Max Almonte Class: Sophomore Hometown: Long Beach, N.Y. High School: Holy Trinity Height / Weight: 6-1 / 212 Position: Starting Pitcher Birthdate: 03/04/1992 Bats/Throws: Right/Right

On Almonte: Power pitcher who made great strides during his freshman season ... Features a fastball with good velocity ... Possesses a deep repertoire and should contribute to the team's starting rotation during the 2012 season.

2011: Pitched in 11 games with five starts and finished the year with a 2-0 record and a 4.63 ERA ... Logged 35.0 innings pitched and allowed 41 hits and 24 runs (18 earned) ... Issued 17 walks and had 18 strikeouts ... Allowed two earned runs or less in four of his five starts and pitched to a 3.76 ERA in 26 1/3 innings in those appearances ... Despite receiving a no-decision in all five starts Villanova was 4-1 in the games he started ... Struck out a season-high four batters in starts against Temple and Manhattan; BIG EAST: Pitched in four games with two starts and compiled a 3.07 ERA in 14 2/3 innings ... Surrendered 13 hits and held opponents to a .245 batting average ... Allowed eight runs (five earned) while walking nine and striking out four ... Started his final two appearances of the season against Rutgers and St. John's, allowing five earned runs in 12 1/3 innings (3.65 ERA) ... His 6 1/3 innings pitched against Rutgers were a season high.

Holy Trinity High School: Played four years of baseball and earned two varsity letters ... Also received one varsity letter in football and played two years of basketball ... Was an all-league selection as a senior after compiling a 7-1 record for the year and leading his team to a Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA championship ... Academic Honor Roll student all four years.

Personal: Born 3/4/92 in Far Rockaway, N.Y. ... Youngest of three children of Maximo and Maria Almonte ... Has an older brother, Marcos (32) and a sister, Nilka (28) ... Undeclared major in the school of Liberal Arts.