Villanova Univeristy Athletics

CAREER HONORS AND AWARDS

2020-21 (Junior)

BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (May 10)

BIG EAST All-Academic Team

Athletic Director's Honor Roll (Fall 2020, Spring 2021)

2019-20 (Sophomore)

BIG EAST All-Academic Team

Athletic Director's Honor Roll (Fall 2019, Spring 2020)

2018-19 (Freshman)

BIG EAST Freshman of the Year

All-BIG EAST (Second Team)

BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (April 8, April 22)

Philadelphia Big 5 Team

Philadelphia Big 5 Player of the Week (February 25)

Philadelphia Big 5 Pitcher of the Week (April 22)

BIG EAST All-Academic Team

Villanova Career: Played for Villanova from 2019-21 and was one of the team’s top offensive performers during those seasons … Named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year in 2019 and was the first Wildcats player to win that award in 25 years … Disciplined hitter with a patient approach who had success at the plate regardless of the situation … That was never more true than in his junior season in 2021 when he batted .441 from the seventh inning on … Possessed power from the right side of the plate while hitting for a high average … Played in 88 career games with 86 starts for the Wildcats and slashed .294/.392/.391 during his Villanova career … Had 94 hits in 320 at-bats to go along with 46 runs scored and 49 runs batted in … Hit 14 doubles, one triple and five home runs while drawing 52 walks and striking out 62 times … Was hit by a pitch five times and hit eight sacrifice flies … Stole three bases without being caught … Mostly played third base where he had a strong and accurate arm, but also made starts at first base and second base … During his freshman year in 2019 pitched in 16 games with six starts while going 1-3 with two saves and a 6.05 ERA spanning 41 2/3 innings pitched … Allowed 59 hits and 29 runs (28 earned) with 15 walks and 32 strikeouts … Gave up two home runs to 194 batters faced … In his three seasons for the Wildcats had a .953 fielding percentage with 165 putouts, 122 assists and 14 errors in 301 total chances … Second team All-BIG EAST selection in 2019 in addition to being the league’s Freshman of the Year … Three-time selection to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team and four-time member of the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.
 
2021: Started in all 29 games he played in during the season … Led the Wildcats with a .306 batting average and had 33 hits in 108 at-bats … Ranked fourth in the Villanova lineup with a .380 on-base percentage and a .370 slugging percentage … Had 14 runs scored and 17 runs batted in while hitting four doubles and a home run during the year … Drew 16 walks and struck out 25 times … Had a team-high five sacrifice flies … Stole one base in his only attempt … Excelled at the plate regardless of the situation … Hit over .300 against both left-handed (.308) and right-handed (.305) pitching … Batted .305 with the bases empty, .306 with runners on base and .300 with runners in scoring position … Scored runners from third with less than two outs in 8-of-9 opportunities … Advanced the runners on base 52.5 percent of the time which ranked second on the team … Clutch hitter late who batted .441 from the seventh inning on … Collected 11 multi-hit games on the year, including four in his last six games played … Named to the weekly BIG EAST Honor Roll on May 10 after he went 4-for-10 with two runs scored, four RBI, a double and a walk in a three-game sweep of Georgetown … Had four straight multi-hit games from May 14-20 … During that stretch was 6-for-13 in a series against BIG EAST champion Connecticut and hit his only home run while driving in a season-high three runs in a win over St. John’s … Started 22 games at third base and seven at second base … Had a .917 fielding percentage on the year with 17 putouts, 49 assists and six errors in 72 total chances.
 
2020: Was limited by injury early in the shortened season and wound up playing in 10 of the team’s 14 games on the season … Batted .212 (7-for-33) with eight walks and a .349 on-base percentage … Struck out only six times in his 43 plate appearances … Scored six runs, had two doubles and drove in three runs … Recorded two sacrifice flies … Had a .958 fielding percentage with eight putouts, 15 assists and one error … Went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored against Maine … Doubled, walked, scored a run and had a sacrifice fly in a win over Saint Louis … Started eight times at third base and twice as the designated hitter.
 
