The Huskies have one more Big East weekend.
When:
Saturday, May 10, 12:05 p.m. ET
Saturday, May 10, 4:05 p.m. ET
Sunday, May 11, 12:05 p.m. ET
Where: Elliot Ballpark, Storrs, CT
Radio: Mixlr
TV: FloSports
Projected Starters
Saturday Game 1: LHP Oliver Pudvar (4-1, 3.47) vs. RHP Andrew Hendrickx (1-3, 12.86)
Saturday Game 2: RHP Thomas Ellisen (4-3, 4.66) vs. RHP Marcus Goodpaster (3-4, 6.72)
Sunday: LHP Charles West (3-0, 3.18) vs. LHP Ben Whiteside (1-1, 5.93)
Series History
Butler and UConn matched up for the first time in 2004, doing so in Jacksonville on the campus of North Florida. The Huskies won all three games, which has been a trend that’s continued once the programs became conference-mates. COVID-19 wiped out the 2021 series, but UConn also swept in 2022 and 2024. The then-No. 10 team in the country snuck away with one-run wins in the first two games in 2023, but the Bulldogs held off a late comeback and ended the Huskies’ attempt at hosting a Regional.
What to Watch For
UConn needs three wins and they need to come easily. While each of Baseball America and D1Baseball.com, the major outlets covering college baseball on a national basis, have the Huskies as the projected Big East champion, if that doesn’t come to pass, they’re right around the bubble, as each outlet had the Huskies as part of the last four in the week prior to elevating them to the automatic bid. Any defeat to a bottom-35 team, especially at home, would put a big dent in any at-large chances. Butler is No. 276 in the RPI, with 307 squads in Division I.
The offense hasn’t been the issue thus far for Butler, with a team-wide slash line of .286/.382/.461. Slugging percentage is in the top 100, while batting average is just outside that plateau.
Six of the Bulldogs’ top eight hitters in terms of at-bats have an OPS north of .800, including Jack Bello (.370/.403/.597) and Jack Moroknek (.378/.441/.699), each of whom are north of 1.000. This gives the Butler lineup, which scores 6.7 runs per game, though it’s been cold lately, as this falls to 4.8 runs per game, with a .245/.325/.371 slash line in 15 conference games.
However, the pitching has arguably been the worst in the country. The opposition is hitting .350/.476/.575, for an astounding 1.051 OPS. That batting average and on-base percentage would pace the country, the latter of which by more than 20 points, if it was one team over the course of the season, while slugging percentage would be fourth.
Butler arms have a WHIP of 2.36, which is fifth-worst in the country, as is their 10.39 ERA. Aside from allowing contact, the Bulldogs walk 7.66 hitters per nine innings, which is in the bottom 10 in the country, and walk more hitters than they’ve struck out. There are just 12 schools with that distinction. They’ve also hit 103 batters, which is tied for No. 8 in Division I.
Eleven different pitchers have made a start this season and Marcus Goodpaster (3-4, 6.72) is the only full-time starter. If nothing else, he’s given his team length, completing six innings in each of his last four starts and hasn’t gotten through five innings in just two of his 11 outings, not counting a relief appearance against Miami (OH) in midweek play.
Andrew Hendickx (1-3, 12.86) missed significant time with injury but has made a start the past five weeks. However, he has yet to get more than nine outs this year and lasted just 1 1⁄3 frames last time out against Creighton. Goodpaster is one of two pitchers with more than 30 innings and Ben Whiteside (1-1, 5.93) is the only arm with more than 10 innings that has an ERA below 6.00. Of the 15 pitchers above the 10 frame plateau, seven have a double-digit ERA and just four have a batting average against under .300, while three sport a batting average against north of .400.
Interestingly enough, Butler does have two shutouts this year, putting up zeroes against Norfolk State and Villanova. Only 47 schools have more than three and the Huskies have not held an opponent scoreless.
No matter what, UConn should put up some gaudy offensive numbers. Butler has been beaten at the plate in a litany of different ways and there will be a litany of ways to score. Butler has been run-ruled nine times and lost four more conference games by at least 10 runs. The Huskies will want to add to that latter total this weekend.