Virginia Tech Adds JUCO RHP Kaiden Lopez
BLACKSBURG, Va. — John Szefc and Virginia Tech have added yet another pitcher into the fold, this time coming from the JUCO ranks, as College of Central Florida (Not the University of Central Florida) RHP Kaiden Lopez announced his commitment to Virginia Tech on Sunday after spending a pair of seasons with the Patriots.
Committed! Go Hokies‼️ @HokiesBaseball pic.twitter.com/BGwzQS5h7G
— Kaiden Lopez (@KaidenLopez1) July 6, 2026
What kind of player is Lopez?
As a sophomore, Lopez appeared in 17 games, starting 11 of them and posting a 5-1 record. Along with that, he sports a 3.71 ERA in 63 innings, where he struck out 75 batters and kept his WHIP at a strong 1.46.
Lopez technically doesn't enter through the transfer portal since he is a JUCO player. He is an addition to the recruiting class. Even so, it's an early off-season addition that aligns with the transfer portal timeline. Among those players, he joins as the 12th addition in the cycle, joining pitchers Chris Torres, Nate Bennett, Mike Staiano, Aiden VanDeHatert, Daniel Powell, Nic Abraham, Kaden Hilenburger, AJ Camp and George Adams. He also joins catcher Caleb Strawhecker and infielder Evan Hankins.
He sports a four-pitch mix, with a fastball that sits in the low-90's with regularity, but has had the capability of riding up into the upper-90's, topping out at 98 mph. He pairs that with a curveball as his secondary, which works as a big bender, sitting around the mid-70's. Along with this, he has a slider/cutter mix and a changeup, which both sit in the low-to-mid-80's range.
His fastball metrics from a recent bullpen that he posted stand out more than anything. he has above-average velocity with the ability to reach another gear when needed. His 2,295 rpm average spin rate is solid, while a 97% spin efficiency allows him to maximize the movement generated from that spin. The fastball produces 17.9 inches of induced vertical break, giving it excellent carry through the strike zone, and 11.3 inches of arm-side run helps keep hitters from squaring it up.
Combined with a -2.3° vertical approach angle, the pitch plays especially well at the top of the zone, creating the illusion of late life. Overall, it projects as an above-average ACC fastball with enough velocity, carry, and movement to miss bats and serve as the foundation of a high-level arsenal.
Grateful for my two years in Juco and thank you to the staff at the College of Central Florida for a great year! First team all Citrus Conference Pitcher. 2026 Stats, video, and data below. Please reach out to my Phone: 689-867-0284 or @JesseLitsch pic.twitter.com/ODgnGhhVYT
— Kaiden Lopez (@KaidenLopez1) June 2, 2026
The Hokies are now at 39 of the allotted 34 players, meaning they have to cut five players to reach the roster limit. I expect maybe one more transfer to be added the rest of the way.
Stay tuned for more transfer portal updates.
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Joshua Poslusny - who goes by Poz - is a Radford University sophomore in the School of Communication. He graduated from Ocean Springs High School in Mississippi in 2024. He has previously done work for The Tech Lunch Pail, Tech Sideline, and Sons of Saturday, among others. He specializes in baseball coverage, which he has been doing for the last year. He also has experience covering football, basketball, and softball.