2019: Became the first Villanova player in 25 years to earn a BIG EAST major postseason award when he was chosen as the league’s Freshman of the Year in addition to being a second team All-BIG EAST selection … Fifth player in school history to be the BIG EAST Rookie of the Year and the 13^th to earn a major postseason honor … Emerged as the top hitter in the Wildcats lineup early in the season and went on to have one of the best rookie campaigns in recent program history … Ended the regular season ranked 10^th in the BIG EAST and leading all league rookies in batting average … Led Villanova in batting, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, hits and walks … Second on the team in home runs and runs batted in … Compiled a .302/.408/.425 slash line in 49 games (47 starts) … Went 54-for-179 at the plate with 26 runs scored and 29 RBI … Had eight doubles, one triple and four home runs while drawing 28 walks, being hit by a pitch five times and striking out 31 times … Stole two bases without being caught … Tallied 13 multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI games … Batted .290 with a .371 on-base percentage while starting all 17 of the Wildcats conference games … Had the highest BIG EAST batting average by a Villanova freshman in 14 years and led the team in hitting during conference play by more than 50 points … Had a season-high four hits against St. John’s and tallied four other three-hit games … Made an impression early in the season during a three-game series at ACC member Virginia when he went 4-for-9 with four walks, a double and his first collegiate home run in the series … Reached base safely in 40 of his 47 starts … Also pitched and was 1-3 with two saves and a 6.05 ERA in 16 appearances (six starts) on the mound … Logged 41 2/3 innings and allowed 59 hits and 29 runs (28 earned) while walking 15 and striking out 32 … Earned his first collegiate win with six scoreless innings against St. John’s and also doubled in the go-ahead run in the game … Went 1-1 with a save and a 4.71 ERA in seven appearances (four starts) against BIG EAST foes … Notched the final two outs of a 3-1 win over Georgetown for a save … Also saved a 5-4 win over Penn earlier in the year with a 1-2-3 ninth inning … Gave up a run on six hits while striking out a season-high seven against Seton Hall.
 
Club Baseball: Played for the Hamden Yard Dogs … MVP of the Cal Ripken National Tournament Series in 2016 … Named the most valuable pitcher at the Perfect Game Super 25 National Championship in 2017 … Was named to Perfect Game All-Tournament Teams in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018 … Chosen to play for the Northeast team in the MLB Area Code Games in 2016 and 2017.
 
Masuk High School: Earned a total of five varsity letters, including three in baseball as a shortstop and a pitcher … Also earned one letter as a shooting guard in basketball and as a wide receiver in football … Winner of his school’s Most Athletic award his senior year … Played three seasons of varsity baseball and was a two-year team captain … Earned first team all-state honors as both a junior and a senior … Three-time all-conference selection … Named the baseball team MVP his junior and senior years, and was a three-time Coaches Award recipient … Named a Hearst Connecticut Media All-Star in baseball as a junior … Selected by his coaches to participate in the CHSCA Connecticut All-Star Game his junior and senior seasons … As a senior was a Perfect Game Preseason All-America honorable mention selection and a Preseason All-Northeast Region second team pick … Earned Underclass All-America honorable mention honors as a junior … Was the MVP of the basketball team as a freshman and the team captain as a sophomore … Played two seasons of varsity football and was a second team all-conference selection as a senior … Achieved Honor Roll status academically all four years … Was named to the first team All-State All-Academic Team in baseball as a senior.
 
Personal: Born 9/11/00 in Carmel, N.Y. … One of two children of Michael and Karen Lorusso … Has one older sibling, Taylor … Father played college lacrosse at Siena and was a midfielder … Hobbies include spending time with friends, playing video games and basketball, and attending NFL games … Chose to attend Villanova because it offered the best chance to play baseball right away and pursue his goal of being an MLB draft pick, and also for the educational opportunities the school offered … Enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences ... Communication major.