Eight college teams have advanced to the College World Series in Omaha- Florida State, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky (for the first time ever!), Texas A&M, Florida, and NC State. How many former Valley Leaguers are on those teams’ rosters? Tune in on Friday to the potential of seeing some of these players represent their teams!

Florida State

  • Ben Barrett, RHP (Harrisonburg 2023): Barrett has gone 1-0, 5.27, with one save in 13 2/3 innings for FSU. For the Turks last summer, he went 2-1, 2.00, with one save, in 18 innings pitched.
  • Jacob Marlowe, LHP (Harrisonburg 2023): Marlowe, a transfer from Central Florida, is on the roster but has not appeared in a game this year. He went 1-0, 2.51, with one save in 14 1/3 innings pitched for the Turks last summer.
  • He doesn’t really count, but Drew Faurot‘s father, Adam, played in Front Royal in 1995. Dad hit .314 in 105 at-bats for the Cardinals, too.
  • Last but not least, Head Coach Link Jarrett also played in Harrisonburg (before stats started to exist in 1993).

Virginia

  • Henry Ford, INF (Charlottesville 2023): Ford has been superb in his freshman season for the Cavs. He’s hitting .339/.413/.608 in 245 at-bats, with 13 doubles, 17 home runs, 60 runs scored, 68 RBIs, and a 29/51 BB/K ratio. He hit three home runs in a game on April 4 against North Carolina, and set the school record for most home runs by a freshman. Ford went to St. Anne’s-Belfield in Charlottesville for two high school seasons before transferring to a high school in Tennessee, so he’s kind of local. He was also very good in his summer (regular) season in Charlottesville, hitting .311/.402/.522 in 90 at-bats, with seven doubles, four home runs, 20 RBIs, and an outstanding 15/13 BB/K ratio. In seven playoff games, he went 8-24, with seven runs, three doubles, three home runs, four RBIs, and six walks against five strikeouts. (Pictured)
  • Jacob Ference, C (Charlottesville 2023): Ference has also been outstanding this college season- he’s hitting .354/.464/.723 in 195 at-bats, with 54 runs, 13 doubles, four triples, 17 home runs, 43 RBIs, and 31 walks against 46 K’s. For Charlottesville last summer, he went 5-13 with two home runs in five games in the regular season. In the playoffs, he went 7-23 in six games, with four doubles and a home run. Ference is a grad student who played at Salisbury University for four seasons. I don’t have any knowledge of his catching defensive ability, but might Mr. Ference get a shot at pro ball after this season?
  • Aidan Teel, UTIL (Charlottesville 2023): Teel went 4-10, with three of those four hits being home runs in this, his sophomore season. In the summer for C-ville, he hit .276/.456/.483 in 58 regular season at-bats, with four doubles and two home runs. In the playoffs, he went 9-26, with seven runs, two more home runs, five RBIs, and eight walks against only four strikeouts.
  • Head coach Brian O’Connor has also played in the Valley- Harrisonburg in 1990 (according to my notes).

North Carolina

  • Matt Poston, RHP (Purcellville and Strasburg, 2021): Poston appeared in 27 games for the Tar Heels this spring, going 5-2, 5.25 in 36 innings, with four saves, 17 walks, and 50 strikeouts. While still at Florence-Darlington Tech in 2021, Poston pitched for the Cannons in the regular season and the Express in the playoffs (I don’t think the league allows this any longer, but I could be wrong). For Purcellville, he went 0-0, 2.55, with five saves, 13 walks, and 33 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings. He was named the 6th-best reliever in the league in this space. He threw 3 1/3 no-hit, shutout innings in the playoffs for the title-winning Express.

Tennessee

  • Bradke Lohry, INF (Covington 2022): Lohry played for the Lumberjacks when he was transferring from Wabash Valley College to the College of Central Florida. Lohry has hit .241/.452/.345 in 29 at-bats in 2024. He hit .282/..388/.324 in 71 at-bats for Covington.
  • Cal Stark, C (Charlottesville 2021): Stark played for Charlottesville in ’21 when he was leaving Navarro College and heading to Weatherford. For the Vols in 2024, he hit .231/.371/.556 in 117 at-bats, with six doubles, 10 home runs, and 28 RBIs. He went 9-43 with two home runs for the Sox.

