CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Charlottesville Tom Sox (3-5) look to win back-to-back games for the first time this season as they visit the Staunton Braves (5-4).
Coverage: First pitch is set for 7:30 p.m. from John Moxie Memorial Stadium. Viewers can head to the Braves YouTube channel to watch tonight’s game. A link to the live stats is available on Pointstreak. The Tom Sox X account (@CvilleTomSox) will provide live updates.
Ticket Information: General admission to all Braves home games is $7.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Staunton: RHP Kyle Batt (Rider)
Charlottesville: LHP Alex Bingler (James Madison)
C’VILLE COMEBACKS
- The Tom Sox have three wins in the 2025 season, and all three have come in comeback fashion
- In last night’s win over Culpeper, the ‘Sox trailed 6-1 entering the bottom of the sixth, but Charlottesville plated eight runs in the frame, highlighted by a go-ahead grand slam off the bat of Patrick Niehus (Gardner-Webb)
- The grand slam was the first for the ‘Sox since Cooper Blauser’s on July 20, 2024, also against Culpeper, and the eight runs in the inning were the most in a single inning since July 17, 2023, at Staunton
- When the Tom Sox beat Staunton 8-2 just last week, the Braves held an early 1-0 lead before the C’Ville bats came to life
- Back on June 3 at Waynesboro, the Generals were up 9-4 going into the eighth before the ‘Sox put up six runs to take the lead
STREAKING ‘SOX
- After a week of games, several ‘Sox hitters have found their groove
- Kyle Langley (James Madison), Patrick Niehus (Gardner-Webb), and Tanner Schaedel (Old Dominion) each have six game hitting streaks
- Jackson Sirois (Virginia) has a six game on base streak
10TH SEASON OF TOM SOX BASEBALL
- 2025 marks the tenth season of Charlottesville Tom Sox baseball
- Since 2015, the team’s inaugural season, the ‘Sox have won four Valley League Championships, appeared in the championship series six times, and been a step in over 30 professional players journeys
- Over the last decade, the Tom Sox have won 256 games, and have a winning percentage of .600
RETURNING ‘SOX
- The Tom Sox are excited to welcome back three players from last year’s VBL title team to Charlottesville
- Trevor Booton (Auburn), Kaegan Costa (Paul D Camp), and James Nunnallee (Virginia) were all on last year’s team at some point, and are on this year’s Opening Day roster
COAST TO COAST
- The Opening Day roster for the Tom Sox features 30 players from Division I, one from Division III, and four Junior College players across 15 conferences in college baseball
- The ‘Sox are from 10 states across the country (Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Pennsylvania, Virginia), with Virginia being the most represented (16 players)
SCOUTING THE BRAVES
- Staunton was red hot before coming to CHO Airport Field on Friday, but after that 8-2 loss to the ‘Sox, the Braves also lost their following two games, putting them at a three-game losing streak entering tonight’s contest
- Last night, Staunton fell to Woodstock, 2-1, in a game which they only mustered three hits, and scored their only run on a wild pitch
- The Braves offense has been solid so far this summer, currently sitting in third place in the Valley League in runs scored (80)
- Staunton does hold the league lead in walks, and are top five in several other offensive categories
- Michael Urbaniak leads the Braves with a .421 AVG, and including Urbaniak, the Braves have five players hitting over .300
- On the mound, Staunton’s team ERA has shot up to 5.16 after it was at 4.32 ahead of Friday’s tilt
- Today is the 64th all-time meeting between Charlottesville and Staunton, with the ‘Sox holding a 39-24 lead in the series
COACHES CORNER
- Randy Tomlin, the reigning VBL South Division Coach of the Year, returns to Charlottesville for his second season at the helm of the Tom Sox
- Tomlin became the third Tom Sox head coach to earn Coach of the Year honors, joining Corey Hunt (2017) and Kory Koehler (2021)
- Tomlin led the ‘Sox to a 30-15 overall record in his first season, a league-best 26-13 regular season record, and the fourth Valley Baseball League Championship in team history
- Tomlin is also the current head coach at Liberty Christian Academy
- Under Tomlin, the Tom Sox finished top three in the VBL in batting average, runs scored, ERA and WHIP during the regular season
- Randy’s son, Coy Tomlin, also returns for his second season as an assistant coach, where he will continue to bring infectious energy to the ballpark each night
- Assistant coaches Thomas Abell, Jim Darin, Joey Davis (Hitting), and Chris Glaize (Pitching) round out the 2025 staff. Darin, previously on Corey Hunt’s staff from 2017-2019, rejoins the staff after three trips to the Valley League Championship
- Davis, the hitting coach, a two-time World Series champion, spent 10 years as a major league scout for the Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies, and Atlanta Braves, and has previously coached at Berry College, St. Leo College, Western Kentucky, as well as both the Blue Jays and Phillies organizations
- Glaize, the pitching coach, is currently the head coach at Brookville High School in Lynchburg, VA, and has previously served as an assistant coach for the Purcellville Cannons and Winchester Royals
A WINNING MODEL
- The Tom Sox have been the Valley’s most successful team since winning their first title in 2017
- The ‘Sox have appeared in all but one championship series since ‘17 (2021) and have won the league title in four of the last seven seasons
- Charlottesville’s 190-99 record since the start of the 2017 season is the best in the VBL
- Charlottesville’s six championship appearances and four titles since 2017 are both the most in the VBL over that span
- The Tom Sox have won the league title in alternating seasons since 2017 (‘17, ‘19, ‘22 [2020 season cancelled], ‘24)
‘SOX ON THE ROAD TO OMAHA
- Several former Tom Sox played in this year’s NCAA Tournament with their eyes set on reaching the College World Series in Omaha, NE
- The ‘Sox were represented in 10 of the 16 NCAA Regionals across the country, including six players playing in the Conway Regional hosted by Coastal Carolina
- Eight of those players (John Armstrong – Auburn, Cade Belyeu – Auburn, Dean Mihos – Coastal Carolina, Zach Root – Arkansas, Cale Stricklin – Auburn, Justin Thomas – Arkansas, Derek Williams – Miami) advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals
- Arkansas and Coastal Carolina both won their respective Super Regionals, meaning that Mihos, Root and Thomas are headed to the College World Series
