VILLANOVA, Pa.-Villanova will kick off their 2022 season with a trip to Malibu to take on Pepperdine for a weekend series. The two teams will open the three-game set on Friday at 4:30 p.m. before meeting at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. The series, which will be broadcasted on the WCC Network, will conclude on Sunday with a 4:00 p.m. first pitch.
Projected Starters
Friday, February 18- 4:30 p.m.
Villanova:
Danny Wilkinson
Pepperdine: Trevor Kniskern
Saturday, February 19- 4:00 p.m.
Villanova:
Cole Patten
Pepperdine: Brandon Llewellyn
Sunday, February 20-4:00 p.m.
Villanova:
Devin Rivera
Pepperdine: Dane Morrow
It feels like the first time: Villanova and Pepperdine will compete against each other for the first time ever.
Leading man: Chris Rotondo returns for his fifth season with the Wildcats. The center fielder was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST team after an impressive 2021 season where he led the team in doubles, triples, home runs, walks, runs scored and runs batted in.
Welcome back: Villanova's senior statesman,
Tyler Arella, returns for his sixth year with the Wildcats. The graduate student struck out 55 batters in 63 innings pitched last season and sported a 3.43 ERA.
Power pitchers: The trio of
Devin Rivera,
Cameron Mathes and
Danny Wilkinson had impressive strikeout numbers during the 2021 season. Rivera struck out 29 batters in 30 innings pitched, Mathes fanned 26 batters in 17 and 2/3 innings while Wilkinson punched out 36 batters in 25 and 1/3 innings.
Born to run: Cameron Hassert was a menace on the basepaths for the Wildcats in 2021. The sophomore led the team with eight stolen bases in eight attempts.
Watching the Waves
- Pepperdine closed out their 2021 season with a 20-25 (12-15 WCC) record
- Two Pepperdine products were selected in the 2021 MLB Draft. Outfielder Billy Cook was selected in the 10th round by the Baltimore Orioles. Shortstop Wyatt Young was taken in the 15th round by the New York Mets.
- John Peck was named to the Preseason All-WCC team after belting seven homers and driving in 19 runs in 2021.
- Ryan Johnson led the Waves with 45 runs batted in and totaled seven doubles and eight homers last season.
- Mike Scott, Randy Wolf and Eric Thames headline the list of Pepperdine products who played in the majors. Since 2000, Pepperdine has produced 22 players who have appeared in the majors, the most for a team in the West Coast Conference.
- Pepperdine University has served as host to numerous television shows such as Starsky and Hutch, Columbo, ABC's Battle of the Network Stars and Nickelodeon's Zoey 101.
