Villanova Baseball Game Notes
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VILLANOVA BASEBALL GAME NOTES 2020 VILLANOVA SCHEDULE THE SERIES Date Opponent Result Friday, February 28 vs Northeastern 3:00 PM ET 2.14 @ Arizona State L, 1-4 Saturday, February 29 vs Eastern Michigan 11:00 AM ET 2.15 @ Arizona State W, 2-1 Sunday, March 1 vs St. Louis 1:00 PM ET 2.16 @ Arizona State L, 4-6 Monday, March 3 vs Western Michigan 11:00 AM ET 2.21 vs Maine (~) W, 7-2 Stadium North Charlotte Regional Park 2.22 @ Campbell (~) W, 6-2 2.23 vs Purdue (~) L, 1-7 Live Video flobaseball.TV 2.28 vs. Northeastern (!) 3:00 PM Live Stats TBD 2.29 vs. Eastern Michigan (!) 11:00 AM 3.1 vs. Saint Louis (!) 1:00 PM THE MATCHUP 3.3 vs. Western Michigan (!) 11:00 AM 3.6 vs. Bucknell (#) 1:00 PM VILLANOVA WILDCATS (3-3) 3.7 vs. Bucknell (#) 2:30 PM 3.8 vs. Bucknell (#) 11:00 AM Head Coach Kevin Mulvey, Fourth Season (39-113 at Villanova) 3.10 NJIT 3:00 PM 3.13 Coppin State 3:00 AM Projected Starting Rotation 3.14 Coppin State 1:00 PM Friday Jimmy Kingsbury (Jr., RHP, 2020: 1-1, 4.38 ERA) 3.15 Coppin State 12:00 PM Saturday Gordon Graceffo (So., RHP, 2020: 2-0, 1.59 ERA) 3.18 @ Saint Joespeh’s 3:00 PM 3.20 @ NC A&T 7:00 PM Sunday Cole Vanderslice (Fr., RHP, 2020: 0-0, 2.25 ERA) 3.21 @ NC A&T 3:00 PM Tuesday TBD 3.22 @ NC A&T 1:00 PM 3.24 Lafayette (LB-1) 3:00 PM NORTHEASTERN HUSKIES (3-3) - Head Coach Mike Glavine, 5th Season ( 149-132) 3.27 @ Georgetown* 3:00 PM Last Weekend: 3-0 @ South Florida 3.28 @ Georgetown* 2:00 PM 3.29 @ Georgetown* 1:00 PM 3.31 Manhattan 3:30 PM EASTERN MICHIGAN EAGLES (1-6) - Head Coach Eric Roof, 2nd Season (11-43-1) 4.3 St. John’s* 3:00 PM Last Weekend: 0-3 vs Pitt (in Sanford, Fla.) 4.4 St. John’s* 1:00 PM 4.5 St. John’s* 12:00 PM ST LOUIS BILLIKENS (5-2) - Head Coach Daren Hendrickson, 12th Season (390-293-1) 4.7 @ La Salle/Penn (LB-2) 3:00 PM Last Weekend: 3-0 vs Ohio (in Lexington, SC) 4.9 @ Seton Hall* 1:00 PM 4.9 @ Seton Hall* 5:00 PM 4.11 @ Seton Hall* TBD WESTERN MICHIGAN BRONCOS (5-2) - Head Coach Billy Gernon, 10th season (247-339) 4.14 La Salle 3:00 PM Last Weekend: 4-0 @ Alabama A&M 4.17 Butler* 3:00 PM 4.18 Butler* 1:00 PM 4.19 Butler* 12:00 PM 4.21 Farleigh Dickinson 3:00 PM 4.24 Creighton* 3:00 PM 4.25 Creighton* 1:00 PM 4.26 Creighton* 12:00 PM 4.28 @ Navy 3:00 PM 5.1 @ Michigan State 6:35 PM 5.2 @ Michigan State 4:05 PM 5.3 @ Michigan State 1:05 PM 5.6 Army 3:00 PM ALL-TIME SERIES BY THE NUMBERS 5.8 @ Rutgers 2:00 PM 5.9 @ Rutgers 1:00 PM NORTHEASTERN VILLANOVA BASEBALL HISTORY 5.10 Rutgers 11:00 AM All-Time Series 4-4 First Varsity Season 1866 5.12 Saint Joseph’s 3:00 PM First Meeting 3/1/08 (L, 9-10) All-Time Record 1,914-1,519-29 (.557) 5.14 @ Xavier* 3:00 PM First Villanova Win 3/1/08 (W, 7-2) 5.15 @ Xavier* 1:00 PM 5.16 @ Xavier* 11:00 PM Last Meeting 3/6/19 (W, 5-2) 2020 SEASON EASTERN MICHIGAN Overall Record 3-3 (~) Campbell Tournament (Buies Creek, NC) All-Time Series 1-1 BIG EAST 0-0 (!) Snowbird Baseball Classic (Port Charlotte, Fla.) First Meeting 3/6/98 (L, 5-6) Non-Conference 3-3 (#) Sunshine State Games (Kissimmee, Fla.) First Villanova Win 2/26/00 (W, 6-5) Home 0-0 (LB-1) Liberty Bell Classic (Quarterfinal Game) ST. LOUIS (*) BIG EAST Conference Game Road 2-2 Teams Have Never Met Neutral 1-1 WESTERN MICHIGAN Current Streak L1 All-Time Series 0-8 Last Five Games 3-2 Last Meeting 3/5/19 (L, 11-2) FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 3, 2020 | SNOWBIRD CLASSIC | PORT CHARLOTTE, FL 1 VILLANOVA BASEBALL GAME NOTES FIRST PITCHES Schedule Notes • This year marks the 155th season of Villanova varsity baseball; pro- • ASU was the second PAC-12 school Villanova has ever played. The first gram began in 1866 was USC in 2018. • No. 3 ASU is Villanova’s highest ranked opponent since openening up • Purdue is the first of three BIG-10 teams on Villanova’s schedule. Vil- against No. 1 LSU in 2009 lanova also has a pair of three-game series at Michigan State (5/1 - 5/3) • Only other meeting with a PAC-12 school was at USC in 2018. and with Rutgers (5/8 - 5/10) • Villanova is 74-65 (.532) in known season openers (not all seasons have • Villanova’s last trip to