May 23, 2017 NEW YORK, N.Y. -
Senior left-handed pitcher Hunter Schryver (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) has been named a first team All-BIG EAST selection for the second straight year. The league's major postseason awards were announced on Tuesday afternoon along with the all-conference first and second teams. Schryver is only the third pitcher in program history to be a two-time All-BIG EAST first team pick.
The final two years of Schryver's collegiate career were nothing short of dominant, and in his 12 starts this season he limited opponents to a .213 batting average against him while striking out 91 batters in 73 2/3 innings (11.1 strikeouts/nine innings). Schryver gave up just 56 hits on the season and did not allow a home run to the 314 batters that he faced. He pitched at least six innings in nine of his 12 appearances on the season, and had just three starts in which he allowed more than two earned runs.
Schryver was at his best against BIG EAST opponents, as he was 2-2 with a 2.04 ERA, 47 strikeouts and a .199 opponent batting average in six starts during league play. Those numbers include a four-start stretch against Xavier, Creighton, Georgetown and Butler in which Schryver had 39 strikeouts with just 14 hits and two earned runs allowed over 27 2/3 innings (0.65 ERA, 0.94 WHIP in the four starts). He logged 15 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings in the Georgetown and Butler starts.
The numbers Schryver put up in 2016 and 2017 helped him finish his collegiate career in elite company. He ranks second in school history with 249 career strikeouts, and is also sixth in innings pitched (277.1) and seventh in ERA (3.57). His 91 strikeouts this season were the most by a Villanova since pitcher since 2011 (Kyle McMyne, 94), while his 2.44 ERA was the lowest by a Wildcats starter since 1995 (John Klopp, 2.31).
At the close of the regular season, Schryver was among the national leaders (32nd) in strikeouts per nine innings, and he ranked second in the BIG EAST in strikeouts, third in ERA and sixth in hits per nine innings (6.84). Over the final 23 starts of his collegiate career dating back to last season, Schryver went 10-8 with a 2.26 ERA, a .218 opponent batting average, 153 strikeouts and 115 hits allowed in 147 1/3 innings.
Schryver was named to the BIG EAST weekly honor roll six times during the 2017 season and a total of 10 times during his career. When he was named a first team All-BIG EAST selection following the 2016 campaign, he was the first Villanova pitcher since two-way player Dan Boublis in 1998 to be a first team honoree. Schryver now joins Rafael Novoa (1988, 1989) and Brian Kenny (1990, 1991) as the Wildcats only pitchers with multiple first team selections to their credit.
Villanova wrapped up its season at St. John's last weekend, and Schryver can now look ahead to the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft which takes place from June 12-14. At least one Wildcats pitcher has signed a professional contract in 14 of the last 15 years.
