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The 2009 campaign will be the eighth at the helm of the Villanova baseball program for head coach Joe Godri, who begins the year with a career record of 189-176-3 (.518) at the school. In addition to leading the Wildcats to back-to-back playoff appearances in the last two seasons, Godri has helped Villanova post at least a .500 record with 27 or more victories in six of his seven years as head coach. Under Godri's watch, the Wildcats have averaged 27 victories per season.
During his time on the Main Line, Godri has emphasized the importance of growing a collegiate baseball program through incremental team achievements that build up to an ultimate goal, which in the Wildcats case means having success in the highly competitive BIG EAST Conference. Villanova has fulfilled all of the above and stands in position to be a perennial contender in the postseason conference championship.
The Wildcats of 2008 made an impressive run late in the regular season to assure themselves of being one of just five teams from the 2007 BIG EAST Championship that would return the following year. Villanova won seven of its last 10 regular season conference games and clinched a playoff berth against regular season champion St. John's at home on the final day of the regular season.
In the conference tournament, Villanova knocked off the top-seeded Red Storm, 12-0, in the opening game. The No. 8 seed Wildcats went on to reach the semifinals before being eliminated by eventual champion Louisville.
Many of the achievements of the 2008 team mirrored those of the 2007 squad, which ended the program's 10-year drought from postseason competition. The Wildcats also clinched their playoff berth in 2007 with a come-from-behind win over the league's regular season champion (Rutgers) during the final weekend of the regular season after making a significant run in the final weeks of the year just to be in position to contend for a playoff spot. In the 2007 BIG EAST Championship, Villanova showed that it belonged, knocking out five-time defending champion Notre Dame in an elimination game on the second day. A day earlier, the Wildcats had taken eventual College World Series qualifier Louisville to the wire in their opening game.
During his coaching career, Godri has demonstrated his ability to develop individual players into top professional prospects within the context of successful team performances. Both of those traits were evident for the 2008 team. Senior shortstop Derek Shunk broke the program's career records for hits, games played and at-bats and finished his career ranked in the top-10 in school history in eight different offensive categories. Shunk (San Diego Padres) and starting pitcher Jordan Ellis (Philadelphia Phillies) were each selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
The Wildcats have had at least one player drafted in each of Godri's seven years leading Villanova, including multiple draft picks in six of the seven seasons and at least one pitcher chosen each year. Godri has gained the notice of his peers for his work with the Wildcats and during the summer of 2006 was named to the USA Baseball selection committee that chose the players for the collegiate National Team.
Godri has developed Villanova into one of the top baseball powers in the region. Over the past five seasons, the Wildcats own a record of 92-41 (.692) against non-conference competition and a mark of 70-34-1 (.671) against opponents from the states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
The team's success on the field has been duly rewarded. In the past three seasons, the Wildcats have had 12 selections on the Philadelphia Big Five Baseball All-Big Five team, including at least a share of the Player and Pitcher of the Year awards each year. The 2008 team was named the city's Team of the Year and Godri earned Coach of the Year honors. In addition, Villanova has earned 15 All-BIG EAST honors during Godri's tenure and three players have earned All-America status. Derek Shunk was a three-time All-BIG EAST selection and in 2007 was chosen as the District I Player of the Year and a third team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
Former Wildcat players continue to make their mark in the professional ranks. Right-handed pitchers Brian Slocum (2002) and Kevin Mulvey (2006) are both second round draft picks that have had success in the pros. Slocum made his major league debut with the Cleveland Indians in 2006 and earned a second call-up in 2008, while Mulvey pitched in the highly-regarded All-Star Futures game in 2007 and was named the New York Mets Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Jeremy Hunt (San Diego Padres) and Mike Loree (San Francisco Giants) are among other former players who played in the minor leagues during the 2008 campaign, while Shunk and Ellis each began their pro careers after being chosen in the amateur draft.
The selections of Mulvey and Hunt in the 2006 draft continued Godri's reputation of developing players capable of reaching the professional level. Mulvey was the first Villanova player ever chosen with a team's first overall pick (the Mets had no pick in the first round) and Hunt was the team's first position player drafted since 2002.
Wildcat alumni have also gone on to have success playing internationally. After enjoying a stellar senior season in 2005, Mark Cardillo went on to play professionally in Italy. He returned there in 2006 and was joined by former Wildcat teammate Angelo Petracca. Bob Grzenda and John Yeager also played for Godri at Villanova before going on to have success playing in leagues in Germany and Mexico, respectively.
Several highlights of Godri's first five years as head coach came during the 2005 campaign, when the Wildcats achieved many of the goals that he laid out upon his arrival. In only their seventh game of the season, Villanova erupted for 15 hits in an 11-1 rout of the nation's eighth-ranked Florida Gators. Florida was playing its 12th game of the season and eventually reached the final series of the College World Series that spring.
Also during the 2005 season, starting pitchers Nick Allen and Kevin Mulvey threw no-hitters exactly one month apart (on February 26 and March 26). They were the seventh and eighth no-hitters in school history and the first in more than 40 years. Both pitchers were named as National Players of the Week for their achievements, making them the first Villanova players to earn national honors in Godri's tenure.
In the season prior to being named the head coach, Godri served as the associate head coach in 2001 during the final season of George Bennett's 16-year stay on campus. In this position, Godri had the unique opportunity to recruit the first class that would play for him in 2002. That first recruiting class included eventual Villanova stars Nick Allen, James Baxter, Mark Cardillo, Alan Day and Mike Grodecki. Godri's recruiting classes since then have been on par, as Villanova recruits have been ranked among the top 100 classes in the country for in seven of the last eight seasons by the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
Godri was named the 10th head coach in the illustrious history of Villanova baseball on May 8, 2001. He took over the reigns from all-time program wins leader George Bennett, a 16-year veteran of the program. Godri's stint as head coach is actually his second at Villanova. He came to the Main Line in 1991 and served as the hitting coach for three seasons, before returning here in 2000 as an assistant coach.
During his first stay at Villanova, Godri coached All-American players Mike Neill and Gene Schall. Both went on to play in the major leagues, while Neill won a gold medal playing for the United States in the 2000 Olympic Games. Godri helped lead the Wildcats to the 1991 NCAA Northeast Regional, the team's second NCAA appearance in three seasons.
Following his first three years at Villanova, Godri was the head assistant coach at New Mexico State from 1994-97. While coaching at New Mexico State, two of his three recruiting classes were ranked in the top 40 by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. In addition, the Aggies were ranked in the top 25 for the first time in school history.
With his focus on hitting as a New Mexico State assistant, Godri helped the Aggies crack the top five in several NCAA offensive categories including hitting, runs scored, stolen bases and home runs. He also coached another future major leaguer in Jason Rackers, who would go on to play for the Kansas City Royals. While with the Aggies, Godri coached under current NC State head coach Elliott Avent who was named National Coach of the Year in 2003.
After three seasons at New Mexico State, Godri spent one season as an associate scout for the Cleveland Indians. He then traveled to the University of Utah where he assisted with the pitching staff for two seasons.
Godri played his collegiate baseball at Colorado State and Chipola Junior College in Marianna, Fla. After finishing his degree as a graduate assistant at the University of Pittsburgh with his Bachelor's Degree in Education, Godri went on to receive a Master's Degree in Marketing and Management from New Mexico State.
Godri and his wife, Michelle, reside in Linfield, Pa.
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