Creighton Baseball Places Five on Preseason All-BIG EAST, Bluejays Picked to Finish Second
12/20/2022 11:48:00 AM | Baseball
Omaha, Neb. -- The Creighton Baseball squad enters the 2023 season picked to finish second in the conference with five preseason All-BIG EAST selections, announced on Tuesday, December 20.
The Bluejays closed the 2022 season with 31 victories (31-18), falling to Xavier in the BIG EAST Championship. Creighton's five All-BIG EAST selections rewarded the work of graduate student Tommy Steier (Omaha, Neb.) , senior Jack Grace (La Grange, Ill.), senior Andrew Meggs (San Jose, Calif.), junior Dominic Cancelleri (Wayne, N.J.) and junior Cade Lommel (Delano, Minn).
The Connecticut Huskies, the 2023 BIG EAST regular-season and tournament victors, were unanimously picked as the favorite in the BIG EAST Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll to earn 49 points. Creighton captured one first place vote (teams are not allowed to vote for themselves) and six second place nods for 43 points, while Xavier slotted into third with 36 points. The remainder of the preseason poll saw Georgetown in fourth (30 points), followed by Seton Hall (23 points), St. John's (21 points), Villanova (15 points) and Butler (7 points). The coaches' poll, all-conference team and major awards were voted on by the league's eight coaches, who could not cast votes for their team or their players.
Steier was dominant for the Bluejays in 2022, finishing the year 4-1 with a 1.62 ERA in 55.2 innings. The Bluejay closer notched eight saves and 48 strikeouts, while holding opponents to a .209 batting average.Â
Grace blossomed into an everyday player for Creighton in 2022, seeing action in 46 contests with 41 starts. The Illinois native posted a .263 batting average, smashed five home runs and drove in 31 with 40 hits and 25 runs scored.
Creighton's leadoff man, Meggs guided the Bluejay offense with a .324 average. The California native finished with 68 hits and 50 runs scored, with 14 doubles, three home runs and 27 RBI.
A 2022 transfer from Notre Dame, Cancellieri went 5-3 in 61.1 innings. The Bluejay right-hander struck out 52, closing the season with a 4.55 ERA. In BIG EAST action he was 3-1 with a 3.76 ERA over 26.1 innings.
Lommel gave Creighton balance on the bump as the lefty started 13 games for Creighton last season. The Minnesota native made 14 appearances, tossing 52.0 innings. Cade closed the season with 54 strikeouts.
Creighton opens the 2023 season on Friday, February 17 at McNeese State with a three-game series that begins at 6:00 p.m.
2023 Preseason Baseball All-BIG EAST Team and Awards
Preseason Player of the Year
Jack Housinger, Gr., SS, Xavier
Â
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Ian Cooke, So., RHP, Connecticut
Â
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team*
C – Owen Carapellotti, So., Georgetown
1B – Ben Huber, Gr., Connecticut
2B – Andrew Meggs, Sr., Creighton
3B – Kevin Michaels, RJr., St. John'sÂ
SS – Jack Housinger, Gr., Xavier
DH – Jack Grace, Sr., Creighton
OF – Korey Morton, Jr., ConnecticutÂ
OF – David Glancy, RJr., St. John's
OF – Will Gale, RJr., Seton HallÂ
OF – Garrett Schultz, Sr., Xavier
SP – Ian Cooke, So., Connecticut ^
SP – Cade Lommel, Jr., Creighton
SP – Dominic Cancellieri, Jr., Creighton
SP – Luke Bell, Sr., Xavier
RP – Tommy Steier, Gr., Creighton
Â
^ - denotes unanimous selection
* due to a tie in voting, there is an extra member on the preseason all-conference team.
Â
Preseason Coaches' PollÂ
First place votes in ( )Â
1. Connecticut (7) – 49
2. Creighton (1) – 43
3.  Xavier – 36
4. Georgetown – 30
5.  Seton Hall – 23
6.  St. John's – 21
7. Villanova – 15
8.  Butler – 7
Â
The Bluejays closed the 2022 season with 31 victories (31-18), falling to Xavier in the BIG EAST Championship. Creighton's five All-BIG EAST selections rewarded the work of graduate student Tommy Steier (Omaha, Neb.) , senior Jack Grace (La Grange, Ill.), senior Andrew Meggs (San Jose, Calif.), junior Dominic Cancelleri (Wayne, N.J.) and junior Cade Lommel (Delano, Minn).
The Connecticut Huskies, the 2023 BIG EAST regular-season and tournament victors, were unanimously picked as the favorite in the BIG EAST Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll to earn 49 points. Creighton captured one first place vote (teams are not allowed to vote for themselves) and six second place nods for 43 points, while Xavier slotted into third with 36 points. The remainder of the preseason poll saw Georgetown in fourth (30 points), followed by Seton Hall (23 points), St. John's (21 points), Villanova (15 points) and Butler (7 points). The coaches' poll, all-conference team and major awards were voted on by the league's eight coaches, who could not cast votes for their team or their players.
Steier was dominant for the Bluejays in 2022, finishing the year 4-1 with a 1.62 ERA in 55.2 innings. The Bluejay closer notched eight saves and 48 strikeouts, while holding opponents to a .209 batting average.Â
Grace blossomed into an everyday player for Creighton in 2022, seeing action in 46 contests with 41 starts. The Illinois native posted a .263 batting average, smashed five home runs and drove in 31 with 40 hits and 25 runs scored.
Creighton's leadoff man, Meggs guided the Bluejay offense with a .324 average. The California native finished with 68 hits and 50 runs scored, with 14 doubles, three home runs and 27 RBI.
A 2022 transfer from Notre Dame, Cancellieri went 5-3 in 61.1 innings. The Bluejay right-hander struck out 52, closing the season with a 4.55 ERA. In BIG EAST action he was 3-1 with a 3.76 ERA over 26.1 innings.
Lommel gave Creighton balance on the bump as the lefty started 13 games for Creighton last season. The Minnesota native made 14 appearances, tossing 52.0 innings. Cade closed the season with 54 strikeouts.
Creighton opens the 2023 season on Friday, February 17 at McNeese State with a three-game series that begins at 6:00 p.m.
2023 Preseason Baseball All-BIG EAST Team and Awards
Preseason Player of the Year
Jack Housinger, Gr., SS, Xavier
Â
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Ian Cooke, So., RHP, Connecticut
Â
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team*
C – Owen Carapellotti, So., Georgetown
1B – Ben Huber, Gr., Connecticut
2B – Andrew Meggs, Sr., Creighton
3B – Kevin Michaels, RJr., St. John'sÂ
SS – Jack Housinger, Gr., Xavier
DH – Jack Grace, Sr., Creighton
OF – Korey Morton, Jr., ConnecticutÂ
OF – David Glancy, RJr., St. John's
OF – Will Gale, RJr., Seton HallÂ
OF – Garrett Schultz, Sr., Xavier
SP – Ian Cooke, So., Connecticut ^
SP – Cade Lommel, Jr., Creighton
SP – Dominic Cancellieri, Jr., Creighton
SP – Luke Bell, Sr., Xavier
RP – Tommy Steier, Gr., Creighton
Â
^ - denotes unanimous selection
* due to a tie in voting, there is an extra member on the preseason all-conference team.
Â
Preseason Coaches' PollÂ
First place votes in ( )Â
1. Connecticut (7) – 49
2. Creighton (1) – 43
3.  Xavier – 36
4. Georgetown – 30
5.  Seton Hall – 23
6.  St. John's – 21
7. Villanova – 15
8.  Butler – 7
Â
Players Mentioned
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