'Sox Across the Nation: Week Five
By: Luke Stefanisko and Ben Rekosh
The fifth edition of ‘Sox across the nation will be the most diverse listing of leagues we’ve had in an article yet. From the Majors, to the World Baseball Classic and the collegiate ranks, let’s talk about some of the best showings from Tom Sox alumni last week.
Vinnie Pasquantino & Kyle Nicolas, 1B & RHP, Team Italy, ‘Sox class of 2017 & 2018
Although their season ended in a heartbreaking loss to Venezuela in the WBC semi-finals, both Nicolas and Pasquantino represented the Tom Sox and Italy well.
Pasquantino became the first WBC player ever in the tournament to record a three-homer game when he hit three bombs against team Mexico. He has shined the best light on Team Italy as team captain, going viral on social media for numerous interviews and landing a sponsorship deal with Starbucks.
He and Nicolas played their part in helping the Italians win Pool B over talented teams like Mexico and the United States.
Italy’s performance has automatically qualified them for a berth into the 2030 World Baseball Classic, where the two will potentially get the opportunity to push Italy to its first-ever WBC championship.
Wyatt Langford, OF, Texas Rangers, ‘Sox class of 2021
Langford has had a meteoric rise to baseball stardom in a very short amount of time. Despite not being selected to Team USA for the World Baseball classic, he has still amassed some impressive numbers this Spring.
The 24-year-old has hit for a .483 average this preseason, with his OPS bloating to over 1.500. He clubbed two home runs last week in games against the Athletics and the Padres, marking his third and fourth blasts so far in the Spring.
The Rangers have rebuilt for the upcoming season, and Langford will be one of the biggest keys to their success this season.
James Hays, RHP, Stetson, ‘Sox class of 2024
The former Georgia Bulldog has been solid in his two seasons with the Hatters after a 2024 Summer in Charlottesville.
After striking out seven batters against North Dakota State and Fordham, Hays one upped himself by punching out nine batters against North Florida in a seven inning performance. His pitching helped the Hatters pick up a 7-2 win in game one of the series.
Impressively, that outing was good for retiring 18 straight batters.
His outing sets a new career-high in strikeouts, one that he will look to break throughout the rest of his college career.
Hudson Lutterman, INF, Virginia Tech, ‘Sox class of 2025
One of three Hokies who spent time with the Tom Sox last year, Lutterman is having a career year in the maroon and orange.
He’s improved his average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage this season while cutting back on his strikeout rate. Over the weekend, he starred in the Commonwealth Clash against the University of Virginia, collecting 5 hits and RBIs with two homers in the series.
Despite the struggles for the Hokies, Lutterman has been a bright spot in his second season in Blacksburg.
Kyle Langley, OF, James Madison, ‘Sox class of 2025
Another player who has had a tremendous start to his college season after a Charlottesville summer is Kyle Langley.
Much like Lutterman, Langley has seen a significant increase to his offensive statistics. James Madison is 10-8 this season, and courtesy of Langley, secured a series sweep in their Sun Belt opener. Tied in the bottom of the ninth in game two, the junior doubled to pick up the win over Georgia Southern.
One of the most consistent players in Charlottesville in 2025, Langley has picked up right where he left off.
Colby Wallace, INF/RHP, East Carolina, ‘Sox class of 2024
The Pirates have had a disappointing start to the season, sitting at 13-8-1 through 25 games. However, the 2024 Valley League Champion is beginning to turn things around.
Wallace jacked his first home run of the season on Tuesday in a midweek 4-3 win over Elon. He went two-for-three on the night, and his season average is up to .338. He has totaled 26 hits and 13 RBIs this season, but the two-way star has yet to pitch this season.
“All wins are good wins,” Wallace told PR927FM after the game as ECU has won two in a row.
OTHER
Dawson Newman (VCU) pitched another three scoreless innings to lower his season ERA to 1.64. His appearance on Friday marked his second save of the season. Newman recorded his third-straight appearance allowing zero earned runs, and tied his career-high for strikeouts.
Cooper Blauser (Jacksonville State) collected four hits and two RBI’s over the weekend.
Robbie Lavey (George Washington) notched five hits in the opening conference series against Rhode Island.
COACHES CORNER
Valley Baseball League Champions Randy Tomlin & Coy Tomlin (Liberty Christian) are ranked no. 14 in the VIRGINIA/DC 2026 POWER 25 by PrepBaseball. The Bulldogs begin their season on Thursday against Fluvanna County.
Lyndon Coleman (Pasco Hernando) took two of three games in a series against St. John’s River State College. The Bobcats were slotted in at the no. 2 spot in the week two NJCAA DII Baseball Rankings.
Assistant Coach Ramon Garza (George Washington) and the Revolutionaries won the series at home against Rhode Island to open conference play; the team has started the season 8-10.
If you’ve missed any of the editions as we cross the one month anniversary of this weekly series, be sure to check tomsox.org/news to catch up. Thank you to everyone who consistently reads and supports this series!
Be sure to follow the Tom Sox on social media and visit tomsox.org for the latest; ‘Sox Around the Nation will publish every Wednesday.
