Dec. 27, 2012

click here for coaches' Big East preseason poll

Connecticut second baseman L.J. Mazzilli was named Big East Preseason Player of the Year and Seton Hall right-hander Jon Prosinski was selected Big East Preseason Pitcher of the Year in voting by the league’s head coaches as released by the conference office.

Mazzilli batted .339 in 2012 with nine homers, 38 RBI and 16 steals. He was a ninth-round selection of the Minnesota Twins in the 2012 MLB Draft, but elected to return to UConn for his senior season. Mazzilli is a Louisville Slugger Preseason First Team All-American.

Prosinski posted a 9-3 mark a season ago as a junior with a 3.52 ERA. The Friday starter walked 19 and fanned 73 in 94.2 innings. Prosinski was a First Team All-Big East selection in 2012 and was a unanimous pick for the 2013 Preseason All-Big East squad.

Preseason favorite Louisville had four players on the 2013 Preseason All-Big East Team: junior pitcher Jeff Thompson, junior outfielder Adam Engel, junior DH Jeff Gardner and sophomore hurler Jared Ruxer.

The 2013 campaign begins on Friday, Feb. 15, with conference play kicking off the weekend of March 22-24. The Big East Championship will be held at Bright House Field in Clearwater, Fla., May 22-26. The championship game will be televised on ESPNU.

2013 Preseason All-Big East Team

Pos. Name, Class, School Key 2012 Stats

P Jared Ruxer, So., Louisville 8-3, 3.38 ERA, 77.1 IP, 32 K, 15 BB, .262 OBA

P Jeff Thompson, Jr., Louisville 9-4, 4.00 ERA, 78.2 IP, 73 K, 38 BB, .263 OBA

P Sean Hagan, Sr., St. John’s 8-2, 2.72 ERA, 102.2 IP, 66 K, 23 BB, .231 OBA

P *Jon Prosinksi, Sr., Seton Hall 9-3, 3.52 ERA, 94.2 IP, 73 K, 19 BB, .288 OBA

RP Dan Slania, Jr., Notre Dame 3-0, 2.03 ERA, 12 SV, 31.0 IP, 37 K, 12 BB

C Jeff Melillo, Sr., Rutgers .311, 4 HR, 30 RBI

1B *Trey Mancini, Jr., Notre Dame .317, 12 HR, 45 RBI

2B L.J. Mazzilli, Sr., Connecticut .339, 9 HR, 38 RBI, 16 SB

SS Tyler Sciacca, Sr., Villanova .359, 1 HR, 39 RBI, 17 SB, .980 FLD%

3B Eric Jagielo, Jr., Notre Dame .310, 13 HR, 43 RBI

3B Sean O’Hare, Sr., St. John’s .346, 3 HR, 42 RBI

OF Justin Glass, Jr., Cincinnati .366, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 15 SB

OF Adam Engel, Jr., Louisville .308, 1 HR, 18 RBI, 37 SB

OF James Ramsay, Jr., USF .328, 2 HR, 32 RBI, 14 SB

DH Jeff Gardner, Jr., Louisville .299, 2 HR, 34 RBI

* - unanimous selection

Preseason Big East Player of the Year: L.J. Mazzilli, 2B, Connecticut

Preseason Big East Pitcher of the Year: Jon Prosinski, RHP, Seton Hall