Baseball / Villanova Wildcat Ace Returns to Cardines

Villanova Wildcat Ace Returns to Cardines

Date:  Source: NECBL Newport Gulls

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                 Contact: Chuck Paiva

March 27, 2021                                                                                                                                              President & General Manager

                                                                                                                                            401-845-6832// gm@newportgulls.com

 

 

Villanova Wildcat Ace Returns to Cardines

RHP Kingsbury Calls Newport Home Once Again

 

 

NEWPORT, RI—Another Newport Gull from the 2019 roster returns to the Ocean State once again in 2021. Jimmy Kingsbury, a right-handed pitcher from Villanova University. 

 

Kingsbury was a staple in the Newport bullpen in 2019 where he pitched in 12 games including two starts and struck out 30 hitters over 22.2 innings pitched. One of his two starts came the Southern Division Championship Series against the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks where he allowed just three hits over 3.2 IP. 

 

In 2021, Kingsbury has made a handful of starts already including a dazzling performance against Hofstra in which he turned in six strong innings, allowing one earned run on three hits and striking out a season high 11. 

 

Prior to last season being cancelled due to COVID-19, Kingsbury was off to his best season yet In four starts, the right hander boasted a 3.08 ERA over 26.1 innings pitched. Kingsbury started the season against No. 3 Arizona State University and a lineup that held four 2020 MLB Draft Picks including the No. 1 overall draft pick Spencer Torkelson whom Kingsbury struck out in the first inning. 

 

The Phoenixville, PA native joins a long history of Villanova athletes in his family. Kingsbury’s mom Maureen played softball while his dad William played baseball for the Wildcats as well. His two uncles also played on the football team at Villanova too. 

 

Kingsbury’s father, William, was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 22nd Round of the 1991 MLB Draft. Jimmy won’t be the only other player suiting up for the Gulls this summer whose dad played professional baseball. CJ Pittaro’s(Vanderbilt University) dad Chris played for the Minnesota Twins from 1985-1987. 

 

A key member of the Villanova pitching staff since he was a freshman at Villanova, Kingsbury will bring a lot of experience to Newport this summer at both the collegiate ranks and from his time playing in the NECBL in 2019. When speaking to Kingsbury about his return, he had one thing on his mind- winning a championship. 

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The Newport Gulls, members of the 13-team New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL), are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded as the Rhode Island Gulls in 1998 in Cranston, R.I., before moving to Newport in 2001. In addition to recruiting, fielding, and developing a team of the nation’s top collegiate baseball athletes and attracting 50,000 fans annually to Cardines Field, the predominantly volunteer organization strives to benefit the community of Newport County via summer camps, reading programs, fundraisers, scholarships, and charitable donations – totaling over $1 million since 2001. The Gulls are six-time champions of the NECBL – the winningest franchise in league history – and were ranked as the overall No. 1 summer collegiate baseball team in the country by Perfect Game USA in 2012.

For more information about the Newport Gulls, visit facebook.com/newportgulls, follow the Gulls on Twitter @NewportGulls or visit www.newportgulls.com.