Former Irvine Valley starting catcher made a name for himself with NCAA Division I Cal Poly this season.
Villegas switched to the outfield, as well, and had a star-studded season, earning second team all-Big West Conference honors for a Mustang squad that had a record of 37-21 overall and finished second in the Big West with a record of 22-8.
Cal Poly's 37 victories during the recently completed 2022 season are the most since the 47 produced by the Mustangs' Big West Conference championship team of 2014.
Villegas, who started 13 games behind the plate and 37 in the outfield, went on a 14-game tear midway through the season, hitting .375 (18-for-48) with seven doubles, a triple, two home runs and 20 RBI. He finished the year second on the team in doubles (20) and third in both home runs (4) and RBIs (40), hitting .290.
His 13 multiple-RBI contests were second on the squad.
In 2021 at Cal Poly he was the back-up catcher and played in 22 games with 16 starts. He compiled a .235 batting average with two doubles and one home run.
Villegas, out of Beckman High, started his college career at Concordia University in 2019.
He arrived at Irvine Valley in 2020 as a sophomore and stood out immediately. Villegas hit .349 in a shortened 21-game schedule because of the pandemic. He had six doubles, two triples, two home runs and 17 RBI with three steals.
Villegas also racked up a .436 on base percentage and a .535 slugging percentage. He had eight-multiple hit games, including a 5 for 7 performance and four RBI in a game against San Bernadrino Valley.
He helped IVC to a 11-10 record in 2020.
Villegas was named the Lasers' athlete of the week early in the season after going 7 for 15 in four victories with two walks, two doubles, three runs and five RBI.
