May 22, 2008

Updated Villanova Game Notes
Tournament Headquarters: www.bigeastbaseball.com
Watch the game live on www.bigeast.tv

CLEARWATER, Fla.-- For the second time in as many years No. 8 seed Villanova (29-27) has advanced to the third day of the BIG EAST Championship. This afternoon the Wildcats take on No. 5 seed Seton Hall (31-24) at 4 p.m. at Bright House Field with a spot in the semifinals on the line.

Both Villanova and the Pirates are 1-1 in the championship thus far and each has defeated St. John's and lost to Louisville. The winner of today's game will play a rematch against the Cardinals tomorrow at 10 a.m. in a semifinal game while the loser of today's game will be eliminated.

Louisville is 2-0 in the tournament so far and needs just one win on Friday to advance to Saturday's championship. Either the Wildcats or Seton Hall would need to defeat the Cardinals twice in order to eliminate them and reach the championship game.

Today's game is the 57th of the season for Villanova and will set a new team record for games played in a single season. The Wildcats previously had played 56 games in one year in both 1995 and 1997. This will also mark the seventh all-time meeting between Villanova and the Pirates in BIG EAST Championship play.

Senior Bill Hoffman (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) makes the start for the Wildcats in today's game and is likely to be opposed by southpaw Chris Roach from Seton Hall. Villanova was swept by the Pirates in a three-game series to start the regular season conference schedule in March but Hoffman pitched the Wildcats to a win over Seton Hall in his only career start against them at home last season.

Villanova is looking to reach the semifinal round of the tournament for the first time since it played in the championship game in 1997. The Wildcats are also looking to be the last team standing between themselves, Seton Hall and St. John's. One of these three teams won the first five and six of the first seven BIG EAST titles between 1985 and 1991. Villanova won the championship in 1991 and that was the last time it was the last team standing among the three teams. This season marks the first time the three teams have all been in the tournament field since 1997.

On the other half of the bracket in this year's tournament, Cincinnati defeated South Florida on Wednesday evening and West Virginia eliminated Notre Dame earlier in the day. Following today's game between Villanova and Seton Hall will be an elimination game pitting South Florida against West Virginia. The winner faces Cincinnati in the semifinals on Friday afternoon. Like Louisville, the Bearcats are undefeated (2-0) in this year's championship and would need to be beaten twice in the semifinals to be eliminated.