Tom Sox Return to Play Against Strasburg

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Charlottesville Tom Sox (9-5) will face the Strasburg Express (10-6) Saturday night at First Bank Park. It will be broadcast live on the Express Facebook & YouTube pages. First pitch is set for 7 P.M.

Coverage: Viewers can head to the Express Facebook Page or YouTube channel to watch Saturday’s game. A link to the live stats is available on Pointstreak. The Tom Sox Twitter account (@CvilleTomSox) will provide live updates.

Ticket Information: Admission to Express games is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors (65+) or kids (12 and under), and free for Little Leaguers wearing a jersey.

PROBABLE STARTERS

Charlottesville: RHP Braden Halladay – High Point (1 GS, 1-0, 7.0 IP, 2.57 ERA, 4 BB, 6 K)

Strasburg: TBA

LEADING OFF

• After a full five days off due to weather, the Tom Sox will face the Express for the second time this season.

• Charlottesville defeated Strasburg to win each of their first two Valley League Championships.

• Charlottesville picked up their 200th win in franchise history Sunday at Culpeper.

• The Tom Sox are on their second 4-game win streak of the season after winning four straight from June 4-9.

• Charlottesville is averaging 8.3 runs per game during their win streak and has outscored their opponents by 15 over the last four games.

• The Tom Sox’s 4-game win streak is the longest in the league.

• Charlottesville’s 167 wins since the start of 2017 are the most in the Valley League.

RAINY DAY BLUES

• After no rain postponements for the first two weeks of the season, the Tom Sox have had a game postponed on six of the last eight days. Four of the six have been home dates.

• Friday, the ‘Sox were scheduled to face Covington, a game which was then postponed to Monday. Large pop-up thunderstorms postponed both the scheduled and make-up game, and it will be made up on July 5.

• Tuesday’s scheduled game against New Market was postponed due to an unplayable field. It will be made up on Tuesday.

• Wednesday’s game at Staunton was postponed due to constant rain. It will now be made up on July 17.

• Thursday’s game at Purcellville was postponed due to rain. A makeup date is TBA.

• Friday’s game against Woodstock was postponed due to poor field conditions. A makeup date is TBA.

• The Tom Sox are looking to avoid a repeat of last season, when 13 total games (11 dates) were postponed, and playoff games had to be shuffled due to weather.

AGAINST STRASBURG

• The Tom Sox and Express will face off for the second time this season and 25th all-time meeting.

• The Express ended a 7-game series losing streak with their win in the first meeting this season.

• Strasburg walked away with a 5-2 win in the first meeting 11 days ago, scoring four in the sixth after getting the winning run in the third. Charlottesville committed five errors, their most in a game this season, while Jacob Friend collected half of Strasburg’s RBI.

• Charlottesville defeated Strasburg to win the 2017 and 2019 Valley League championships.

• Either Charlottesville or Strasburg has appeared in every Valley League championship series since 2015, and all but one since 2013.

• Five of the last six meetings have been decided by three or fewer runs.

EARNED NOT GIVEN

• Six Tom Sox players were named to the VBL Roster for the NACSB Prospect Showcase next week at Liberty University: Kyle Edwards (MIF), Logan Forsythe (RHP), Davian Garcia(RHP), Zach Root (LHP), Jordan Little (RHP), and Liam Best (RHP).

• Five players were named league all-stars and will play in Sunday’s all-star game in Front Royal: Edwards, Kalvin Alexander (C), Brice Martinez (INF), Mike Eggert (RHP), and Mark Perkins (RHP).

• Lyndon Coleman was named the South Head Coach, courtesy of the Tom Sox owning the top winning percentage among the league’s southern teams.

GOING STREAKING

• Since going 1-2 over the first three games, Charlottesville has gone on a 4-game win streak, 3-game losing streak, and is now on a 4-game winning streak.

• Charlottesville’s wins and losses have heavily depended on the offense’s run output. They are averaging 9.0 runs per game in wins and 2.8 in losses, with a differential of 67 runs between their wins and losses. Contrarily, the pitching staff has allowed only seven more runs in losses than wins.

