March 29, 2005
VILLANOVA, Pa. - Looking back on the first six weeks of the 2005 season, it might be hard to believe that Villanova has only played 19 games. Heading into the season, the Wildcats knew that its pitching would be good. Yet the accomplishments of the pitching staff in the span of just 19 games are staggering.
There have been two no-hitters thrown, one each by senior Nick Allen (Green Lane, Pa.) and sophomore Kevin Mulvey (Parlin, N.J.). They came exactly four weeks apart, and are the only two no-hitters thrown by Villanova pitching in the past 43 years. There has also been a one-hitter and a three-hit shutout. The pitching staff has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 15 of 19 outings. The team ERA is 2.82, nearly two runs better than last year's mark of 4.77. Through games of March 27, Villanova ranked second in the Big East in ERA.
The Wildcats began regular season conference play last weekend with doubleheaders against Rutgers and Connecticut. The strong pitching performances that had defined the team all season long were at the forefront in each of the four games. In the opener against Rutgers, Allen took a 2-1 lead into the sixth inning before the Scarlet Knights rallied for three runs.
Sophomore Mike Loree (Summit, N.J.) took the hill in the second game, and carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning before a bloop single to left field ended his chance to make history. Still, he and relievers Ted Aust (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Mike Grodecki (Northbrook, Ill.) combined on a one-hitter in a 3-1 victory. It was the fifth one-hitter in 125 years of Villanova baseball.
The next time Villanova took the field, Mulvey no-hit the Huskies. He needed only 77 pitches and faced two batters over the minimum in an 81-minute masterpiece. Mulvey struck out six and recorded seven groundball outs. In the second game, starter Jim Baxter (Point Pleasant, N.J.) allowed just one run on two hits in his five innings of work. He didn't allow a hit until a one-out double in the fifth inning. By that time, the Wildcats had run up a 13.0 inning hitless streak, and had allowed just one hit in a span of 20.1 innings pitched.
Allen started the string of success with his no-hitter against Norfolk State on February 26. It was the eighth in school history and the first since a combined effort in 1962. Allen allowed no walks in his outing against the Spartans, as a hit batsman and fielding error accounted for the only base runners against him. Allen pitched Villanova to a 2-0 victory in the first game of a doubleheader, while Loree combined with relievers Gus Guida (Martinsville, N.J.) and Ryan Wendler (Conshohocken, Pa.) on an 11-0 victory in the second game. The scores represented the first back-to-back shutouts for the Wildcats in the last 10 years.
The accomplishments of the Villanova pitchers have caught on with the national media that cover college baseball. Nick Allen was named the Big East Pitcher of the Week in consecutive weeks. The first time came after the no-hitter, and the second honor came after he pitched 7.1 innings without allowing an earned run in an 11-1 victory over then eighth-ranked Florida. After the no-hitter, Allen was named one of the Louisville Slugger National Players of the Week by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. He was also the College Baseball Insider National Player of the Week and was mentioned on the College Baseball Foundation National Honor Roll. The latter two publications honored him once again after the win over Florida, and Allen became the first player to ever be recognized by College Baseball Insider in consecutive weeks.
Mulvey has been similarly honored this week for his efforts last weekend. He was the Big East Pitcher of the Week and also was selected by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper as one of the Louisville Slugger National Players of the Week. He could potentially add to his list of accolades when Collegiate Baseball Insider announces its weekly awards on Wednesday.
The recognition given to Villanova goes beyond the accomplishments of Allen and Mulvey. In its recap of the past weekend in college baseball on Monday, Baseball America led with a paragraph about the historic nature of Villanova's two no-hitters.
The best may be yet to come, as the Wildcats have 37 games remaining, including nearly the entire Big East schedule. Villanova will be trying to finish in the top four of the conference standings in order to receive a berth to the conference tournament for the first time since 1997.
Villanova will host a Liberty Bell Classic game against Penn on Wednesday at 3 p.m. The Wildcats return to conference play this weekend with a three-game series at Georgetown. The teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday, followed by a single game on Sunday. The action each day will begin at Noon.
