back. Bowker was named to the preseason All-Big East team as a pitcher. The same can be said for catcher Owen Carapelloti, who hit 16 home runs for Georgetown as a sophomore.
Seton Hall
We continue our 2024 Big East season preview with Seton Hall. Like Creighton, the Seton Hall Pirates have traditionally been a competitive team in the Big East. That was very much true in 2023 when Seton Hall finished with the third-best record (13-8) in Big East play.
Seton Hall returned their leading home run hitter from last season, Staus Pokrovsky, as well as senior infielder Max Viera. Viera hit .319 for the Pirates last spring. Reliever Ryan Reich, who struck out 38 over 28.2 innings and owned a respectable 2.51 ERA, is also back for 2024.
St. John’s
It won’t be an easy start to 2024 for St. John’s, as the Red Storm will begin the year in Gainesville against the University of Florida. And per the Big East coaches, St. John’s is expected to finish third to last in the conference in this upcoming campaign.
However, there are some intriguing names to watch in 2024. Junior outfielder Jackson Tucker is back for 2024. The same can be said for catcher Jimmy Keenan, who hit .343 as a freshman for the Red Storm and did well in fall ball.
UConn
The UConn Huskies have been arguably the most successful Northeast collegiate program over the past 15 years. UConn won the Big East last year and the coaches within the conference picked the Huskies to beat out Xavier for the crown again in 2024.
UConn did lose Andrew Sears to the Tigers last July. On the other hand, the Huskies did bring back pitcher Stephen Quigley and outfielder Jake Studley, grad students who were named the Big East Preseason Pitcher and Hitter of the Year, respectively. Freshman pitcher Tommy Turner was rated #258 by Perfect Game in the Class of 2023.
Villanova
If the Big East coaches’ preseason poll is any indication, the 2024 campaign could be a tough one for Villanova. After a 14-37 overall record during the 2023 season, former MLB pitcher Kevin Mulvey‘s Wildcats are projected to finish last in the conference.
Pitcher Cade Udell and infielder/outfielder Jack O’Reilly are among the notable returning names.
Xavier
We end our 2024 Big East season preview with Xavier. Xavier made it to the NCAA tournament last spring but was bounced out in the Nashville region by Pac-12 power Oregon. But heading into 2024, the Musketeers could be a name to watch in the college scene.
Xavier returned several productive bats from 2023, including infielders Jared Cushing, Matt McCormick, and Grant Stephenson. The Musketeers couldn’t get infielder Sam Shaw, a ninth-round pick by Toronto, to Ohio for 2024. Nonetheless, Xavier should be competitive in the Big East.