'We're ready.' Xavier baseball opens Big East Tournament against top-seeded UConn

Coaches across all sports want their teams to be playing their best ball when the postseason comes around. Thankfully for Xavier head baseball coach Billy O'Conner, that's exactly what his Musketeers have done heading into this week's Big East Tournament at Prasco Park in Mason.

Winning seven of its final 10 regular season games didn't come easy, though. Xavier battled injuries throughout the season and played one of the league's most difficult schedules, littered with high-profile programs that will hear their school's name called next Monday during the NCAA's selection show. It's all part of the growing process of a season.

"We've hit adversity all along the way," O'Conner told The Enquirer Tuesday. "We talked at the beginning of the year about how important that s to get adversity, grow from that and become the finished product we want to be. I think we're pretty close to that right now. We're a confident group."

Xavier is the lowest seed in a four-team field without a clear-cut favorite. The Musketeers, No. 40 in the latest RPI College Baseball Rankings, open the double-elimination tournament Wednesday night against top-seeded UConn.

More: 'We're battle-tested.' Xavier fights through adversity heading into Big East Tournament

"We're feeling it. We've played these teams tough; we've won games against all the teams here. We've played top-5 teams in the country. We're ready," sophomore Isaac Wacshmann said.

Here's a look at the rest of the field.

No. 1 UConn

Record: 32-21 (17-4 Conference)

RPI: No. 37

Overview: UConn had a league-high four first-team and second-team All-Big East selections when the accolades were announced on Tuesday afternoon. UConn junior right-hander Ian Cooke was named the Big East's Preseason Pitcher of the Year in 2023 and was named the Big East Pitcher of the Year this season after posting a 4-1 record. He logged quality starts in three of his final four starts to the year and tossed 5 1/3 innings of four-hit shutout ball in a loss to the Musketeers in April.

Against Xavier: UConn took two of three games over the Musketeers in early April in Storrs, Connecticut. Xavier starter Luke Hoskins twirled eight innings of five-hit, one-run ball in a 9-5 Muskies' win in the series opener. UConn responded with an 8-2 victory one day later, then got seven shutout innings from pitcher Stephen Quigley for a 1-0 win in the series finale.

"It's the most healthy rivalry I've ever been a part of," O'Conner said of the matchup with UConn. "They execute at a high level, and we need to match that."

No. 2 St. John's

Record: 34-16-1 (14-7 Big East)

RPI: No. 63

Overview: Big East Coach of the Year Mike Hampton led the Red Storm to its first conference tournament appearance since 2019 after going just 8-12 in Big East play last season. Catcher Jimmy Keenan, a first-team all-league selection, hit .330 with a team-high 29 extra-base hits and 49 RBI.

Against Xavier: St. John's took two of three from Xavier at Hayden Field in April after dropping the series opener. Poor defense plagued the Muskies as only six of the 15 runs they allowed in two losses were earned.

No. 3 Georgetown

Record: 34-19 (13-7 Big East)

RPI: No. 61

Overview: The Hoyas finished the regular season just 5-6 but did win a series over St. John's last weekend. Senior first baseman Christian Ficca was named the Big East Player of the Year after hitting .362 with 11 homers and 63 RBI.

Against Xavier: The Musketeers had a dramatic series win in College Park, Maryland earlier this month. Xavier got ninth-inning homers from Matt McCormick and Isaac Wachsmann to win the opener, 9-7. Wachsmann two-run ninth-inning bomb one day later forced extra innings, where Xavier would prevail 6-5.

"I kept that momentum into Georgetown," said Wachsmann, who missed the majority of the regular season with a knee injury. "Everyone was fired up. All the guys were super helpful around me, motivating me, keeping me humble. It's been really fun to be back."

Will experience play a factor?

Xavier dropped the final regular season series against Villanova, which likely hurt its chances for an at-large bid for an NCAA Tournament berth. One way to secure the program's sixth trip to the tournament is to run the table this week in Mason.

Experience could be the difference, with several players on the roster having helped the Musketeers win the conference tournament last spring.

"It holds all the weight in the world. We've got older guys that have been here and done it. There are young guys who are ready to step up and contribute," starting pitcher Luke Hoskins said. "It's kind of a great balance of the older guys and younger guys coming together and playing great baseball."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'We're ready.' Xavier opens Big East Tournament Wednesday vs. UConn