Eight of nine non-pitching starters on Saturday were freshman.
Four of 10 starters were Virginians, plus one was from D.C. area, and one was from Bristol, TN.

VT’s young talent is mostly from the state and not-so-distant region…

Here’s the starting 10 in Saturday’s win over Pitt:
CF Jack Hurley, freshman, State College, PA
2B Tanner Schobel, freshman, Williamsburg, VA
RF Gavin Cross, freshman, Bristol, TN
1B T.J. Rumfield, R-freshman, Texas
DH Cade Swisher, freshman, Chesterfield, VA
3B Kevin Madden, sophomore, Glenwood, MD (30 miles north of D.C.)
LF Carson Jones, freshman, Glen Allen, VA
C Dayne Leonard, freshman, Wisconsin
SS Fritz Genther, freshman, Kingston, NY
P Anthony Simonelli, junior, Winchester, VA

Don’t forget the proven Nick Biddison, who is expected to return this season after off-season shoulder surgery. He is a sophomore from Glen Allen, VA (Richmond Metro Player of the Year in 2018). As a true freshman in 2019 he started 52 of 52 games, was the first Hokie to hit 8 homeruns as a freshman, his .453 on-base percentage was the fifth-best recorded at Tech since 2005, and he finished with 45 walks, the second-most ever for a freshman. Biddison started all 16 games in the 2020 abbreviated season and had six multi-hit games. He started 7 at 2B, 7 in LF, 2 in CF, and batted leadoff in 14 of 16 games.

Jonah Seagears has started 14 of the 2021 team’s 20 games and is a sophomore from Gainesville, VA.

Cade Hunter has the most 2021 starts at catcher (12). He is a freshman from New Jersey.

(OF Tanner Thomas, who has played in 18 of 20 games, is a senior from Jacksonville. He was recruited by Coach Szefc from Tallahassee Community College.)

Ace starter Chris Gerard is a sophomore from New Jersey.

Top reliever Shane Connolly who got the last three outs on Saturday is a junior from the Charlotte area (Huntersville, N.C.)

Reliever Matthew Siverling (NOT “Silverling,” dammit) is a freshman. (He was valedictorian of his high school in Matthews, N.C., 11 miles from Charlotte, was a National Merit Finalist and is studying mechanical engineering.)

Starter Peyton Alford is a senior from Knoxville, TN.

(Reliever Jaison Heard is a senior from Florida.)

(Junior outfielder Brennan Reback was injured in a recent game and hasn’t had as much mention. He is from Illinois and was a transfer from Central Arizona Junior College who started 13 of VT’s 16 games in 2020.)

Connolly, Heard and Siverling lead VT pitchers with nine appearances each. Next is lefty reliever Noah Johnson, with eight. Johnson is a freshman from Ohio and pitched in three games in 2020. Graham Firoved has seven appearances – he is a sophomore from Virginia Beach.

There is a total of three seniors on the VT baseball roster.