For the second year in a row, the baseball program reached the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. — and for the second year in a row, they went 0-2 and were sent packing earlier than expected. A month later, a handful of Cavalier stars and high school recruits were selected in the MLB Draft. Now, Coach Brian O’Connor has his roster set as Virginia enters the heart of fall practice. The team had its first media availability of the academic year Friday — here are some key takeaways.
Senior pitcher Jay Woolfolk is back — he decided to stay with the Cavaliers after testing the waters of the MLB Draft. Last season, Woolfolk emerged as a postseason legend. He allowed just five runs in 14.1 innings in home playoff games, while also recording 14 strikeouts. Unfortunately, Woolfolk suffered a knee injury against Florida State in the College World Series — but he will look to be a consistent starter in the pitching rotation in 2025. Even with the goal of reaching professional baseball still lurking in the back of his mind, Woolfolk established a clear top priority for this upcoming season.
“We’re not just going to get to Omaha, we’re going to win it this time,” Woolfolk said. “That’s the mindset that we’re going to have this year."
Anyone who watched the 2024 regular season will be glad to hear that pitching depth should be much improved this season compared to last. The pitching staff came alive in the postseason after consistently middling performance during the regular season, but the Cavaliers still struggled to find more than a few arms that could keep up with the high-pressure, quick-turnaround nature of the playoffs. O’Connor emphasized that this year’s Virginia team should be much stronger in that department.
“Returning Evan Blanco and Jay Woolfolk is huge for us,” O’Connor said. “I think there will probably be eight to 10 guys that could compete for starting spots, and that’s more than we’ve ever had before.”
Such an influx of youth is a clear positive, but the challenges that accompany such inexperience should not be understated. O’Connor expressed gratitude for graduate catcher Jacob Ference, the junior college transfer who took the starting job behind the plate and turned in a stellar season offensively and defensively.
“Candidly, he’s like another coach on the field,” O’Connor said. “He does a great job not only mentoring the new catchers in the program, but that relationship with the pitcher is so important in their development.”
On the offensive side, star infielder Henry Ford enters his sophomore year coming off of Freshman All-American honors. He has continued his meteoric rise to stardom — having played with USA Baseball this summer. Heading into the heart of fall practice, Ford is focused on ensuring that the next trip to Omaha ends with a trophy in hand.
“I think it’s going to take the little things,” Ford said. “I think it’s going to take discipline and a strong mindset and being focused on the little aspects of the game and not letting the moment get too big.”
However, Ford will not play first base like he did in the spring. O’Connor confirmed that Ford will be playing in the outfield, most likely taking the vacant spot in right field after Casey Saucke was drafted by the Chicago White Sox. Contenders at first base include sophomore infielder Antonio Perrotta, senior utility player Chris Arroyo and others.
Assuming Ford and junior Harrison Didawick stick in the outfield, there is one more spot out deep — potentially for junior utility player Aidan Teel, who has performed admirably in limited opportunities throughout his Virginia career. Expect the talented upperclassman to garner considerable playing time in the outfield.
Even with the outfield discussion and the newfound first base opening, the most uncertain slot in the lineup as of now is shortstop — the position where O’Connor will undoubtedly miss Baltimore Orioles draftee and Brooks Wallace Award recipient Griff O’Ferrall.
“You don’t replace Griff O’Ferrall,” O’Connor said. “The talent was great, but his leadership was as good as I’ve seen in my twenty years here at Virginia.”
Matching O’Ferrall’s production is a wildly unrealistic expectation, but O’Connor appeared confident in the team’s ability to fill the void, listing junior infielders Henry Godbout and Luke Hanson alongside sophomore infielder Eric Becker as three candidates for the position. O’Connor also mentioned freshman infielder Jackson Sirois, the sixth-ranked incoming recruit in Virginia, as another contender. Based on O’Connor’s input, the race appears to be wide open.
Now, three months after Omaha, the Cavaliers are looking as strong as ever as they prepare for fall exhibition games beginning in late October. Expect this Virginia squad to compete, hungry for a national title after making a College World Series appearance in three of the past four seasons.
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