The last time Perfect Game thought this highly of a Virginia Cavaliers team in early January, the ‘Hoos were dogpiling in what was then TD Ameritrade Park (now Charles Schwab Field Omaha) in late June. That was 2015 and the Cavaliers, after a runner-up finish in the College World Series to Tyler Beede and Dansby Swanson’s Vanderbilt Commodores the year prior, were listed at no.2 going into the season.
Ten years later, three-time national coach of the year Brian O’Connor and three-time national assistant coach of the year, Kevin McMullan have the Cavaliers back on the preseason podium. This time at No. 3 behind Texas A&M and LSU.
What has UVA so high on the totem pole in 2025? Virginia returns five of D1Baseball.com’s top-150 2025 MLB Draft Prospects: INF/OF Henry Ford (17), INF Henry Godbout (23), OF Harrison Didawick (49), RHP Jay Woolfolk (103), and LHP Evan Blanco (139). Picking up one of the nation’s top junior college transfers in first baseman/designated hitter/left-handed pitcher Chris Arroyo (Pasco-Hernando State College) also didn’t hurt.
The lineup, even without 2024 draft picks Griff O’Ferrall, Ethan Anderson, Casey Saucke, and Anthony Stephan, should feature extraordinary length on opening day against Michigan. Expect to see Jacob Ference (1.175 OPS), Didawick (1.056 OPS), and Ford (1.006 OPS) anchoring the middle of the order with newcomer Arroyo (1.332 OPS with PHSC) in there too.
Godbout (1.117 OPS) and Eric Becker (1.137 OPS) will vie for the leadoff spot, giving O’Connor some versatility ahead of the power bats with Godbout hitting righty and Becker lefty. Junior corner infielder Luke Hanson who flew under the radar in 2024 should be the team’s every day third baseman and hit somewhere in the six-seven-eight holes. “Under the radar” is certainly a litotes, considering an .877 OPS was middle of the pack for a lineup that saw over half its members post a 1.000 OPS or better last season.
This leaves room for two or three new faces to make an impact, particularly in the outfield and at the bottom of the order. Junior Aidan Teel, younger brother of the 14th overall pick in 2023, could very well be the Cavaliers’ starting center fielder in 2025 after seeing a lot of innings at the premier position in the Fall.
Incoming freshman James Nunnallee, one of five Virginia signees taken out of high school in the 2024 draft and the only to honor his commitment, could get some run in right field after turning down 14th-round money from the Milwaukee Brewers to enroll at UVA.
That leaves me with this opening day lineup comprised of five lefties and four righties:
- Eric Becker SS
- Henry Godbout 2B
- Chris Arroyo 1B
- Henry Ford DH
- Jacob Ferrence C
- Harrison Didawick LF
- Luke Hanson 3B
- James Nunnallee RF
- Aidan Teel CF
It’s arguably the best lineup in college baseball. The Aggies may have something to say about that with their SEC freshman of the year, Gavin Grahovac, returning with his 23 home runs, and their MLB.com favorite to go 1:1 this summer in the draft, Jace LaViolette, returning with his 50 career home runs in two seasons. Those are two great baseball names and two big reasons why Perfect Game has A&M on top.
Three other SEC teams (Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas), three more ACC teams (Florida State, Clemson, and Duke), and one Independent (Oregon State) round out the rest of the top 10. Wake Forest (no.16) and North Carolina (19) also crack the top 25.
Virginia is now just a little over a month away from their Valentine’s Day opener against Michigan down in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Stay tuned for more UVA Baseball coverage as the 2025 season draws near.
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