CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Tom Sox outfielder Cade Belyeu (So., Auburn, Ala./Auburn) has been named the Valley Baseball League South Division Player of the Week, as selected by the VBL office.
Belyeu has had a torrid start to his Tom Sox season, putting up team record-setting power numbers to go along with consistent run production. Through his first seven games, Belyeu leads the Valley League in slugging percentage (1.143), home runs (4), RBI (14), and runs (11, T-1st). He is tied for the second-highest batting average in the league with teammate Tommy Roldan (.429) and sits second in on-base percentage (.571) behind teammate Ethan Gibson.
Belyeu led off the season with a bang, hitting a team-record three home runs in his first two games. He became only the second Tom Sox player ever with a multi-home run game at Charlottesville High School, a park known to hold power numbers in check, joining Georgia’s Cole Wagner (who did so in 2022). The multi-homer game was the 11th in team history. Belyeu added his fourth home run on Saturday in Culpeper. Including the end of his season at Auburn, Belyeu, an SEC All-Freshman selection, has nine homers in his last 14 games.
In addition to his talent in leaving the yard, Belyeu has shown remarkable consistency at the plate. He has an RBI in every game this season and a hit in all but one, racking up three multi-hit games and five multi-RBI games through the league’s first week. He also has scored a run in all but one game and has scored multiple runs in three. Most recently, he’s had a knack for the free pass, but in the not-so-fun variety – he has been hit by multiple pitches in three consecutive games, becoming the only ‘Sox player with three-straight multi-HBP games ever.
Belyeu is the first Tom Sox player to garner a league player or pitcher of the week honor since Virginia Tech’s Christian Martin was named league Player of the Week in July 2022. He is only the second Tom Sox player to be named Player of the Week since 2018.
Belyeu and the Tom Sox return to play on Tuesday, June 11, when they host the Covington Lumberjacks for Healthcare Worker Appreciation Night. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. at Charlottesville High School.
ABOUT THE CHARLOTTESVILLE TOM SOX
The Charlottesville Tom Sox, a non-profit member of the Valley Baseball League collegiate summer league, have been one of the most successful collegiate baseball teams since their founding in 2014. The Tom Sox have won three Valley Baseball League championships in eight seasons, tied for the most in the league over that span, and have appeared in all but one championship series since 2017, the most in the league. The ‘Sox reached thepinnacle of summer baseball in 2017 when they were named the No. 1 summer team in the nation by Perfect Game in just their third year on the field.
Additionally, the Tom Sox have an extensive record of success at the higher level. Five Tom Sox players have appeared on Major League rosters, including 2023 fourth overall pick Wyatt Langford and Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino. Numerous Tom Sox interns have gone on to work in professional sports for teams such as the Washington Nationals, Miami Marlins, New York Jets, and companies including ESPN and the MLB Network.
