Tom Sox Face Generals in Playoff Semifinals

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The 1-seed Charlottesville Tom Sox (28-16) will face the 2-seed Waynesboro Generals (28-17) in the semifinals of the Valley Baseball League Playoffs. All three games in the best-of-3 series will be broadcast on Facebook Live, and the bookending games will air on Tom Sox TV as well. First pitch for every game is set for 7 P.M.

** NOTE: Due to weather conditions, game one will be played in Waynesboro. It will be considered a home game for Charlottesville. **

Coverage: Viewers can head to the Tom Sox Facebook Page or Tom Sox TV to watch the series. A link to the live stats is available on Pointstreak. The Tom Sox Twitter account (@CvilleTomSoxVBL) will provide live updates.

Ticket Information: Admission and parking to Tom Sox playoff games is $5 for one person and $10 for a carload (2+ people). Media should mention their affiliation at the gate to receive free admission & parking.

Admission to game two in Waynesboro is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors (65+) and children (8 and under), and $3 for veterans and military.

LEADING OFF

• The Tom Sox and Generals will face off in the semifinals of the Valley Baseball League playoffs.

• The ‘Sox defeated Covington in a doubleheader yesterday to advance to the semifinals.

• The Tom Sox have advanced to the semifinals for the fourth time in five seasons.

• The ‘Sox dispatched the Generals in two games in the 2017 semifinals to advance to their first ever VBL Championship.

• Charlottesville and Waynesboro enter the series as the league’s two highest-scoring offenses and the league’s batting average leaders.

POSTSEASON HISTORY

• The Tom Sox are making their fifth-straight playoff appearance, and fifth all-time. 

• The Tom Sox have advanced to the finals in three of their four previous appearances.

• They have won the 2017 & 2019 VBL championships.

• Charlottesville is 17-8 all-time in the playoffs. They are 5-1 all-time in the semifinals, the lone loss in game one of the 2019 semis against Staunton.

• The ‘Sox have advanced to the finals in every season that they have made the semis.

• Last season was the first that the Tom Sox did not advance to the finals after making the playoffs.

AGAINST WAYNESBORO

• The Tom Sox and Generals will meet for the eighth and ninth times this season. The ‘Sox own the season series 5-2.

• Charlottesville and Waynesboro have met in three of the last four postseasons.

• The Tom Sox defeated Waynesboro in the semifinals in 2017 (2-0), the first round in 2018 (2-1), and were swept in the first round last summer.

• The ‘Sox put up historic numbers in multiple games against the Generals this summer, scoring 35 runs across their final two wins in the season series.

• Charlottesville won the season series this season after going 3-6 against Waynesboro last season – half their losses the entire summer.

TEAM TRENDS

• The Tom Sox played ten games in seven days before entering the playoffs. Over the span, they hit .307 and averaged 8.2 runs per game. They added 13 doubles, two triples, and 11 home runs, and walked only two fewer times than they struck out.

• Eight of the ten games over the stretch were decided by three or more runs.

• Charlottesville has two more road wins than home wins this season.

• The ‘Sox have especially heated up in July, winning 18 of their 25 games (including 11 of 13 road contests). They have a +76 run differential in July and a +14 home run differential.

• Charlottesville outscored Covington 19-4 over the two games in the first round series.

STRAIGHT MASH, HOMIE

• The Tom Sox have become quite the powerful team lately, hitting 13 home runs in their last nine games.

• The ‘Sox have hit 29 home runs in 44 games, tied for the most in team history with 2019 (29 in 50 games).

• Five of those long balls have come off the bat of Kalvin Alexander, who became the team leader in home runs with a 2-run shot yesterday.

• Cole Wagner has added two over the last nine, including a run rule walk-off shot in game one of the Harrisonburg doubleheader.

• Garrett Spikes hit the Tom Sox’s first grand slam since June 2019 on Sunday night, launching a ball over the right field wall in the fifth inning.

COLE’S WORLD

• Cole Wagner has been on a tear this season.

