2023 Virginia Baseball Season Preview
The 2023 Virginia baseball season begins on Friday with the Cavaliers set to host Navy at 2pm at Disharoon Park before continuing the Hughes Bros. Challenge down in Wilmington, North Carolina with games against Ohio on Saturday and UNC-Wilmington Sunday.
UVA went 39-19 overall and 17-13 in ACC play in 2022, finishing third in the ACC Coastal standings and earning a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament before falling in the Greenville Regional. From that team, the Cavaliers return a bulk of their field starters, but they lost 86% of their innings from last season's pitching staff. Fortunately for UVA, Brian O'Connor went to work in the offseason and secured several key additions from the transfer portal, including six transfer pitchers, to accompany a highly-touted incoming freshmen class.
Those newcomers combined with Virginia's returners - headlined by Jake Gelof, Kyle Teel, and a stellar class of sophomores who shined in their first season at UVA - should give the Cavaliers the pieces they need to compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference, a league that looks to be one of the strongest in all of college baseball once again.
With the season about to begin, let's break down the roster and schedule for the 2023 Virginia baseball season.
Roster
Virginia has 21 new players on the roster in 2023, the highest number of newcomers in the Brian O'Connor era of UVA baseball. That's good news, as the Cavaliers needed reinforcements after the 2022 MLB Draft decimated the roster with a particular focus on the Virginia pitching staff.
UVA had three pitchers and four players overall - Nate Savino, Brandon Neeck, Chris Newell, and Matt Wyatt - selected in the 2022 MLB Draft and two more players - Will Geerdes and Devin Ortiz - were signed as undrafted free agents shortly afterwards. Virginia also lost some key pieces in the bullpen due to graduation and second baseman Max Cotier transferred to West Virginia.
With the losses of Nate Savino, Brian Gursky, Brandon Neeck, Devin Ortiz, Paul Kosanovich, Matt Wyatt, Dylan Bowers, and Will Geerdes, Drew Dickinson's UVA pitching staff will have a completely different look this spring.
Starting with the notable returning pitchers, Virginia brings back the 6'10" junior lefty Jake Berry, who looks to make a big step forward this season after striking out 69 batters to 26 walks in 56.1 innings of work in 2022. He had a 4.79 ERA in 20 games, including nine starts. Berry isn't in the starting weekend rotation to start the season, but it's expected that he'll have more than a few opportunities to start this spring.
The dual-sport phenom Jay Woolfolk is back and will be one of the more intriguing storylines of the season as he looks to pull off the balancing act between football and baseball. Brian O'Connor and UVA pitching coach Drew Dickinson have met multiple times with Virginia head football coach Tony Elliott and quarterbacks coach Taylor Lamb to develop a plan for Woolfolk this spring. That plan reportedly includes Woolfolk throwing a football as part of his normal throwing warm-ups for baseball. Things will only get more interesting on that front when UVA spring football begins on March 14th. As a true freshman in 2022, Woolfolk recorded a 2.87 ERA in 28 appearances and 37.2 innings pitched, striking out 55 batters to 20 walks. With a fastball that touches the high 90s, Woolfolk has a future in professional baseball, but it seems he will also be making a run at competing for the starting quarterback job for the Virginia football team this fall.
Additionally, Virginia brings back senior righty Jacob Hodorovich, sophomore lefty Matthew Buchanan, junior righty Avery Mabe, and junior righty Alex Greene, who collectively provide a variety of pitching styles and levels of experience for the UVA bullpen.
Virginia secured commitments from five pitchers out of the transfer portal this offseason, with two of those pitchers having earned spots in the starting weekend rotation to begin the season.
Nick Parker, a graduate transfer righty from Coastal Carolina, brings a wealth of starting experience to the Cavaliers. Parker started 40 career games for the Chanticleers, including two NCAA Tournament wins. He was named to the NCAA Greenville Regional All-Tournament Team, the same regional UVA participated in last season, after pitching eight scoreless innings and striking out ten batters in a game against East Carolina. Parker went 6-3 in 2022 with a 4.45 ERA and 81 strikeouts.
