INDIANAPOLIS – Senior Connor Schultz was named Preseason BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year by Baseball America and Perfect Game. Freshman infielder Kennan Taylor also received recognition from Perfect Game, being named Preseason BIG EAST Freshman of the Year.
 
This is not the first conference accolade for Schultz, as a sophomore in 2019 he was awarded BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week twice and was an All-BIG EAST First Team selection. Before the 2020 season was cut short, Schultz was putting up good numbers in what looked like was going to be a very productive junior year.
 
He was the weekend starter for the Bulldogs and posted a 3.04 ERA in four starts. Over his career at Butler, Schultz has a 2.99 ERA in 138.2 innings with 140 strikeouts. The Iowa native will be looking to build on previous success this upcoming season.
 
Freshman Keenan Taylor will be a versatile piece added to the Butler roster. The Guerin Catholic product from Westfield has the ability to play multiple infield positions and can get on base.
 
In high school, Taylor was a three-year starter and as a junior in 2019 he set the school record for hits in a season with 36. He was named to the All-County and All-Conference teams and coming out of high school he was the 10th-ranked overall player and the second ranked shortstop in Indiana.