About an hour north of the US-Mexico border, Temecula, CA, is known for its championship golf courses and vineyards. Somehow, the serene city on the West Coast produced one of the top baseball players in the Big East this season: Jack Kelley. The Villanova fifth-year was named the Big East Pitcher of the Week last Monday, March 16.
With seven strikeouts on Saturday, March 14, Kelley helped the ‘Cats defeat Charleston Southern 5-0. In that game, Kelley managed six shutout innings and only allowed two hits in nine innings.
“[The coach staff] confirmed unanimously that Jack was a candidate to help us as a starting pitcher,” head coach Kevin Mulvey said. “His ability to throw strikes with multiple pitches at a high rate, paired with how good his pitches are, made it a pretty easy decision, honestly.”
Kelley is originally from the Boston area and moved to the West Coast with his family at age four. The right-handed pitcher joined Team California in ninth grade.
According to Team California’s mission statement, “Players learn to play with Poise, have the Freedom to execute, and Focus on details.” Kelley’s passion and precision for the game were developed early in his career and are reflected now in his post-graduate play.
After playing varsity baseball at Murrieta High School for four years, Kelley graduated during COVID-19 and struggled to get recruited.
Kelley ended up playing at Palomar College in San Marcos, CA. He enjoyed playing, but realized that if he attended one of his dream schools, he wouldn’t be able to play, let alone try to walk on the team.
“I was pretty much done with baseball,” Kelley said. “I was gonna go to USD [University of San Diego]. It was close to home, a Catholic school. Then, I ended up playing in the local summer league just for fun.”
Kelley realized he couldn’t quit the sport he had spent nearly 20 years playing. After a few rough starts at Palomar, Kelley regained confidence and started to get noticed by several colleges. Akron University in Ohio ultimately recruited Kelley.
“I loved my time there,” Kelley said. “It might not sound like the fanciest place in the world, but the facilities were great, and we played a lot of sweet schools.”
Bowling Green, Kent State, Toledo, and Miami of Ohio were some of his Mid-American Conference rivals. During Kelley’s two years as a Zip, he accounted for 19 starts and totaled 105 strikeouts. His career high in a game is seven. Kelley has tied the record twice since 2024.
Kelley earned all-MAC Academic Team honors in 2025 and graduated last May. Due to COVID, Kelley was allowed one more year as a graduate student. The transfer portal opened nearly two weeks earlier for fifth-years, and Kelley nearly signed to play for Duke. The Blue Devils were ranked No. 11 in the preseason poll according to FloBaseball.
“Duke is my dream school also, since I was eight years old,” Kelley said. “We almost moved there. We visited, and I was like, ‘That’s my school.’”
However, after an official visit with coach Mulvey, the Kelley family was captivated by the baseball program and the academic curriculum. What ultimately fueled Kelley’s decision to sign with the ‘Cats was the Villanova School of Business’s MBA program and the strong alumni network.
“When you’re a grad guy, the younger guys are gonna look up to you no matter what you do, on and off the field,” Kelley said. “There’s some responsibility in that guys are looking to see what you do on the mound, especially as a starter.”
Villanova is scheduled to play UNC Asheville on Wednesday, March 25. The game at Villanova Ballpark in Plymouth Meeting is set to start at 3:35 p.m.
