CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Seven Tom Sox players were named 2022 Valley League All-Stars, as voted on by the league’s 11 head coaches on Monday (July 11). Named to the team were RHP Jack Billings, RHP Drew Bryan, Outfielder Carter Cunningham, Infielder/Outfielder Christian Martin, RHP Tyler McLoughlin, Catcher/DH Satchell Norman, and First Baseman Cole Wagner.
Shortstop Kyle Edwards and RHP Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman were named alternates and will participate if an all-star selection is unable to.
The Tom Sox’s seven selections are the second-most in the VBL (Waynesboro, 9) and are the second-most in Tom Sox history (2017, 8). The Tom Sox currently sit in third place in the South division with a 17-11 record and are riding a seven-game win streak. They are one game behind the league-leading Turks (who are also on a 7-game win streak) and half a game behind second-place Waynesboro.
Righty Jack Billings (Coastal Carolina) has been nails as one of Charlottesville’s two closers this season. He carries in a 1.04 ERA in six appearances (8.2 innings), allowing only one earned run thus far. His two saves rank second on the team and his 15 strikeouts are tied for fourth, despite the fewer number of innings.
Right-hander Drew Bryan has had an outstanding season so far for Charlottesville out of the University of Chicago. Bryan’s 1.10 ERA leads the team among players with 15+ innings (he has pitched 16.1) and his 21 strikeouts leads the team. He also carries in a .207 opponent batting average and has allowed only two earned runs in six appearances (two starts).
Fellow closer Tyler McLoughlin (Emory) was also named a 2022 All-Star. McLoughlin has allowed only one earned run in seven innings thus far, walking four and striking out 16 (T-2nd on the team). He has struck out the side in three of his seven appearances and leads the team in saves (3).
East Carolina’s Carter Cunningham (OF) was named an All-Star after a blazing hot July thus far. In seven games played this month, Cunningham leads the ‘Sox with a .625 batting average (15-for-24) and has hit a team-leading four doubles. He has scored eight runs (2nd), knocked in seven (3rd), and also hit a home run over the span. On the season, Cunningham is batting .533 with a 1.367 OPS over the span.
Christian Martin (Virginia Tech, INF/OF) was named an All-Star after a similarly impressive performance this month. In just six games this month, Martin is batting .579 (11-for-19) with a team-leading 12 runs scored and 11 RBI, He has hit three doubles, two home runs, walked six times, and stolen three bases – combining for a blistering OPS of 1.720. On the season, the Hokie product is batting .395 with a 1.110 OPS.
Florida Southwestern’s Satchell Norman (C/DH) – a draft-eligible sophomore as a JUCO player – has been one of Charlottesville’s top hitters throughout the season. Norman is batting .329 in 21 games with 18 runs, 16 RBI, 16 walks, six doubles, two home runs, and eight stolen bases. Over his last eight games, he is batting .433 (13-for-30) with three doubles, two homers, and nine RBI.
Georgia Bulldog Cole Wagner (1B) burst onto the scene in mid-June with a two-homer performance against Staunton and has not looked back since. Wagner leads the team with a .362 average (2nd in the VBL), 19 RBI, six doubles, and two home runs. He carries an OPS of .995, second in the league among players with 80+ plate appearances. Over his last five games, Wagner is batting .353 with four runs, six hits, and four RBI.
Kyle Edwards (Old Dominion, SS) was named an alternate after a consistent summer thus far. Edwards’s .247 batting average is third on the team, his 16 runs are second, and he leads the squad with nine stolen bases and 24 games played. While he has struggled at the dish as of late, Edwards led the team in batting average in June (.295).
Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman (East Carolina, RHP) was named an alternate after an outstanding start to the year on the mound following a super regional run with the Pirates. Lunsford-Shenkman carries a 2.08 ERA in four appearances – all out of the bullpen – and has struck out 14 batters in 8.2 innings.
The Valley League All-Star Game will be held on Sunday, July 17 at Bing Crosby Stadium. Waynesboro’s Zac Cole will manage the South division squad, while Woodstock’s Mike Bocock handles the North. The head coaches of the all-star teams are determined by the leading teams in each division through Sunday’s games.
The game will begin at 7 P.M., with the home run derby, autograph sessions, and VBL Hall of Fame inductions to occur prior to the game. Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for kids ages 6-12, and free for kids wearing a jersey. More information on the entire day is available at valleyleaguebaseball.com.
