VILLANOVA, Pa.—In our final look at how the baseball roster is shaping up for the 2019 season, we preview the Villanova pitching staff.  We previously looked at the Wildcats infielders, outfielders and catchers leading up to the start of the 154^th season of varsity baseball.  Villanova begins the year with three games at the Sunshine State Classic in Kissimmee, Fla. this weekend. 
 
Strong pitching has traditionally been a calling card of Wildcats baseball, and the program has had at least one pitcher drafted or sign a professional contract in 15 of the last 17 years.  Villanova plays its home games in the spacious confines of the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth, putting an even greater emphasis on pitching and defense throughout the season. 
 
The pitching staff for 2019 looks to be balanced between frontline starters and durable bullpen arms.  Back from last season are two members of the weekend starting rotation along with the Wildcats top three relievers.  Villanova's pitching staff overall looks to have a number of versatile arms who are capable of contributing in a variety of roles. 
 
Senior right-hander Jonathan Rosero (R-R, 6-0, 168) is the most experienced of the team's returning hurlers.  He has been a weekend starter in each of the last two years and has logged 143 2/3 innings during his Wildcats career.  Rosero started 11 of his 16 appearances last season and pitched 52 2/3 innings.  He is slated to make his second straight opening day start against Pittsburgh on Friday afternoon. 
 
The other holdover in the starting rotation is sophomore righty Jimmy Kingsbury (R-R, 6-1, 185).  He threw strikes consistently as a freshman in 2018 and ranked second on the pitching staff in innings pitched and strikeouts.  Kingsbury pitched 62 2/3 innings over 13 appearances (11 starts) while tallying the most innings by a Villanova freshman since head coach Kevin Mulvey tossed 80.0 innings during the 2004 season. 
 
Three senior right-handed pitchers form the core of the Wildcats bullpen entering the 2019 campaign.  The trio includes Jason Applegate (R-R, 6-3, 205), Zach Lutner (R-R, 6-1, 180) and Jake Esp (R-R, 6-4, 215).  As a group they have combined for 163 career appearances, all but seven of which have come in relief.  Applegate is tied for 10^th in school history with 59 games pitched and is an outstanding situational reliever who has stranded more than 80 percent (57-of-71) of inherited runners during his career. 
 
Applegate, Lutner and Esp all had an ERA of 3.68 or below last year.  Lutner led the 2018 staff with 21 appearances, going 1-1 with one save and a 3.38 ERA while averaging nearly seven strikeouts per nine innings.  Lutner's 86 2/3 career innings are second on the team only to Rosero, and he has 14 career relief outings of two innings or more.  Esp posted a 3.68 ERA and held opponents to just a .238 batting average and a .310 slugging percentage against him.
 
Lutner and Esp each had long stretches of success as juniors.  Lutner held BIG EAST batters to a .217 batting average and posted a 3.29 ERA in conference games, while Esp started the season on a strong note and pitched to a 0.71 ERA from the beginning of the season through April 20.  Applegate bookended the season with his best pitching of the year.  He had a 1.17 ERA over his first 7 2/3 innings and a 0.68 WHIP spanning his final 7 1/3 innings. 
 
Junior lefty Tyler Arella (R-L, 6-1, 190) has had success as both a starter and a reliever during his collegiate career.  He is a power pitcher who has averaged 8.1 strikeouts per nine innings in 73 1/3 career frames.  Arella has pitched in 36 career games, all but eight of which have come in relief.  He owns a career 3.92 ERA in relief and has stranded 21 of 32 inherited runners.  Arella also made six starts down the stretch of the 2018 season.  He allowed two earned runs or less in three of those outings, including a start against Creighton in which he had seven strikeouts and gave up just one earned run in a career-high seven innings.
 
The other returnee to the 2019 staff is sophomore righty Cameron Mathes (R-R, 6-1, 170), a local product from Broomall, Pa. who pitched in 15 games as a freshman.  Mathes held opponents to a .246 batting average while averaging 7.6 strikeouts a year ago.  He looked good in three appearances during fall ball and is a tough competitor who has the chance to evolve into a larger role as he gains more collegiate experience. 
 
Junior left-hander Mike Schwartz (B-L, 6-1, 175) sat out last season after transferring from Connecticut.  He pitched at a high level during his scholastic career and on the club baseball circuit before college and joins Arella as the only two southpaws on this year's pitching staff. 
 
The newcomers to the pitching staff are highlighted by right-handers Gordon Graceffo (R-R, 6-2, 185) and Jimmy Franchetti (R-R, 6-0, 170).  Graceffo is a talented prospect who will immediately compete for a spot in the rotation, while Franchetti comes to Villanova with a good amount of scholastic experience and will work to earn a role in games as a freshman. 
 
This year's Wildcats have the luxury of a number of potential two-way players.  Two such players are freshmen infielders Nick Lorusso (Monroe, Conn.) and Dylan McNary (Jefferson, Mass.), who are each capable of hitting and pitching their way onto the field.  Lorusso impressed in six innings during fall ball and previously was named the most valuable pitcher at the Perfect Game Super 25 National Championship in 2017.  McNary likewise saw time as both a pitcher and a position player in fall ball, and will have an opportunity to earn playing time during the year.