Villanova in the Pros: Gordon Graceffo Stuns the World With Team Italy

Villanova product Gordon Graceffo helped stun baseball fans across the globe through his efforts with Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic, claiming Pool B in the group stage with an 8-6 upset win over the United States.

Serving as a reliever for Italy, Graceffo fanned four batters in two innings (two appearances) and allowed one run. He struck out the side against Brazil on March 7, freezing consecutive batters to end the inning.

The St. Louis Cardinals selected Graceffo in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB Entry Draft. A 6-foot-4, 220 pound right-hander, Graceffo posted a 2.86 ERA with 145 strikeouts in 179.1 innings during his time at Villanova, mowing through the Big East in 2021 with a 1.54 ERA. He made his big league debut in 2024 and has taken his lumps across the past two seasons, coming out of the bullpen for some shaky St. Louis teams.

Although he was born in Wayne, N.J., Team Italy allows athletes to suit up if they’re eligible for an Italian passport — having a grandparent with Italian citizenship, for instance. After Italy surprised the United States, Graceffo spoke with Villanova Baseball head coach Kevin Mulvey about his experience: here’s the clip.

Team Italy (and perhaps Graceffo) will next take the field at 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 14 when they face Puerto Rico in the Quarterfinals.