• The ‘Sox have won two and dropped four home games. They have scored seven runs in both of the home wins and two runs in all four home losses. In all four home losses, they have not put across a run after the first three innings.

WEEKEND RECAP

• Charlottesville won both of their games on the road over the weekend, defeating Front Royal 10-7 and Culpeper 8-6.

• Charlottesville mounted big leads in both games before allowing a few late runs. On Saturday, they led 10-2 entering the sixth inning before the Cardinals put up one in the sixth and four in the seventh. On Sunday, after Culpeper put up three in the first, they led 8-3 entering the eighth before allowing three in the bottom of that frame.

• Kyle Edwards had a blazing hot weekend, going 5-for-6 with three runs, six RBI, two doubles, a home run, and five stolen bases.

• Brice Martinez knocked in all four runs on Sunday as part of a 3-for-5 day.

SPEEDY ‘SOX

• The Tom Sox have stolen 72 bases in their first 13 games, the most in franchise history.

• The 2023 team has sole possession of second place in team history in single-season stolen bases. They now only trail the 2021 team, who stole 110 in 2021.

• The 2023 ‘Sox now own the top three stolen base days in team history, stealing nine in game two against Covington, ten on June 9 at Harrisonburg, and eight on Sunday (tied with others).

• Josh Tate tied the individual single-game record with four steals at Harrisonburg, tying a record that had not been touched in exactly eight years.

• This season, the ‘Sox have six games with 6+ stolen bases after having only six such games in their first seven seasons (322 games).

• The ‘Sox are currently on pace for 242 stolen bases on the year.

• Lyndon Coleman’s record in the VBL is 120, set by the 2016 Winchester Royals.

• They were not caught stealing over their first seven games, the longest streak without being caught to begin a season in team history.

ARMS ON FIRE

• The Tom Sox are second in the Valley League with a 4.25 ERA, trailing only Harrisonburg.

• ‘Sox pitchers have allowed four or fewer runs in eight of 14 games, including every one of the team’s first seven wins. Over their last two wins they have allowed seven and six runs, respectively.

• Two ‘Sox pitchers have tossed at least five innings without allowing a run – Mike Eggert and Ryan Lynch.

• Six total pitchers have allowed one or no runs this season.

• Charlottesville has walked the fewest batters in the league (59), has the fewest walks allowed per 9 innings (4.3), and the most strikeouts per nine innings (11.4). They have 18 fewer walks than the second place team (New Market).

C’VILLE TO OMAHA

• Ten former ‘Sox are representing their respective schools in the Men’s College World Series, currently taking place at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha.

• Wyatt Langford (‘21) – a consensus top MLB draft prospect – highlights the list of Florida Gators that also includes starting outfielder Tyler Shelnut (‘22), reserve outfielder Matthew Prevesk (‘22), and reliever Fisher Jameson (‘22).

• Three from the 1-seed Wake Forest Demon Deacons make the list, starting outfielders Pierce Bennett and Adam Cecere (‘21) and reserve outfielder Kyle Joye (‘22).

• TCU leadoff hitter Elijah Nunez (‘21) and reliever Garrett Wright (‘22) represent the ‘Sox’s Horned Frog contingent.

• Rounding out the list is Tennessee starting catcher Cal Stark (‘21), who transferred to the Vols from Weatherford College in Texas. Also representing the ‘Sox is Virginia’s Aidan Teel and Florida’s Chris Arroyo, both of whom will play in Charlottesville this summer.

SCOUTING STRASBURG

• The Express sit second in the Valley, trailing only Charlottesville. Due to rain postponements, they are not a game behind the ‘Sox, but trail in winning percentage.

• Strasburg is tied for third in the league in batting average (.270) and has sole possession of third in ERA (4.28).

• Strasburg’s Jhoander Irigoyen leads the Express with a .341 average. Matt Dickey leads them on the mound with a 1.72 ERA in 15.2 innings, and two more follow with sub-3 ERAs.