Florida

  • Armando Albert, INF (Strasburg 2022): Albert played in the Valley when he was a student at Florida Atlantic. He went 7-36 for Florida in 2024, and .323/496/.355 in 93 at-bats for the 2022 Express.
  • Tanner Garrison, C (Waynesboro 2022): Garrison was attending Coastal Carolina when he played in the Valley. He hit .246/.348/.351 in 57 at-bats this spring, and .299/.450/.494 in 87 at-bats for the Generals.
  • Fisher Jameson, RHP (Charlottesville 2022): Jameson leads the Gators in appearances, with 32- he’s 5-0, 4.00, with three saves, 15 walks, and 71 K’s in 60 innings pitched. For Charlottesville in ’22, he went 1-1, 5.75 in 20 /3 innings.
  • Tyler Shelnut, INF/OF (Charlottesville 2022): Shelnut has hit .264/.360/.532 in 61 starts this year, with 42 runs, 18 doubles, 15 home runs, 50 RBIs, and a 29/80 BB/K ratio. He played in only five games for Charlottesville in ’22, and went 2-15.
  • And Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan, one of the most decorated head coaches in baseball, who played in Waynesboro in 2001. (He played in six games and went 4-18.)

Texas A&M

  • Just one person on the 2024 roster has ties to the VBL; it’s Associate Head Coach Nolan Cain, who played in Luray in 2006 and 2007 (when he was playing for LSU). In ’06, he went 1-1, 1.42 in 19 innings; in ’07, he went 1-2, 2.20 in 32 2/3 innings (with 45 K’s!).

Kentucky

  • Evan Byers, LHP (New Market 2022): Byers appeared in 21 games this spring, throwing 23 2/3 innings. He went 3-1, 5.32 with 23 K’s. He appeared in 11 games and 22 1/3 innings for New Market, going 1-2, 3.62, with 17 walks and 26 K’s.
  • James McCoy, INF/OF (Strasburg 2021): McCoy hit .233/.381/.414 in 133 at-bats this spring, with four doubles and six home runs. He also threw four innings out of the bullpen without allowing an earned run. He went 9-56 in 29 games for the Express.
  • Mason Moore, RHP (New Market 2022): Moore was a regular in the Wildcat rotation, starting 16 games. He went 9-3, 5.02 in 84 1/3 innings, with 45 walks and 76 K’s. Moore started six games for New Market in ’22, and in 32 2/3 innings went 3-1, 3.58, with only six walks against 38 K’s.
  • Jackson Nove, LHP (Charlottesville 2022): Over 26 appearances and 29 2/3 innings, Nove went 1-0, 5.46, with 20 walks and 41 K’s this spring. He pitched 22 2/3 innings for Charlottesville in ’22, going 0-0, 3.57, with 10 walks and 18 K’s.
  • Hayden Smith, LHP (Charlottesville 2023): Smith appeared in four games, covering 3 1/3 innings. he threw 15 innings in the VBL, going 0-2, 4.20, with 13 walks and 15 K’s.

NC State

  • Josh Hogue, OF/INF (Winchester 2023): Hogue was off to a .314/.398/.450 start in his first 37 games this spring, but very unfortunately broke his leg in an outfield collision and has missed the rest of the season. He was outstanding in 18 games last summer with the Royals; he hit .360/.429/.613 in 75 at-bats, with five doubles and four home runs.
  • Carson Kelly, RHP (Waynesboro 2022): Kelly threw 4 2/3 innings this spring. He started four games for the Generals in ’22, and ended the summer with a 9.69 ERA in 13 innings. (According to reports, Kelly has been injured much of this season.)
  • Chase Nixon, OF (Winchester 2022): Nixon is hitting .260/.403/.290 in 100 at-bats. He played in 25 games for the Royals in ’22, and slashed .272/.392/.395, with three doubles, two triples, and a home run.
  • Garrett Payne, RHP (Charlottesville 2021): Payne has thrown 1 2/3 innings this spring. He started two games for C-ville back in ’21, throwing seven total innings with a 2.57 ERA.

Some additions to NC State:

  • Head Coach Elliott Avent, again according to reports, played in the VBL from back before we have stats.
  • Associate Head Coach Chris Hart played for Winchester in 1999.
  • Pitching Coach Clint Chrysler played for Waynesboro in 1995.
  • Assistant Coach Bo Robinson also played for Waynesboro in 1995.

So whichever team wins in Omaha will include at least one person with ties to the Valley League, the “Gateway to the Majors!”