Joining Parker in this weekend's starting rotation is Brian Edgington, another graduate transfer righty from Elon. A Second-Team All-CAA selection in 2022, Edgington went 6-4 with a 3.56 ERA in 86 innings pitched, striking out 86 batters, second-most in the CAA. Edgington is set to start the season-opener on Friday against Navy, while Nick Parker will start on Saturday against Ohio.
Chase Hungate comes to UVA after just one season at VCU, but it was a great season. As a true freshman, Hungate went 6-4 with a 3.57 ERA and helped the Rams capture the Atlantic 10 Championship. Hungate struck out 46 batters and walked just 14 in 63.0 innings pitched and 21 total appearances out of the bullpen. He also appeared in two games against Virginia, including an outing at UVA on May 4th in which Hungate pitched three scoreless innings.
Army transfer Connelly Early gives Virginia a left-handed pitcher with extensive starting experience. Early helped the Black Knights win back-to-back Patriot League Championships, including a 2022 campaign in which he struck out 88 batters, had a 7-4 record in 14 starts, and was voted the Patriot League Pitcher of the Year. Early had a 3.26 ERA in 2022 and has a career ERA of 2.95 in 122 innings pitched.
Angelo Tonas, a graduate transfer lefty from Georgetown, struck out 121 batters in 115 career innings for the Hoyas. Tonas recorded seven saves and 46 strikeouts in 39.2 innings of relief work. He also faced Virginia in 2022, recording a pair of strikeouts against the Cavaliers when Georgetown visited Virginia on April 20th.
UVA also brings in a talented crop of freshmen pitchers including Jack O'Connor, Kevin Jaxel, Cullen McKay, Evan Dobias, Bradley Hodges, Evan Blanco, Johnny Ormsby. The most exciting prospect of the group is Jack O'Connor, who had a legitimate shot at making the jump right to the majors out of high school. A 6'5" righty, O'Connor was ranked the No. 58 overall player and the No. 15 right-handed pitcher in the country as well as the No. 1 right-handed pitcher in Virginia according to Perfect Game. The Arlington, Virginia native participated in the 2022 MLB Draft Combine and was ranked the No. 126 overall prospect, but elected to come to Virginia instead of turning pro right away. O'Connor is slated to start on the mound in Sunday's game at UNC-Wilmington.
From a fielding standpoint, Virginia lost left fielder Alex Tappen, first baseman Devin Ortiz, center fielder Chris Newell, and second baseman Max Cotier. Although those losses are significant, especially in terms of leadership and experience, the Cavaliers should certainly be excited about what they're bringing back in the starting lineup.
After setting a new program record with 75 home runs as a team in 2022, the Cavaliers should have plenty of pop in the lineup again this year and that starts with Jake Gelof. The junior third baseman broke the UVA single-season RBI record with 81 and batted .377 with 65 runs, 80 hits, and 21 home runs, second-most all-time at Virginia. Gelof was named a preseason First-Team All-American by three different college baseball media outlets.
This is expected to be Gelof's final season in a Virginia uniform as the MLB will likely come calling after this year. The same could be said for junior catcher Kyle Teel, although Teel had a down year at the plate in 2022, hitting .276 with 62 runs, 45 RBI, and six homers. Teel is still one of the top catchers in college baseball and could be primed for a massive bounce-back season at the plate.
Filling most of the starting positions around the diamond will be members of UVA's stellar rising sophomore class. Griff O'Ferrall started all 58 games at shortstop and also led off every game at the top of Virginia's batting order as a true freshman. O'Ferrall batted .308 with 56 runs, 70 hits, 39 RBI, and stole 17 bases, 7th-most in the ACC. O'Ferrall earned a selection to the ACC All-Freshman Team at the end of the season.
With Max Cotier transferring to West Virginia, sophomore Justin Rubin should slide in as the full-time starter at second base after earning 21 starts at second as a true freshman. Rubin batted .333 with 19 runs, 29 hits, and 13 RBI in 2022.
