A BIG EAST vs. Big Ten matchup is on the horizon for the Bulldogs as the team travels to Chicago on Tuesday to take on the Northwestern Wildcats. First pitch on B1G+ is set for 4 :30 p.m. ET, 3:30 CT.
 
GameDay
Date: Tuesday, April 29
Time: 4:30 ET / 3:30 CT
Location: Miller Park
Watch: B1G+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
 
Scouting Northwestern
The Wildcats are 19-22 overall with a 9-12 record in conference. They hosted Washington over the weekend and were run-ruled twice before taking the finale 10-4.
 
The top two batters in the lineup are Owen McElfatrick and Jackson Freeman. McElfatrick leads the club in average (.307), hits (46), and doubles (13). Freeman has 43 hits, 11 doubles and five home runs to give him 34 RBI's. The home run kings on the roster are Trent Liolios and Ryan Kucherak. Liolios has 15 and Kucherak is at 12.
 
Northwestern used three arms in their last midweek game. Crawford Wade, Jack Grunkenmeyer and Ethan Borggren helped the Wildcats secure a 7-6 win over UIC. That trio struck out five and walked six. Available arms may differ this week as Northwestern has another home game on the schedule set for Wednesday when they host Purdue Fort Wayne giving the 'Cats two chances to attempt and try to improve on their 6-9 home record.
 
Last Meeting
Butler hosted two games against Northwestern during the 2023 season. They lost the first game 5-1 but would win the second 3-2.
 
About Butler
The Bulldogs are 14-29 overall this year after being swept by Seton Hall over the weekend. Jack Bello had the best numbers last week, collecting six hits in 17 at-bats to post a .353 batting average. Bello had two doubles helping him record a team-high five RBIs. Jack Moroknek and Danny Barbero had the next highest averages, and each Bulldog supplied the team with an extra base hit. Ryan Drumm, Will Burgess and Connor Sackett also had RBIs for BU.
 
League Leader
Jack Moroknek leads the BIG EAST in total bases (128), home runs (15), and slugging percentage (.753).
 
Bulldog Bits
- Butler leads the BIG EAST in sacrifice flies (29)
- BU ranks second in the league in hits (410), doubles (81), and slugging percentage (.471)
- The 'Dawgs are third in the BIG EAST in batting average (.289), home runs (52), and runs (295)
- Jack Moroknek and Jack Bello are third and fourth in the league in batting average
- That duo comes in at second and third in the BIG EAST in hits
- Moroknek is second in the conference in runs (49) and third in RBIs (47)
- Moroknek is 10 runs away from tying the BU single-season record
- Bello had a team-high four RBIs in the Seton Hall series
- Connor Sackett went 5-for-5 from the plate at Seton Hall
- Sackett recorded his second three-hit game of the season over the weekend
- Sackett, Bello, Barbero and Burgess are all batting over .300 in BIG EAST action
- Burgess started in every game over the weekend
- Barbero had at least one hit in all three SHU games
- Bello is on a six-game hitting streak
- Bello has 22 multi-hit games, Moroknek leads the club with 23
- Bello hit two doubles in the same game on Saturday for the second time this year
- AJ Solomon had a three-hit game at SHU
- Marcus Goodpaster struck out four and didn't issue a walk in his last start
- Goodpaster has 11 K's and just two walks over his last three starts
- Jack Griffiths got the start for BU in last week's midweek game
- BU used nine arms in the setback to Eastern Illinois
- Tate Foxson threw 46 pitches at SHU, his highest total since March 16 at Belmont
- Andrew Hendrickx had his longest outing of the year at SHU throwing 76 pitches in three innings
- Simon Linde made two appearances at SHU, limiting the Pirates to just one hit and no runs
- Nate Rosser got one out on one pitch at SHU on Sunday
- Ben Whiteside returned to action over the weekend
- Whiteside pitched two innings at SHU, his first action since Feb. 22
 
BIG EAST Standings
Creighton 9-3, 28-12
UConn 11-4, 26-17
Xavier 11-4, 27-19
St. John's 6-6, 20-20
Seton Hall 5-7, 18-26
Villanova 4-8, 20-20
Butler 3-9, 14-29
Georgetown 2-10, 13-30
 
Around the BIG EAST
Creighton at Butler
UConn at Villanova
Seton Hall at Xavier
St. John's at Georgetown
 
Up Next
The Bulldogs will host the Bluejays this weekend to open the month of May. Game one is being picked up by the BIG EAST Digital Network and will stream on FloCollege at 3 p.m.