As the nonconference portion of the schedule rolls along, spring has hit in many BIG EAST towns, with teams set to host a number of home games in the coming days, before league play begins in early April.

On the diamond, five teams are over .500, with a surprising St. John’s riding the hot hand to the best record in the BIG EAST (13-5), courtesy of a six-game winning streak, as well as getting out to a 5-1 start at home.

This week’s slate of BIG EAST games sees a few weekend series on FloBaseball, along with some power-conference teams paying visits. 

Here’s a look at some of the week’s top games. All game dates and times are subject to change.

Creighton Vs. Minnesota

After a somewhat slow start to the season, things have picked up for the Bluejays have, thanks to getting a few games on their home field, where a 4-2 mark has helped pushed them over .500. 

They are 8-7 on the year at the time of this writing.

The Blue Jays are coming off a split with regional power Wichita State, followed by a 6-5 win over in-state rival Nebraska on Tuesday. 

The Nolans – Nolan Clifford and Nolan Sailors – have set the tone for Creighton early, combining to hit around .345 so far, with four home runs and 25 RBIs between them, along with eight of the team’s 11 steals.

Minnesota comes in limping at 4-18 on the year, with pitching being the main culprit of the struggles. Just two of the team’s pitchers this season have an ERA under 4.30, while the office has hit just .254 as a whole.

Fordham Vs. Seton Hall

These two nearby rivals will play the first two of their three game set in New Jersey at Seton Hall, before the short trip to New York for the series finale on Sunday. 

FloBaseball will have the first two games.

The Pirates have found life as of late, winning three in a row coming into the series, giving up just six runs in those three games.

Pitching has led the way for the Pirates, with Cole Hansen shining on the hill, going 2-0 with a 0.49 ERA in his 18 innings of work. 

Seton Hall has held opposing hitters to a .238 mark as a team

At the dish, depth has been hard to find for Seton Hall, but the emergence of Oscar Murray and his .409 average in five starts has provided a spark.

Oscar adding some insurance 👍#HALLin 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/QQmsmoHZE0

— Seton Hall University Baseball (@SHUBaseball) March 21, 2023

Fordham has rebounded after a slow start, going 4-2 in its last six games to build momentum ahead of the series, including putting up 15 runs against Siena on Tuesday. 

The key for Fordham this season has been getting any sort of pitching. 

A .260 team average and 25 steals makes them tough to handle, but a team ERA of 7.58 explains the 7-14 record, despite their recent run of good play.

Rutgers Vs. UConn

The Huskies continue to chug along, taking 3-of-4 in California against San Diego State, then topping UMass on Wednesday to reach 13-5 on the year.

The offense has been the key for the Huskies, particularly out west, where in their three wins against the Aztecs, they scored 32 runs.

As a team, the Huskies have climbed to a .281 average and have seven players in double figures for RBIs, led by Dominic Freeberger and Ben Huber, each with 18 through the first 17 games.

Rutgers is out to a 12-8 start to the year, having won nine of their last 10 games.

This should be a good test for both teams. They’ll play a three-game series over three days, starting Friday afternoon.

The Scarlet Knights' latest surge has come with pitching and hitting, scoring 18, 19 and 23 in wins during that stretch, while giving up six runs or fewer in each of the nine recent wins.