Over the weekend, Villanova baseball traveled to Rock Hill, South Carolina to take on Winthrop University in a three-game series. The Wildcats (3-3) won the series, 2-1, winning games one and two, 10-4 and 10-3, respectively, and dropping the third game, 17-3.
“Biggest takeaway [from the first two games] was that we made the next play,” head coach Kevin Mulvey said. “We didn’t let it bleed us out. You make a mistake, you throw a strike, you make the next play. We responded well.”
On Friday afternoon, the Wildcats defeated the Eagles, 10-4, behind six innings of work from graduate transfer and starting pitcher Bobby Olsen. Tallying eight strikeouts and allowing only one earned run, Olsen got the win for Villanova.
It was a close game through six innings before the Wildcats broke out in a big way in the seventh inning, putting up four runs.
Overall, the team amassed 16 hits, including solo home runs from freshman Brayden Leonard and graduate captain Jason Neff. The Wildcats had six players tally multiple hits and seven extra-base hits as a team.
Graduate pitcher Alec Sachais received the save, throwing three innings and allowing two earned runs.
In game two, the Wildcats had another great outing on the mound, this time from graduate Luke McCollough. He threw seven and a third innings, allowing three earned runs while striking out six, and picking up the win.
“They [Olsen and McCollough] pitched to contact,” Mulvey said. “They pitched for strikes, and they don’t get flustered. They were calm, cool, and collected.”
The offensive power carried into the first inning of game two, when junior Michael Whooley hit a two-run homer, scoring redshirt freshman Alex Lemon.
The Wildcats put up five runs in the second, behind another Whooley RBI and a red-hot Neff driving in two. In the fifth, Neff brought in yet another run on a solo homer.
A third Neff home run of the series came in the ninth, a two-run shot.
The Eagles plated three runs in the contest, but it was not nearly enough for the high-powered offense of the Wildcats. The final score was 10-3.
Villanova dropped the final game of the series. Winthrop got off to the early lead in the first behind a two-run home run.
The Wildcats struck back in the second inning to tie the game, 2-2, on a two-run homer from graduate Jake McElroy. It was McElroy’s first home run as a Wildcat after transferring from Holy Cross for the 2025 season.
The game was not tied for long, as Winthrop put up two more in the second on a single and fielder’s choice.
The Eagles pulled away by putting up 11 runs in the fourth inning.
The Wildcats sent eight pitchers to the mound and saw less success than the previous games, as 16 of Winthrop’s 17 runs were earned.
“Sunday was a mirror of last week,” Mulvey said. “A little bit concerning. We need to have guys that can get up there and show mental toughness, show the team, ‘Give me the ball and I get some outs.’”
Junior Bobby Finn took the loss on the mound for the Wildcats.
McElroy and Whooley were an encouraging sign offensively, as they both picked up two hits and were responsible for all three runs.
“When you give up 17 runs, it’s tough to keep your confidence and grind out at-bats in that environment,” Mulvey said.. “I feel very confident in the offense and what they showed this weekend in the first two games.”
Looking ahead, Villanova will host Coppin State University on Wednesday, Feb. 25, for its first home game of the year. Next is a series in Nashville, TN, against Lipscomb University from Feb. 28 to March 2.
