When the college baseball season concludes, coaches at Virginia and elsewhere must identify the number of players who have used up their playing eligibility, those who might be drafted, and players that may choose not to return or that may not be asked to return. Add to this the emergence of the transfer portal and recruiting available talent from other universities has become as critical as high school talent recruitment.

We can visualize a time in the near future where active collegiate student athletes, known commodities, will be sought after more so than the ‘projected’ talent and ability of freshmen. Why take a risk on unproven high school players and guess whether they can adapt to the rigors of academics and sports at the collegiate level when you can invest time looking at experienced players who have been there, done the work, and made the grades.

Maybe we’re already there. Of the 20 new players on the 2022-23 Virginia baseball roster, 60% were freshman and 40% were transfer portal additions.

Last June there was certainly awareness on the part of Cavalier coach Brian O’Connor and assistant coach Drew Dickinson of the pitching talent that needed to be replaced. In the end, 5 of 8 incoming transfer portal players were pitchers.

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