CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Seven Tom Sox players and coaches have been named as part of the Valley Baseball League’s annual All-Star festivities, the league announced Monday (June 24). Five Tom Sox players – catcher Robbie Lavey (Oakton, Va./George Washington), third baseman Johnnie Lopez (Deltona, Fla./Seminole State), shortstop Ethan Gibson (Abingdon, Va./Virginia Tech), and pitchers Daniel Powell (Roswell, Ga./Kennesaw State) and Marco Levari (Norfolk, Va./Old Dominion) – will take part in Sunday’s All-Star Game with Head Coach Randy Tomlin managing the South team. Additionally, Tommy Roldan (Poolesville, Md./Virginia) will be the Tom Sox’s representative in Saturday’s Home Run Derby.
Player festivities for the two-day event will begin Saturday night, when the league’s best take on the Home Run Derby at 7 p.m. Representing the Tom Sox will be utility man Tommy Roldan, who has shown impressive power so far this summer. Roldan sports a .271 average in 16 games on the summer, with one double, one triple, and one long ball. He ranks second on the team in RBI behind only Cade Belyeu (18), who is unable to participate due to an injury. Roldan looks to defend Charlottesville’s crown in the derby after Derek Williams won the event last season.
Robbie Lavey has been one of the VBL’s most consistent hitters on the year. Despite missing six games with an injury, Lavey is tied for seventh in the league with a .356 average, ranks second in slugging percentage (.689), and tenth in on-base percentage (.453). He is Charlottesville’s leader among qualified players in both batting and slugging. Additionally, Lavey has shown impressive power with four home runs across his 13 games, one behind Belyeu for the team lead. Lavey was named a Second Team All-A-10 selection in 2024 after his freshman season at George Washington.
Johnnie Lopez has also shown remarkable consistency so far on the year. Lopez’s .323 average ranks second on the club and his .509 slugging percentage is tied for ninth in the VBL. Additionally, he ranks third on the team in RBI (15), walks (14), and home runs (3), and second in runs (19).
Ethan Gibson has shown his fantastic eye and speed so far on the year for Charlottesville. Gibson leads the Valley with 26 runs scored across his 17 games and also adds a division-leading 20 walks to his portfolio. He also ranks among the league’s top ten in stolen bases (9) and on-base percentage (.462).
Daniel Powell has been a steady hand out of Charlottesville’s bullpen. He is one of three Tom Sox pitchers not to allow a run on the year and leads the team with three saves, a mark that sits second in the VBL. He has struck out 11 batters across his ten innings thus far, walking only five and holding opposing batters to a .097 batting average. Powell was also named to the VBL Prospect Games roster, the only ‘Sox player to appear on both squads.
Marco Levari has been a strikeout machine through the first month of the season – his 19 strikeouts leads the team and are the most in the VBL among relievers. He’s allowed only three earned runs for a 2.03 ERA, walking only five batters across 13.1 innings.
Additionally, Head Coach Randy Tomlin will manage the South Division team in their quest for All-Star supremacy on Sunday, June 30. Tomlin earns the honor courtesy of Charlottesville having the best record among division teams through games on June 22, and is the third ‘Sox manager in four years to manage the squad (Kory Koehler – 2021, Lyndon Coleman – 2023).
The 2024 All-Star roster was selected via a nomination and voting process among the six head coaches in each division. Home run derby participants were selected from each team by their respective head coaches.
For the first time, the league all-star celebration expands to a two-day event hosted at Fireman’s Field in Purcellville, VA. Festivities begin with a cornhole tournament at 2 p.m. on Saturday, followed by a home run derby featuring players from area high schools at 5 p.m. Following the high schoolers, the Valley Leaguers will take to the plate to battle it out at 7. Sunday’s events begin with a player meet-and-greet and performance by rock band The Roadducks at 3 p.m. The newest Valley League Hall of Fame class will be inducted at 6 p.m., followed by the All-Star Game at 7. Admission is $7 and guarantees access to the entire weekend of all-star action.
For more information, visit valleyleaguebaseball.com.