North Carolina was two games to open the 2015 complete records) season. Villanova opened at NC State, and played game two against • Villanova returns 20 players from last season, including eight position App State in Raleigh as well. Villanova lost 5-14, and 2-5, respectively. player starters ‘Cats Sweep Double Header • Villanova dropped last season’s season opener to Pitt, 7-2, in Kissim- mee, FL • After being snowed out on Friday 2/21, Villanova defeated Maine 7-2 • Nick Lorusso and Gordon Graceffo were named to the preseason all- followed by knocking off Campbell 6-2 at the Campbell Invitational in BIG EAST team . Buies Creek, NC. Strong Starts • It was the first time Villanova had won both legs of a double header since 3/9/13 when they defeated Iona 5-2 and 3-1. • Villanova opened the season with two veterans and one freshman • The pitching was solid in both games, receiving quality starts from starting on the hill, Jr. Jimmy Kingsbury, So. Gordon Graceffo, and Fr. Jimmy Kingsbury and Gordon Graceffo. The bullpen was even better, Brandon Siegenthaler with Mathes and Wilkinson combinging to go 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R and strik- • Kingsbury, last season’s top starter, held ASU to just two hits through ing out 10. his first five innings of work. Even in the sixth when he was tagged for three runs, only one ball left the infield. Bullpen by the Numbers • Gordon Graceffo held ASU to one run on one hit through 5.1 IP to help • In 21.1 innings this season, the bullpen has allowed just eight hits and give Villanova a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish. nine runs (six earned) and posted a 2.53 ERA with 28 Ks. • Overall, the starters worked 13.2 IP while allowing only 10 hits and • The bullpen had been even better through the first 20.1 innings of work two runs on opening weekend to then-No. 3 ASU. to begin the season. Removing the 8th inning against Purdue (the most Early Impacts From Freshman recent inning) the bullpen had a line of: 20.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 15 BB, 27 K and a stellar era of 0.45. • Three freshman took the mound for the first time on opening weekend • Danny Wilkinson has been lights out in his first two career appearances, and were all impressive. twice entering in one run games and closing them out to earn a pair of • Danny Wilkinson took over in the sixth with a 2-1 lead and a runner three-inning saves. Wilkinson has now thrown 6.2 innings and allowed on third in game two. He got two strikeouts to escape the jam. He then just two hits and zero runs. went 3.2 IP allowing one hit and zero runs while striking out five to • Cam Mathes was perfect in three innings of work against Maine, retir- earn the save and secure the upset. ing all nine batters he faced for the three-inning save. It was the longest • Brandon Siegenthaler got the start in game two and went 2.0 allowing scoreless outing of his career and tied for third longest outing overall. three hits and three runs. • Cole Vanderslice pitched four hitless innings in game three while strik- BIG EAST Honor Roll ing out four. He did surrendur and earned run during the outing. • Sophomore RHP Gordon Graceffo was tabbed to the BIG EAST Weekly • Wilkinson and Vanderslice, two freshman releivers, combined to go Honor Roll after his work against Campbell on 2/22. 7.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 9 Ks against then-No. 3 ASU. • Graceffo worked 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER 0 BB and 4 K on the way to his BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week second win of the season. • It was the third BIG EAST Honor Roll nod for Graceffo who also earned • Danny Wilkinson earned BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week honors for his it twice last season as a freshman (4/15, 5/19) performance at ASU. • Wilkinson is the first Wildcat to win the award since Pat Young on March 18, 2013 • Wilkinson is the first Villanova freshman to win the award since Drew Baylor on April 29, 1996. • Wilkinson is the first freshman in the conference since St. John’s Sean Mooney won it twice during the 2017 season.