• Wagner finished the regular season leading the league with 34 RBI, 12 doubles, and a .580 slugging percentage.

• His .361 batting average and .473 OBP ranked third.

• He has reached base in all 34 games he has played this season, one game short of tying the team record set by Michael Wielansky.

• If the season ended today, he would rank in the top-10 all-time in numerous statistical categories.

• He would be fourth in team history in batting average (.367), second in slugging percentage (.594), second in on-base percentage (.475), second in doubles (15), fifth in home runs (4), fifth in RBI (35), and seventh in total bases (76).

• He leads the team with 18 multi-hit games and eight multi-RBI games, including the team’s only 5-RBI game in the regular season finale.

HISTORICALLY GREAT DEBUTS

• The Tom Sox’s two newest players – Lucas Cash and Shane Stossel had outstanding debuts over the last five games.

• Cash made his Tom Sox debut in relief on Saturday and became the first rising freshman to appear in a game for the ‘Sox.

• In the pivotal contest against Covington, Cash earned the save after tossing four scoreless innings with two hits and three strikeouts. Only three of the 15 batters he faced reached base.

• Stossel made his debut on Sunday night in a clinch scenario against Waynesboro and did not disappoint.

• He tossed 5.2 scoreless innings in relief, walking six and striking out eight (tied for the most in a game this season). His 105 pitches were the most ever by a ‘Sox reliever.

CHICK GETS HITS

• Christian Martin (nicknamed “Chick”) has exploded following his freshman season at Virginia Tech.

• Martin has been the ‘Sox’s second-leading hitter since he arrived, batting .385 with 30 runs, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, 19 RBI, and 15 walks.

• He has multiple hits in six of his last 10 games, a stretch where he’s hitting .378 with six RBI and 13 runs.

• He has served as the leadoff hitter in 20 of the 25 games he’s played this season.

CARTER CAN’T STOP

• Carter Cunningham has done nothing but mash the ball since the calendar turned to July.

• Cunningham has a .427 batting average this month while contributing 25 runs, 9 doubles, 3 home runs, 22 RBI, and a 1.128 OPS – all of which rank second on the team.

• He has struck out only 11 times in 95 at bats this season.

• In his last three games of the regular season, he had back-to-back-to-back 3-hit games, while scoring six runs and knocking in four.

• If he qualified for the league leaderboard (which he falls just short of), he would lead the VBL in batting average.

PIRATE POWER

• Aside from Cunningham, two East Carolina arms have also made a mark on the ‘Sox in Trey Yesavage and Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman.

• Yesavage – has been one of the ‘Sox’s top starters since his arrival in late June. In five starts (23.0 IP), Yesavage has a 1.57 ERA and 27 strikeouts. On the season, he leads the team with 32 K’s.

• His eight strikeouts against Strasburg are tied for the most by a ‘Sox pitcher this season.

• Lunsford-Shenkman has arguably been the team’s best reliever since he joined. 

• In seven appearances (6 in relief), Lunsford-Shenkman has a 1.50 ERA in 17.1 innings with 24 strikeouts. He has allowed only one earned run in four games this month.

SCOUTING THE GENERALS

• Waynesboro enters this series as the 2-seed in the South division.

• The Generals downed the 3-seed Harrisonburg Turks in three games, scoring nine in the second inning of yesterday’s clinching game to win 13-8.

• The Generals lead the league in batting average (.276), runs per game (6.5), home runs (30), and stolen bases (116).

• They are fifth in ERA, (4.29) just behind Charlottesville.

• Waynesboro was led by Joseph Sullivan on offense during the regular season, with a .317 average, 31 walks, and 15 stolen bases.

• Jalen Vasquez was Waynesboro’s leading power hitter, tallying 16 extra-base hits – including seven home runs. Vasquez hit a grand slam in the regular season finale against Charlottesville.

• Josh Fortenberry led Waynesboro on the mound with a 1.63 ERA in 22 innings.