Get to Know the 2019 Villanova Baseball Roster

Get to know the 2019 Nova Baseball Roster.

2019 Roster

The 2019 Villanova baseball roster is filled with experience and talent, as the team looks to make a run at the Big East title. The roster features 14 seniors, 11 juniors, and six sophomores. The Wildcats will be led by seniors Adam Goss (OF), Nate Wilhelm (RHP), and Collin Cowgill (INF).

The team will look to replace the production of 2018 graduates John Natoli (INF) and Cole Irvin (LHP). Natoli was a four-year starter who hit .300 for his career, while Irvin was one of the best pitchers in Villanova history, going 30-10 with a 2.73 ERA.

The Wildcats have high hopes for the 2019 season and will look to these experienced players to lead them to success.

New Additions

The 2019 Villanova baseball roster is made up of a mix of returning players and new additions. The returning players will be looking to make an impact after a successful 2018 season, while the new additions will be looking to make their mark on the program. Here is a look at the 2019 Villanova Baseball roster

Returning Players
-Pitcher Frankie Monteleone
-Infielder Justin Bencsko
-Outfielder Matt Longo
-Catcher Matt McKinnon
-Pitcher Luke Miller

New Additions
-Pitcher Michael Byrne
-Infielder Cole Irvin
-Outfielder Dylan Cozens

Returning Players

The Wildcats will have a strong core of experienced players returning from last year’s team.

Leading the way will be senior catcher Troy Reeder (Lancaster, Pa.), who was named a preseason All-American by D1 Baseball. Reeder was a key player in Villanova’s run to the Big East regular season title last year and he figures to be an even bigger force in 2019. He will be flanked by a pair of experienced juniors in third baseman Alec bought (Perkasie, Pa.) and shortstop Matt Meyers (West Chester Pa.).

Pitching Staff

The Pitching Staff page will provide you with all the information you need to know about the 2019 Villanova baseball team’s pitchers. This year’s staff is led by returning starters Cole Irvin and Chase Villegas. The Wildcats also return RHP Chris Wright who was injured for most of last season, as well as left-handers Joe Lomonaco and Michael Shawaryn. The staff will be bolstered by a group of talented freshmen, including right-handers JT Brubaker, Sean Mooney and Kyle McMyne, as well as left-hander Brandon Bielak.

Infielders

The Wildcats will have a veteran infield in 2019 with all five starters from last year’s squad returning.

Senior Matt Vucker will man first base after hitting .322 with four homers and 31 RBI last season. He is a two-time All-Big 5 selection and was named the 2016 Big 5 Rookie of the Year.

Junior Alec solicitation will be back at second base after starting all 58 games there last year. He hit .267 with four homers, 31 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 2018.

redshirt junior Connor Jones will start at shortstop for the third straight season. He is a two-time All-Big 5 selection and was named the 2017 Big 5 Defensive Player of the Year. Jones hit .274 with two homers, 27 RBI and 10 stolen bases last year.

Sophomore Jordan Schrader returns at third base after hitting .276 with three homers, 32 RBI and nine stolen bases as a freshman in 2018. He was named to the Big 5 All-Rookie Team last year.

Sophomore Joe Budd will be the Wildcats’ primary catcher after appearing in 22 games as a freshman last year. He hit .233 with one homer and eight RBI in 2018.

Outfielders

The 2019 Villanova baseball team will feature a talented and experienced group of outfielders. led by senior captain Eric Lund. Lund, a Left fielder is a two-time All-Big East selection who has hit .332 with six home runs and 36 RBI in his career. He is joined in the outfield by juniors Shane McCarthy (center field) and Connor Jones (right field). McCarthy is a former walk-on who has worked his way into the starting lineup and is coming off a junior season in which he hit .273 with eight stolen bases. Jones, meanwhile, is a physical presence in the middle of the Villanova lineup and is coming off a year in which he slugged five home runs and drove in 22 runs. The Wildcats also have quality depth in the outfield with sophomores Chris Rotandro and Kyle Dolan as well as freshmen Collin Forgey and Max Wagner.

Catchers

The 2019 Villanova Baseball roster is comprised of 27 talented student-athletes, including five catchers. Here’s a closer look at each of the team’s catchers:

Gavin Melton – A junior from Exton, Pennsylvania, Melton is a two-time All-Big East Conference selection. He was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2018 and is one of the Top Defensive catchers in the country.

Max Herrmann – A senior from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Herrmann is a three-year starter who has been a key contributor to the team both offensively and defensively. He was named Second Team All-Big East in 2018 and is expected to be one of the leaders of the team this season.

Andrew Derr – A sophomore from Downingtown, Pennsylvania, Derr is a talented young catcher who will be looking to make an impact on the team this season. He was named Honorable Mention All-Big East as a freshman and will be looking to build on that success in 2019.

Thomas Lannon – A junior from Boston, Massachusetts, Lannon is a two-year starter who has been a key member of the team both on and off the field. He is a respected leader among his teammates and will be looking to help the team win another Big East title this season.

Joe Moliotti – A senior from Lewiston, Maine, Moliotti is a four-year member of the team who has served as a backup catcher throughout his career. He will be looking to make an impact in his final season with the Wildcats and help the team capture another conference championship

2019 Schedule

The 2019 season will be the Wildcats’ 125th season of play and their 22nd as a member of the BIG East Conference The team will play its home games at Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth Road in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania.

2018 Results

The Villanova Wildcats Baseball Team represents Villanova University in NCAA Division I college baseball The Wildcats play in the Big East Conference They are currently coached by Mike Corradini and assistant coaches Frank Dittmeier and Mark Ferrante. The Wildcats are currently members of the Big East Conference

In 2018, the team finished the season with an overall record of 33–22 and a conference record of 14–8, good for second place in the conference. The team qualified for the NCAA tournament as a #3 seed in the Louisville Regional. The team was eliminated from regional play after going 0–2.

2017 Results

The 2017 Villanova baseball team won a share of the Big East regular season title with a 14-5 record in conference play The team finished the season 33-22 overall and made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament where it went 1-2.

The Wildcats are led by Head Coach Kevin McDonald, who is entering his 12th season at the helm of the program. McDonald has led Villanova to five NCAA tournament appearances and two Big East Tournament championships (2011, 2014).

The team is returning four All-Big East selections from last year’s squad: senior outfielder Matt Szczur, junior infielder Eric Lowe, junior pitcher Josh Harris and sophomore pitcher Connor Jones.