STORRS, Conn. -- The Villanova Wildcats (35-20, 18-6 BIG EAST) will begin their stint at the 2023 BIG EAST Softball Championship Presented By JEEP on Thursday afternoon, taking on the third-seed Seton Hall Pirates at 3:00 p.m. at Burrill Family Field on the campus of UConn.
SIX WILDCATS NAMED TO ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
This year's BIG EAST awards featured a league-high six Wildcats, beating out UConn and Butler's four representatives. The 2023 conference honors for Villanova doubled up last season's output, as only three 'Cats were named to the all-conference teams in 2022: Megan Kern, Paige Rauch and Chloe Smith. VU also captured its second BIG EAST Player of the Year in three years, as Tess Cites joins Rauch as the two Wildcats to win top conference player honors under head coach Bridget Orchard. Cites was also one of seven league players to be named a unanimous all-conference First Team selection, joined on the first team by Ava Franz. Kat Gallant, Ryan Henry, Ally Jones and Victoria Sebastian were each named to the conference's second team.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
While Villanova has not hit as many out of the park as in previous seasons, the 'Cats have simplified their approach and aimed for extra bases instead. The Wildcats have shattered the program's record for doubles in a single season, totaling 88 two-baggers to beat a program-best 77 in 1999. That mark is also good for seventh in the country, while VU's 1.60 two-baggers per game sits 15th nationally. Cites recorded 15 doubles in her 182 at bats to lead the BIG EAST and rank 9th in Villanova history for a single season total, while Franz contributed 12 two-baggers on the year including seven in conference. Freshman Lilly St. Jean started out on a double tear for the Wildcats, ripping eight of them in non-conference play.
THESE CLEATS ARE MADE FOR WALKIN'
As has been a hallmark of the program under head coach Bridget Orchard, the Wildcats take a lot of pitches and draw a high number of bases on balls. Villanova's 212 walks in the regular season ranked fifth in the country and smashed a program record of 187 set in 2021. In four of the five seasons under Orchard and hitting coach Gabby Leuty, the 'Cats have put forth a top-five single season mark in program history with 187 walks in 2021 (2nd all-time), 167 in 2022 (4th) and 164 in 2019 (5th). Cites drew a team-high 32 walks on the year for the third-highest single season mark, while Franz (26), Jones (25) and Dani Dabroski (21) all eclipsed the 20-walk plateau.
TAKING, BUT NOT GIVING, WALKS
The Wildcat lineup is prolific at drawing bases on balls, but the pitching staff has done the exact opposite. The 'Cats hurlers have compiled a 1.82 walks per seven inning mark, led by conference leader Gallant at 0.82 walks per seven. Right-hander Kelsey White has put forth a 1.54 total in the same category, ranking second in the BIG EAST. In the same vein, VU's staff maintains a 2.62 strikeout-to-walk ratio for, once again, the best mark in the BIG EAST. It's Gallant pacing the 'Cats on that one as well, totaling a 6.21 ratio for 20th nationally.
SENSATIONAL CITES
Junior outfielder Tess Cites has put forth one of the top seasons in Villanova history, earning selection as the BIG EAST Player of the Year. Cites batted .385 on the season with a team-high 70 hits, 15 doubles, 41 RBI and 42 runs. Cites was even better against conference opponents, going 36-for-76 at the dish for a league-leading .474 average. The junior has totaled 14 two-hit, six three-hit and three four-hit games on the year with a seven-game hitting and 10-game on-base streak. The Horseheads, N.Y., native has set the tone at the plate for the Wildcats, starting in the leadoff spot in all 55 games while providing a steady presence in any of the three outfield positions.
FANTASTIC FRANZ
One of the biggest surprises for the Wildcats in the season's final month was the play of sophomore Ava Franz, who captured the last two BIG EAST Player of the Week accolades after dominating the final weeks of the regular season. The middle infielder belted six of her seven home runs in the last month, including one in every other game since the finale of the DePaul series on April 23. The Pennsylvania product maintains a 10-game hitting streak and put forth her first ever four-hit game in the season finale, powering herself to a BIG EAST First Team selection in the postseason honors.
WHO'S ON FIRST?
Victoria Sebastian is! The senior infielder earned the 2022 Rawlings Gold Glove Award for first base, one of only nine players in the nation to receive the award that was given out in college softball for the first time. In her Gold Glove season, she committed zero errors across 366 chances at first base. Sebastian entered her senior year as Villanova's all-time career record holder with a .996 fielding percentage. And in 2023, she earned All-BIG EAST Second Team honors after exploding at the plate with 29 hits on the year.
INSIDE THE CONFERENCE STANDINGS
The Wildcats earned the two seed in the BIG EAST Championship by losing just one of its conference series on the year and racking up a 10-5 record against BIG EAST Championship squads. The only conference series lost was a sweep at the hands of Connecticut in early April. Villanova took two of three from Seton Hall and Butler, with the series win over the Pirates allowing the 'Cats to receive a first round bye. Villanova also swept the other two teams in the BIG EAST Championship in DePaul and St. John's, while taking three of three from Creighton and Providence. Since being swept by UConn, the Wildcats have lost just two conference contests with a record of 10-2 against BIG EAST teams, including a 5-1 mark against conference tournament participants.
The game will be streamed on FloSoftball, and a live statistics link can be found here.
Keep up with the Villanova University softball program through social media by following on Twitter (@VUSoftball) and Instagram (@novasoftball) and 'liking' on Facebook (/VUSoftball).
