UVA baseball offseason report: Pitching, transfers, freshmen and a surprise addition?

David Sewall of The Cavalier Daily shares his thoughts

Virginia head coach Chris Pollard walks away from the pitcher’s mound during an NCAA Baseball Regional game between Virginia and Jax State at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Friday, May 29, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

In a few weeks, Virginia baseball will return to action as it starts the fall practice period. It will be a valuable fall for the Cavaliers — there are a ton of talented additions, and every player will have to battle for starting spots or innings.

There are plenty of key storylines as Virginia loads up for a return to the College World Series. In advance of fall practice, Virginia On SI spoke with David Sewall, a baseball beat writer for The Cavalier Daily.

Xander Tilock: What are your thoughts on Virginia’s departures and acquisitions?

David Sewall: From the departure standpoint, the big losses are AJ Gracia, Eric Becker, Lucas Hartman — Harrison Didawick, maybe. I think that they lost a lot of star power, but from an acquisitions perspective, I think that they've done really well in terms of their retention. The only notable losses I can really think of are Aidan Harris and Marcus Stroman. 

The thing I would touch on is that they retained a ton, and I think they've gotten deeper — especially in the infield. So I think that what they lack in AJ Gracia and a big bat can be made up for in terms of depth in the lineup and also in terms of weekend arms. But generally, I think that I think that Chris Pollard has done a really good job in his first full off season in terms of replenishing this roster with talent.

XT: Building off that. So, of course, last year they hired Pollard, and he got maybe just a couple days to prepare for the portal in the offseason. How do you think having more time affected this offseason haul?

DS: I think that it's crucial, right? I think that he has a much better idea of his situation and the guys that are on his roster. It's not like when they were playing in the ACC tournament three days before, packing their stuff, going back to Charlottesville and Pollard is taking over for a legendary coach in Coach O'Connor, who completely transformed this program. 

And Pollard had to be the guy after the guy, which a lot of times is really hard to do. And so now, in having this runway and then being familiarized with Carla Williams and the athletic department and the resources that he has, and the players that are on his roster, I think that it just has allowed him and his staff to be a lot more aligned and a lot more focused this offseason.

XT: A major storyline right now is the class of 2022 injunction, five in five, all of that. So Harrison Didwick and Kevin Jackson could, in theory, come back at this moment. Do you think that they might return? What do you think that might look like, especially given that Virginia executed its offseason, assuming that they weren't going to be able to come back?

DS: Right. It's very interesting. It's a really interesting situation that I don't think anyone really anticipated to be in. I think that Harrison Didawick  graduated in the spring with the thought that he wasn’t going to be here [in 2027]. I have more insight into Didawick than Jaxel.

If I was a betting man on Harrison Didawick right now, I'd say that he comes back. I would say that he slots into the left field slot where they previously had RJ Holmes, and is another big bat for Pollard in the middle of his lineup. I'm not exactly sure what Jaxel’s plan is, but I know that both of them would be welcome back with open arms for Virginia, if possible.

XT: A big theme of this transfer class is that positional versatility. Do you have a couple guesses of where you think some guys would slot in defensively?

DS: Bringing in Reid Howard from Western Kentucky, I think they had him at second base, which is interesting because that's where Michael Elko played at Richmond, so that would make me think Noah Murray is at third. Maybe Elko is going to play shortstop. I don't know who the everyday shortstop is going to be, but I know that with RJ Holmes they're concerned about his arm in left field, but they love the bat, and they love the person and the player. Overall, there is a lot of shifting around right now defensively to see how the pieces fit best.

XT: Of the 2027 newcomers, including a very intact freshman class, which one of them or a couple of them do you think will have the biggest impact on this upcoming season?

DS: I think that my mind goes to the Richmond guys, right? Joey Giordano and Michael Elko. I think that they're both going to be day one impact guys for Pollard and UVA. I think that Will Yow wanted a ton of money in the MLB Draft, and I think that the feedback he got from MLB scouts was he wasn't going to get it, and so then he made the decision even prior to the draft that he was going to come here. 

So I don't think there were any surprises from that perspective. I think that Yow could make an immediate impact as a freshman with his athleticism and his speed that he displayed growing up in these youth leagues and in these prep travel ball circuits. So I think that those are three names that I'd watch.

XT: One more thing: If there's anything else you would like to touch on, or anything else you've been hearing about or thinking about, what would you say?

DS: I would highlight the pitching. It was a team pitching staff in the ERA in the mid fives last year, but they improved this offseason. They didn't really lose a lot in terms of their weekend arms. Obviously, Kyle Johnson dealt with an injury, came back, wasn't really the same. Virginia added elite guys like Giordano into that mix, and if they can bring back Jaxel, great. 

I think that they just have a lot more depth in their rotation now, and in the bullpen too. I think John Downing could be a huge player. I think that Serigne Sarre could be good. I think that the pitching is the thing that if I'm a Virginia fan, I'm most excited about heading into the 2027 season.