Tom Sox Announce 2026 Schedule
By: Ben Rekosh
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Four-time Valley Baseball League Champion Charlottesville Tom Sox released the schedule for the 2026 season on Monday (February 16th). The 2026 slate features an emphasis on in-division play and an all-new Valley Baseball League playoff format in the program’s quest for a fifth VBL title.
The 36 game regular season slate is highlighted by 18 home games, 13 of which being weekend dates. Charlottesville will again play its home games at CHO Airport Field, located at Charlottesville High School. All weekday (Monday-Friday) games will take place at 7:00 p.m.; weekend games will start at 3:00 p.m..
NEW IN 2026
2026 is headlined by 30 in-division games. Each team will play the five other division opponents six times – three at home and three away. There will be only six out-of-division games – three at home and three away. The location for out-of-division games alternates on a year-by-year basis.
Both Mondays and Tuesday are now days off and are reserved for “rainout days” – without a match on the calendar, contributing to the 36 game schedule rather than the previous 42 games.
Charlottesville will not play on The Fourth of July, but it will play at home on both July 3rd and July 5th, against Staunton and Winchester respectively.
NOTABLE DATES
Year three of the Randy Tomlin era will begin on Friday, May 29th with a trip to Waynesboro for a matchup with the Generals. Charlottesville defeated Waynesboro in round one of the 2025 VBL playoffs and went 6-1 overall against the Generals last season.
The Tom Sox home opener will be Sunday, May 31st hosting the Woodstock River Bandits. Following the retirement of Hall of Fame Coach Mike Bocock after the 2025 season, the River Bandits have promoted pitching coach Aaron Ford to head coach.
July 9th marks the only rematch of the 2025 VBL championship series between the Tom Sox and Express. Charlottesville will travel to Strasburg for a Thursday night contest at First Bank Park. The ‘Sox fell three games to one in the championship, falling just short of the fifth title in franchise history; the home team won in all three games of the series.
Tomlin’s Tom Sox will wrap up the regular season at home on Saturday July 18th the same way they started it: against the Waynesboro Generals. The VBL playoffs will start immediately after the end of the regular season, which is scheduled for July 18th.
POSTSEASON STRUCTURE
The Valley League playoffs will present an all-new format in 2026. The top four seeds from each division at the conclusion of the regular season will make the playoffs, and all three rounds are going to be a best-of-three series. Full details for the playoffs will be announced at a later date.
This will mark the 129th year of existence for the storied Valley Baseball League, one of the most prestigious summer baseball settings in America. 12 teams will compete for the Jim Lineweaver Cup.
EXHIBITION MATCHUP
Charlottesville is slated to take on the Yorktown Coconuts in a first-of-its-kind exhibition event on June 1st at CHO Airport Field. The Coconuts are an independent summer collegiate baseball team, located in Southeastern Virginia on the Chesapeake Bay. Yorktown plays teams from the Virginia and North Carolina areas. The program is going into its third season, founded in 2023.
SEASON TICKETS
2026 Tom Sox season tickets are available for a deal better than ever at tomsox.org/get-tickets.
Season passes start at $75 – it is equivalent to saving over 30% versus purchasing single game tickets. A season includes access to all 18 home games – plus the playoffs. The seating at CHO Airport Field is general admission.
Fans or businesses looking to reserve seating for a group or company outing can take advantage of a reserved, tented group seating area and other special offers for large groups. Interested parties should contact the Tom Sox via email at [email protected] to reserve their spot.
The full Charlottesville Tom Sox schedule is available at tomsox.org/schedule. Follow the Tom Sox on social media and visit tomsox.org for the latest.