Sophomore Ethan Anderson started 28 games at designated hitter last season, but also started 13 games at first base, switching based on the pitching schedule of Devin Ortiz. With Ortiz off to the majors, Anderson could be in line to take over as the full-time first baseman, but he is also listed as a catcher on the UVA roster. Anderson batted .302 with 35 runs, 39 RBI, 48 hits, and five homers in 50 games as a freshman.
In right field will be Casey Saucke, another rising sophomore who started 46 games in right as a freshman. Saucke gave the Cavaliers a massive lift at the plate in 2022 with a .360 batting average on 67 hits, 46 RBI, and seven home runs. Saucke joined Griff O'Ferrall on the ACC All-Freshman Team last spring.
In left field, Alex Tappen is gone after leading Virginia with 83 hits to go along with 71 RBI and 13 home runs. Replacing him will be a challenge, but Colin Tuft will likely get the nod after starting 17 games in left field as a true freshman. Tuft batted .292 with 28 hits, 15 RBI, and 30 runs.
Finally, Chris Newell vacates center field after starting 54 games and making some electric plays in center last season. That position should go to Northwestern transfer Ethan O'Donnell, a Second-Team All-Big Ten selection in 2022. O'Donnell broke Northwestern's single-season doubles record with 24 last season and hit .320 with 46 runs, 10 home runs, and 39 RBI while batting cleanup for the Wildcats.
Virginia has some solid depth around the diamond. Travis Reifsnider comes in as a transfer from JMU with experience at catcher and in the outfield. Reifsnider was a First-Team All-CAA selection in 2022 and led that conference in slugging percentage at .632 to go along with 13 homers. Rising sophomore Anthony Stephan had a decent freshman campaign as a utility player as well.
UVA's freshmen class features several young players who have some serious potential, including Juan De la Cruz, Henry Godbout, Luke Hanson, Harris Didawick, and Aidan Teel, the younger brother of Kyle Teel and a top recruit as both a right-handed pitcher and as a utility player.
Virginia has holes to fill this offseason, especially on the pitching staff, and the Cavaliers did a great job and meeting those needs with key offseason acquisitions. With a roster laden with talent and experience, UVA should have the firepower to compete against what looks to be another challenging schedule of opponents this season.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|
Fri, Feb 17 at 2pm | Navy | Charlottesville, VA |
Sat, Feb 18 at 2pm | Ohio | Wilmington, NC |
Sun, Feb 19 at 3pm | at UNC-Wilmington | Wilmington, NC |
Tues, Feb 21 at 3pm | Longwood | Charlottesville, VA |
Fri, Feb 24 at 3pm | Columbia | Charlottesville, VA |
Sat, Feb 25 at 1pm | Columbia | Charlottesville, VA |
Sun, Feb 26 at 1pm | Columbia | Charlottesville, VA |
Tues, Feb 28 at 3pm | VMI | Charlottesville, VA |
Fri, Mar 3 at 3pm | Rhode Island | Charlottesville, VA |
Sat, Mar 4 at 12pm | Rhode Island | Charlottesville, VA |
Sat, Mar 4 at 3:30pm | Rhode Island | Charlottesville, VA |
Sun, Mar 4 at 1pm | Rhode Island | Charlottesville, VA |
Tues, Mar 7 at 3pm | William & Mary | Charlottesville, VA |
Fri, Mar 10 at 6pm | at North Carolina | Chapel Hill, NC |
Sat, Mar 11 at 2pm | at North Carolina | Chapel Hill, NC |
