Capece's 10 RBI Weekend Earns BIG EAST Player of the Week
4/20/2026 2:59:00 PM | Baseball
New York, N.Y. --Â Creighton catcher Connor Capece earned his first BIG EAST Player of the Week nod on Monday, April 20 as the Omaha native led Creighton to a weekend road sweep of Villanova, hitting .500 (7-for-14) with 10 RBI in three games with the Wildcats.Â
During the week he was 8-for-18 (.444), extending his hit streak to six games. In addition to driving in runs, Capece scored five runs, connecting for two doubles and one home run. Capece posted a .563 on-base percentage and a .857 slugging percentage versus the Wildcats, belting one extra-base hit in each contest.
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The Bluejays return to action on Wednesday, April 22 in a road game at Omaha, then host Butler this weekend in Charles Schwab Field Omaha.
The remainder of the BIG EAST Weekly Awards are below.
Travis Ilitch, Georgetown, Sr., OF
In a 2-1 series win over Butler, Ilitch batted 8-for-15 with six runs scored, four RBI, off two doubles and a pair of walks.
Lewis Rodriguez, St. John's, Jr., OF
Rodriguez started in all four games this week, leading St. John's to a series win over UConn. He slashed .500/.538/.500, going 6-fot-12, scoring three runs with three RBI. He made five put outs in left field.
Luke Hammond, Xavier, Gr., 3B
Hammond batted .417 in a series sweep of Seton Hall, finishing with five hits and two triples, while driving in a team-high six RBI and scoring two runs.
Ryan Piech, Xavier, Jr., RHP
Piech made the start in Xavier's 10-1 win in game one at Seton Hall, allowing one run on seven hits in 6.0 innings. Piech collected a career-best 12 strikeouts, topping his previous career-high of 10 Ks.
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During the week he was 8-for-18 (.444), extending his hit streak to six games. In addition to driving in runs, Capece scored five runs, connecting for two doubles and one home run. Capece posted a .563 on-base percentage and a .857 slugging percentage versus the Wildcats, belting one extra-base hit in each contest.
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The Bluejays return to action on Wednesday, April 22 in a road game at Omaha, then host Butler this weekend in Charles Schwab Field Omaha.
The remainder of the BIG EAST Weekly Awards are below.
BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week
Liam O'Leary, St. John's, Jr., RHP (Souderton, Pa.)
O'Leary pitched the first St. John's complete game shutout since Brandon Backman did it in 2022 against Seton Hall, to open the UConn series on Friday. Over the nine-innings, he struck out two batters on 122 pitches, facing 32 batters over 31 at bats. He didn't allow a single walk or run in the outing, while limiting the Huskies to just four hits to earn the 4-0 team victory. He owns a 2.57 ERA on the season, second in the BIG EAST and 57th in the country.
Liam O'Leary, St. John's, Jr., RHP (Souderton, Pa.)
O'Leary pitched the first St. John's complete game shutout since Brandon Backman did it in 2022 against Seton Hall, to open the UConn series on Friday. Over the nine-innings, he struck out two batters on 122 pitches, facing 32 batters over 31 at bats. He didn't allow a single walk or run in the outing, while limiting the Huskies to just four hits to earn the 4-0 team victory. He owns a 2.57 ERA on the season, second in the BIG EAST and 57th in the country.
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Honor Roll
Max Winders, Butler, So., RHP
Winders was sensational for Butler, leading the Bulldogs to a 6-0 win over Georgetown on Saturday. He tossed eight innings with five put outs, allowing just four hits and no runs.Â
Max Winders, Butler, So., RHP
Winders was sensational for Butler, leading the Bulldogs to a 6-0 win over Georgetown on Saturday. He tossed eight innings with five put outs, allowing just four hits and no runs.Â
Travis Ilitch, Georgetown, Sr., OF
In a 2-1 series win over Butler, Ilitch batted 8-for-15 with six runs scored, four RBI, off two doubles and a pair of walks.
Lewis Rodriguez, St. John's, Jr., OF
Rodriguez started in all four games this week, leading St. John's to a series win over UConn. He slashed .500/.538/.500, going 6-fot-12, scoring three runs with three RBI. He made five put outs in left field.
Luke Hammond, Xavier, Gr., 3B
Hammond batted .417 in a series sweep of Seton Hall, finishing with five hits and two triples, while driving in a team-high six RBI and scoring two runs.
Ryan Piech, Xavier, Jr., RHP
Piech made the start in Xavier's 10-1 win in game one at Seton Hall, allowing one run on seven hits in 6.0 innings. Piech collected a career-best 12 strikeouts, topping his previous career-high of 10 Ks.
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Players Mentioned
C
/ Baseball2013 Creighton Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee Dan Smith
Friday, October 30
Jim Hendry & Alan Benes (4/11/11)
Friday, October 30
CREIGHTON BASEBALL
Thursday, October 15
Ambidextrous Pitcher
Thursday, October 15
