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PREVIEW:
Seton Hall will begin play at the 2017 BIG EAST Championship in Omaha, Neb. on Thursday, May 25 when it faces top-seeded Creighton. First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. The Pirates will play either No. 2 St. John's or No. 3 Xavier on Friday. The tournament has a double-elimination format. The games on both days will be carried by the BIG EAST Digital Network via the Fox Sports Go app.
The Pirates are coming off a split of two games at Southeastern Louisiana last weekend. The series, originally scheduled for three games, was shortened due to poor weather. On Thursday, the Pirates erupted for a season-high 16 runs in a 16-3 victory over the Lions. Four Pirates drove in at least four runs apiece with Mike Alescio leading with the way with four RBIs. On Friday, The Hall fell 10-7. Freshman Matt Toke reached base during all five plate appearances, going 4-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and a stolen base.
BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP
The 2017 BIG EAST Baseball Championship Presented by Jeep is scheduled for May 25-28, as Creighton University is set to host alongside the Conference at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, home of the NCAA College World Series. This is the second year the BIG EAST makes its home in Omaha, as the 2015 Championship was also held there.
All-session tickets for the Championship are on sale through the BIG EAST Baseball Championship Central and through Creighton's ticket master site. All-session tickets are available for $45 and $35 in two different pricing levels. Additionally this year there will be a youth level all-session ticket available for $20 in the lower reserved section.
Single-session tickets for both adult ($20/$10) and youth ($6) are available. College students with a valid student ID can purchase single-session tickets for $5.
THINGS TO KNOW:
PRENDERGAST NAMED TO FIRST TEAM
Senior Zach Prendergast was named to the All-BIG EAST First Team on Tuesday. The Pirate right-hander pitched to a 7-3 record and a 2.95 earned run average this season. He was named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week in two of the final three weeks of the regular season and tossed a no-hitter at Villanova on May 14.
DANA, RAMIZ, TESTANI NET SECOND TEAM
Sophomore Cullen Dana, junior Ryan Ramiz and senior Ryan Testani were all named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team on Tuesday.
FAMILIAR FOE
In the three years since the BIG EAST Conference restructured, the Seton Hall and Creighton have met four times in the BIG EAST Championship. The Pirates are 0-4. The Hall lost 2-1 in the second round of the 2014 event. They lost twice to Creighton in 2015, and were edged in heart-breaking fashion, 6-5, in the 2016 championship.
PIRATES NET FOURTH SEED
Seton Hall is the No. 4 seed and will face top-seeded Creighton in the opening round of the 2017 BIG EAST Championship. The Pirates will face either No. 2 St. John's or No. 3 Xavier on Friday. Seton Hall will play in its seventh consecutive post-season.
TOKE ON FIRE
Freshman Matt Toke is the hottest hitter for the Pirates entering the 2017 postseason. He has hit safely in 19 of his last 20 games, and is batting .386 over that stretch. Most recently, he reached base in all five plate appearances at Southeastern Louisiana on Friday, going 4-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base.
THE MIZ IS AWESOME
Junior Ryan Ramiz is riding an eight-game hit streak and is belting a cool .485 over that stretch. On Friday at Southeastern Louisiana, he clubbed his first career home run.
PIRATES SPLIT AT SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA
Last week, Seton Hall split a pair of games at Southeastern Louisiana, as it observed its BIG EAST bye week. The Hall routed the Lions, 16-3, on Thursday as four Pirates collected at least three RBIs apiece. On Friday, the Pirates fell, 10-7. Matt Toke reached base in all five plate appearances, going 4-for-4 with a walk. The Pirates closed their regular season with a record of 29-22.
CAPUTO REACHES MILESTONE
With two hits at Southeastern Louisiana on Friday, senior Mike Caputo reached the 100-hit milestone for his career. Both Joe Poduslenko and Ryan Ramiz collected their 100th career hits earlier this season. Junior Mike Alescio is only five hits away from becoming the fourth Pirate to reach the plateau this season
NO-HITTER FOR PRENDERGAST
Senior Zach Prendergast needed only 82 pitches to no-hit Villanova in game two of a doubleheader on Sunday. Prendergast pitched to only one batter over the minimum, a hitter that reached on an error in the sixth inning. Additionally, Prendergast struck out a career-high 10 batters.
PIRATES SWEEP VILLANOVA
Seton Hall completed a sweep of their second BIG EAST opponent on Sunday. The Pirates defeated Villanova, 9-1, on Friday, and needed only two pitchers to keep the Wildcats off the scoreboard in a doubleheader on Sunday. The Hall won, 2-0, in game one, and 1-0, in game two.
SETON HALL CLINCHES BIG EAST TOURNAMENT
With a three-game sweep of Villanova, the Pirates clinched a berth in the BIG EAST Tournament for a seventh consecutive season. The Pirates finished the BIG EAST portion of their schedule with a record of 10-8. It's the sixth time in the last seven years that The Hall has reached double-digits in wins.
PITCHING MATCH UPS
http://www.shupirates.com/news/2017...eady-for-big-east-championship-this-week.aspx
