Elih Villanueva
Encyclopedia
Elih Christopher Villanueva (born, July 26, 1986 in Coral Springs, Florida
) is a Minor League Baseball
pitcher
in the Miami Marlins organization. He was selected by the Florida Marlins in the 27th round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft
out of Florida State University
.
in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida where he posted a 1.15 ERA to go along with a 10-3 record on his way to earning second team All-State honors as a senior.
s in .
Villanueva transferred to Miami-Dade Community College in where he was named the Florida Community College Activities Association Pitcher of the Year, the National Junior College Athletic Association
second team All-American and first team All-State. He helped Miami Dade win the Southern Conference championship as he posted a 0.81 ERA
striking out 109 batters in 89 innings of work.
He spent his Junior and Senior years at Florida State University
.
where he pitched four scoreless innings in his lone Gulf Coast League
start on July 19 against the Gulf Coast League Cardinals. Villanueva made five appearances, one start, for the Short-Season Jamestown Jammers
of the New York - Penn League
. He allowed one run over six innings in his lone start with the Jammers on September 3. Opponents hit .205 (15-for-73) against him. Villanueva was promoted to Class-A and went 1-0 with a 0.77 ERA
in four games, two starts, for the Jupiter Hammerheads
.
In Villanueva pitched for Class-A Advanced Jupiter and the Double-A Jacksonville Suns
. With the Hammerheads he went 9-12 with a 3.47 ERA in 26 games, 25 starts. With the Suns he went 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in two games, both of them starts. He helped the Suns to their fourth Southern League
championship as a Marlins' affiliate. Villanueva threw five innings, allowing five hits
, no walks
, three runs
, all earned, and striking out six to earn the win in the final game, however, this was not his main contribution. He hit a three-run go-ahead home run
off of the Birmingham Barons
pitcher, Andrew Cashner.
In 2010 Villanueva was a key figure leading the Jacksonville Suns to a second straight Southern League championship. He was second on the team with 14 wins and 115 strikeouts, and lead the team with four complete games, three shutouts, 179 innings pitched. He was named as a Topps Double-A All-Star, Southern League Post-Season All-Star, Southern League Mid-Season All-Star, and Southern League pitcher of the week for 8/16/2010.
On June 15, 2011, Villanueva was called up to replace Osvaldo Martínez
. He made his Major League debut against the Philadelphia Phillies
on June 15, 2011. He pitched three innings, giving up on eight runs, walking five and striking out two. His first major league strikeout was of Shane Victorino
, earning the loss.
Coral Springs, Florida
Coral Springs, officially chartered July 10, 1963, is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States, approximately northwest of Fort Lauderdale. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a population of 121,096...
) is a Minor League Baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in the Miami Marlins organization. He was selected by the Florida Marlins in the 27th round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft
2008 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft continued Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, and was held on June 5 and 6, 2008.-First round selections:* Did not sign...
out of Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
.
High school
Villanueva was a 2004 graduate of Westminster AcademyWestminster Academy (Florida)
Westminster Academy is a private Christian school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, serving students in grades Pre-K2 through 12. It is an educational ministry of the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church and is related denominationally to the Presbyterian Church in America.The main campus is located at 5601...
in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida where he posted a 1.15 ERA to go along with a 10-3 record on his way to earning second team All-State honors as a senior.
College
With Florida International he compiled a 7-3 record in his freshman season. He was second on the team in innings pitched with 101 and 79 strikeoutStrikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s in .
Villanueva transferred to Miami-Dade Community College in where he was named the Florida Community College Activities Association Pitcher of the Year, the National Junior College Athletic Association
National Junior College Athletic Association
The National Junior College Athletic Association , founded in 1938, is an association of community college and junior college athletic departments throughout the United States. It is held as Divisions and Regions. The current NJCAA holds 24 separate regions.-History:The idea for the NJCAA was...
second team All-American and first team All-State. He helped Miami Dade win the Southern Conference championship as he posted a 0.81 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
striking out 109 batters in 89 innings of work.
He spent his Junior and Senior years at Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
.
Florida/Miami Marlins
Villanueva made his professional debut and pitched at three Minor League levels in . He started the season in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast MarlinsGulf Coast Marlins
The Gulf Coast League Marlins are one of the Rookie Level minor league affiliates of the Miami Marlins. The team plays in Jupiter, Florida, at Roger Dean Stadium...
where he pitched four scoreless innings in his lone Gulf Coast League
Gulf Coast League
The Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
start on July 19 against the Gulf Coast League Cardinals. Villanueva made five appearances, one start, for the Short-Season Jamestown Jammers
Jamestown Jammers
The Jamestown Jammers are a minor league baseball team in Jamestown, New York, United States. The team is the Short-Season A classification affiliate of the Miami Marlins and plays in the New York - Penn League...
of the New York - Penn League
New York - Penn League
The New York – Penn League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the northeastern United States. It is classified as a "Short-Season A" league; its season starts in June, after major-league teams have signed their amateur draft picks to professional contracts, and ends in early...
. He allowed one run over six innings in his lone start with the Jammers on September 3. Opponents hit .205 (15-for-73) against him. Villanueva was promoted to Class-A and went 1-0 with a 0.77 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in four games, two starts, for the Jupiter Hammerheads
Jupiter Hammerheads
The Jupiter Hammerheads are a minor league baseball team based in Jupiter, Florida, named for the hammerhead shark.The team, which plays in the Florida State League, is the Class A Advanced affiliate of the Miami Marlins major-league club....
.
In Villanueva pitched for Class-A Advanced Jupiter and the Double-A Jacksonville Suns
Jacksonville Suns
The Jacksonville Suns are a minor league baseball team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The team is currently a member of the Southern League and is the class Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins Major League Baseball team...
. With the Hammerheads he went 9-12 with a 3.47 ERA in 26 games, 25 starts. With the Suns he went 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in two games, both of them starts. He helped the Suns to their fourth Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
championship as a Marlins' affiliate. Villanueva threw five innings, allowing five hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, no walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
, three runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, all earned, and striking out six to earn the win in the final game, however, this was not his main contribution. He hit a three-run go-ahead home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
off of the Birmingham Barons
Birmingham Barons
The Birmingham Barons are a minor league baseball team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox major-league club....
pitcher, Andrew Cashner.
In 2010 Villanueva was a key figure leading the Jacksonville Suns to a second straight Southern League championship. He was second on the team with 14 wins and 115 strikeouts, and lead the team with four complete games, three shutouts, 179 innings pitched. He was named as a Topps Double-A All-Star, Southern League Post-Season All-Star, Southern League Mid-Season All-Star, and Southern League pitcher of the week for 8/16/2010.
On June 15, 2011, Villanueva was called up to replace Osvaldo Martínez
Osvaldo Martínez (baseball)
Osvaldo "Ozzie" Martínez is a Major League Baseball shortstop for the Chicago White Sox.-Career:Martínez was drafted by the Marlins in the 11th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft...
. He made his Major League debut against the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
on June 15, 2011. He pitched three innings, giving up on eight runs, walking five and striking out two. His first major league strikeout was of Shane Victorino
Shane Victorino
Shane Patrick Victorino is an outfielder in Major League Baseball who plays for the Philadelphia Phillies. He is a switch-hitter and throws right-handed.-Career:...
, earning the loss.