Rincon/University Class of 2016 graduate Alfredo Villa is becoming a pitching sensation in Nicaragua.
Villa, a 28-year-old right-hander, pitched a solid six innings for the Leones de León in their 5-2 win over the Gigantes de Rivas in Game 3 of the Nicaragua Professional League finals on Wednesday night at León, Nicaragua.
Villa, who allowed six hits and two runs, retired 11 straight batters at one point. He struck out five.
The Leones, who lead the best-of-seven series 2–1, will play in front of their home fans for the next two games. The series continues Thursday in León .
“I’m happy to have given León the chance to win,” Villa told 8 Deportivo after the game. “I think baseball is a game of mistakes; it’s difficult to expect to win all the time. You can try to be perfect in a game of mistakes, and then you have to go out there hoping to do your best.
“In baseball, there are several ways to get out of trouble. They set up a threat (in the first inning); they have a great offense, but I found a way to get out of it, improve, and give the team the chance to win.”
Villa went undrafted after three years at Adams State following his graduation from Rincon/University.
He played in the Pioneer League for Grand Junction (Colo.) and Missoula (Mont.) from 2022 to 2024.
He switched to the Frontier League last summer and played for Ottawa and Missoula.
In his four seasons of Pioneer League baseball, Villa is 40-8 with a 3.87 ERA with 428 strikeouts and 140 walks in 374 1/3 innings.
In 2023, while playing for the Missoula Paddleheads, Villa became the first Pioneer League pitcher to win the Triple Crown since 2000, going 13-1 with a 2.82 ERA and 129 strikeouts in a league-leading 108 2/3 innings.
He has become a celebrity in Venezuela on TikTok, offering pitching and life advice.
In one recent video, he states, “The best pitchers win because they stop wasting energy on things that don’t move the needle. One pitch. One decision. One moment at a time. Control the controllables — and the game slows down for you.”
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