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INDIANAPOLIS – The Bulldogs will face the top team in the nation this weekend along with the preseason favorites in the NEC. Games against #1 LSU are set for Friday and Monday night at 6:30 PM. BU will take on CCSU Friday at 1 PM and Saturday at 6:30. Games against LSU will stream on SEC Network+.
 
Weekend Schedule
Friday, March 3 – 1 PM vs. Central Connecticut State
Friday, March 3 – 6:30 PM vs. LSU
Saturday, March 4 – 6:30 PM vs. CCSU
Monday, March 6 – 6:30 PM vs. LSU
 
Projected Starters
LHP Cory Bosecker vs. LHP Dominic Niman
LHP Cole Graverson vs. TBD
RHP Alex Voss vs. LHP Jake Neuman
TBD vs. TBD
 
Scouting #1 LSU                                                                                                   
The Tigers are the top team in the country heading into the weekend with a 6-1 overall record. LSU swept Western Michigan over opening weekend and added an 18-4 win to their resume on Feb. 21 with a home win over Southern. The second weekend of the regular season took LSU to the Round Rock Classic in Texas. The Tigers won 7-3 over Kansas State, 16-4 over Sam Houston and 3-0 over Texas. Iowa handed LSU their first loss with a 12-4 victory. Dylan Crews leads LSU with a .519 batting average. He has three doubles and a home run in 27 at-bats. He is also the team leader in runs scored with 13.
 
Scouting Central Connecticut State                                                   
The Blue Devils will open the season against Butler on March 3. Their scheduled season opener against Massachusetts on Feb. 26 was postponed. CCSU took the top spot in the 2023 Northeast Conference Preseason Poll. They had six first-place votes to finish ahead of LIU and FDU. Head coach Charlie Hickey is back for his 25th season at CCSU. The Blue Devils went 29-18 overall last year and had seven players earn All-NEC honors. Four of the seven return including Luke Garofalo and Anthony Mozzicato.
 
Reached Base Streak                                                                            
Jake DeFries and Xavier Carter have reached base safely in all eight games for the Bulldogs. DeFries has six hits this season to go along with seven walks. He has also been hit by a pitch this season. Carter ranks second on the team with a .308 batting average. He has eight hits over eight games and has walked eight times to raise his on-base percentage to .514.
 
Heavy Hitters                                                                                         
Joey Urban, Xavier Carter and Scott Jones are all hitting over .300 heading into the weekend. Urban is the BU team leader in average (.371), slugging percentage (.829), hits (13), RBI (10), doubles (3), and home runs (3). He leads the BIG EAST in RBI (10), total bases (29) and slugging percentage (.829).
 
Going, Going Gone                                                                                              
Three Bulldogs have hit home runs over the first eight games of the 2023 campaign. Joey Urban leads the team with three, Lukas Galdoni and Jake DeFries each have one. Urban homered in the season opener and added another long ball in the final game vs. Fairleigh Dickinson. His third homer came in the final game at Campbell. DeFries homered in game three vs. FDU and Galdoni homered in the first game vs. Campbell.
 
BIG EAST Rankings
Butler leads the BIG EAST in base on balls (51), stolen bases (10) and triples (5). The Bulldogs rank second in scoring (7.1) and third in both on-base percentage (.383) and runs (57).
 
Up Next                                                                                                                  
Butler will play at Mississippi Valley State on Wednesday, March 8. The game will feature a 3 PM start time. The Bulldogs will move through Cape Girardeau, Mo. to face SEMO next weekend and the Butler home opener will follow that series with BU hosting Northwestern on March 18-19.