CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Charlottesville Tom Sox (1-4) are back home tonight and look to turn the page on a rough start as they welcome in the hottest team in the Valley League, the Staunton Braves (5-1).
Coverage: First pitch is set for 7 p.m. from CHO Airport Field at Charlottesville High School. Viewers can head to the Tom Sox Facebook page or the Tom Sox YouTube channel to watch tonight’s game. Luke Stefanisko and Landon Weaver will be on the call. A link to the live stats is available on Pointstreak. The Tom Sox X account (@CvilleTomSox) will provide live updates.
Ticket Information: Admission to all Tom Sox home games is $5. Seniors ages 65 and older, children 12 and under, and any military or first responders get in for $3. Season tickets can be purchased online here. Come join us for our Educators Appreciation Night!
PROBABLE STARTERS
Staunton: TBA
Charlottesville: RHP Bradley Link (Pensacola State College)
ROUGH STRETCH
- The Charlottesville Tom Sox have lost four of their five games to begin the 2025 season
- After a 10-9 comeback victory in Waynesboro on Tuesday, the ‘Sox fell at home to Front Royal on Wednesday, and then forfeited their matchup with Covington on Thursday
- In the midweek clash with the Cardinals, Charlottesville led 4-2 entering the eighth inning
- Kaegan Costa (Paul D. Camp) kept his great start to the season going with a two-run single in the second inning
- Gian De Castro (Arizona State) and Jackson Sirois (Virginia) also drove in runs
- The game quickly took a turn in the wrong direction as the Tom Sox bullpen allowed eight runs to score in the eighth inning on no hits, with Front Royal walking eight times
- Offensively, the ‘Sox failed to capitalize with runners in scoring position, stranding 15 throughout the game
- The ‘Sox are now 0-3 at home this season
ROSTER ADDITIONS
- The Tom Sox have added both RHP Luke Craytor (Virginia Tech) and RHP Brandon Eldridge (Florida Southwestern) to the active roster ahead of today’s game
- Craytor made 21 appearances for the Hokies this spring, and collected two saves, while Eldridge made 17 appearances for the Bucs, and finished with a 5.84 ERA
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 254 games, and have a winning percentage of .599
RETURNING ‘SOX
- The Tom Sox are excited to welcome back three players from last year’s Valley League title team
- 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 27 players from Division I and four Junior College players across 15 conferences in college baseball
- The ‘Sox are from nine states across the country (Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia), with Virginia being the most represented (15 players)
SCOUTING THE BRAVES
- Staunton boasts the best record in the Valley League so far at 5-1
- The Braves won their first three games by a combined score of 34-13, and in their last two wins, they are outscoring their opponents, 29-7
- The Braves offense has been outstanding to begin the summer, holding the Valley League lead in runs scored with 70 (Harrisonburg is in second place with 49 runs scored)
- Staunton also holds the league lead in hits, doubles, walks, on base percentage, and OPS
- Ty Galusky leads the Braves with a .545 AVG, but Wyatt Peifer has been their most well-rounded hitter
- Peifer is hitting for a .391 AVG, and has a home run, four doubles, eight RBI, and six walks
- On the mound, Staunton has a 4.32 ERA as a team, the third best mark in the Valley League
- Opponents are hitting for a .212 AVG against Staunton pitching, and the Braves have walked the fewest batters out of any Valley League team (16)
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 are playing in this year’s NCAA Tournament with their eyes set on reaching the College World Series in Omaha, NE
- The ‘Sox are 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, which start today