Sun, Mar 12 at 1pm | at North Carolina | Chapel Hill, NC |
Tues, Mar 14 at 4pm | George Washington | Charlottesville, VA |
Thurs, Mar 16 at 7pm | at NC State | Raleigh, NC |
Fri, Mar 17 at 6pm | at NC State | Raleigh, NC |
Sat, Mar 18 at 2pm | at NC State | Raleigh, NC |
Tue, Mar 21 at 4pm | High Point | Charlottesville, VA |
Wed, Mar 22 at 4pm | Georgetown | Charlottesville, VA |
Fri, Mar 24 at 6pm | Florida State | Charlottesville, VA |
Sat, Mar 25 at 1pm | Florida State | Charlottesville, VA |
Sun, Mar 26 at 1pm | Florida State | Charlottesville, VA |
Tue, Mar 28 at TBA | Old Dominion | Charlottesville, VA |
Fri, Mar 31 at 8pm | at Virginia Tech | Blacksburg, VA |
Sat, Apr 1 at 7pm | at Virginia Tech | Blacksburg, VA |
Sun, Apr 1 at 1pm | at Virginia Tech | Blacksburg, VA |
Tue, Apr 4 at 6pm | at Liberty | Lynchburg, VA |
Thurs, Apr 6 at 6pm | Miami | Charlottesville, VA |
Fri, Apr 7 at 6pm | Miami | Charlottesville, VA |
Sat, Apr 8 at 1pm | Miami | Charlottesville, VA |
Tue, Apr 11 at 4pm | Richmond | Charlottesville, VA |
Wed, Apr 12 at 4pm | Mount St. Mary's | Charlottesville, VA |
Fri, Apr 14 at 6pm | Pittsburgh | Charlottesville, VA |
Sat, Apr 15 at 4pm | Pittsburgh | Charlottesville, VA |
Sun, Apr 16 at 1pm | Pittsburgh | Charlottesville, VA |
Tue, Apr 18 at 7pm | at VCU | Richmond, VA |
Fri, Apr 21 at 6pm | at Notre Dame | Notre Dame, IN |
Sat, Apr 22 at 3pm | at Notre Dame | Notre Dame, IN |
Sun, Apr 23 at 1pm | at Notre Dame | Notre Dame, IN |
Tue, Apr 25 at 6pm | Liberty | Charlottesville, VA |
Wed, Apr 26 at 6pm | Towson | Charlottesville, VA |
Fri, Apr 28 at 8pm | Duke | Charlottesville, VA |
Sat, Apr 29 at 4pm | Duke | Charlottesville, VA |
Sun, Apr 30 at 1pm | Duke | Charlottesville, VA |
Tue, May 2 at 6pm | VCU | Charlottesville, VA |
Wed, May 3 at 6pm | JMU | Charlottesville, VA |
Wed, May 10 at 6pm | Radford | Charlottesville, VA |
Fri, May 12 at 6pm | Louisville | Charlottesville, VA |
Sat, May 13 at 4pm | Louisville | Charlottesville, VA |
Sun, May 14 at 1pm | Louisville | Charlottesville, VA |
Thurs, May 18 at 6pm | at Georgia Tech | Atlanta, GA |
Fri, May 19 at 6pm | at Georgia Tech | Atlanta, GA |
Sun, May 20 at 1pm | at Georgia Tech | Atlanta, GA |
In the 20th season of Virginia baseball under head coach Brian O'Connor, the Cavaliers will play 56 total games, including 37 home games at Disharoon Park. UVA was originally supposed to play 36 home games, but Friday's season-opener against Navy was moved to Charlottesville due to expected inclement weather in Wilmington, North Carolina, so the Hoos will open the season at home.
In addition to the Hughes Bros. Challenge with games against Navy, Ohio, and UNC-Wilmington, Virginia will play two non-conference series against Columbia and Rhode Island (four-game series) in Charlottesville. UVA will play 14 mid-week games at home: Longwood, VMI, William & Mary, George Washington, High Point, Georgetown, ODU, Richmond, Mount St. Mary's, Liberty, Towson, VCU, JMU, and Radford. The Cavaliers will play two road mid-week games at Liberty and at VCU.
In ACC play, Virginia is set to host home series against Florida State, Miami, Pittsburgh, Duke, and Louisville. UVA will play road series at North Carolina, NC State, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, and Georgia Tech.
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