Region/state roundup: UVA baseball player from Virginia Beach named second-team Preseason All-American

COLLEGE BASEBALL

Virginia juniors Ethan Anderson, a Cox High graduate from Virginia Beach, and Griff O’Ferrall were named second-team Preseason All-Americans by D1Baseball.com. UVA is one of four ACC programs with multiple preseason All-Americans across the first, second and third teams.

Anderson had a breakout sophomore season last year, starting all 65 games at first base. He batted .375 (97 for 259) with 71 runs, 26 doubles, 15 home runs and 66 RBIs. Anderson led the ACC, ranked fourth in the country and broke UVA’s single-season record with 26 doubles. He was a third-team All-ACC selection.

In ACC and NCAA Tournament play, Anderson hit six home runs – two in the ACC Tournament, one in the Charlottesville Regional, two in the Charlottesville Super Regional and one at the College World Series. He became the first Cavalier ever with a homer in all four stages of the postseason.

O’Ferrall, from Richmond, broke the single-season UVA record for hits with 108.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

UVA to play spring game April 20

Virginia announced that its annual spring football game will be held Saturday, April 20, at Scott Stadium. Admission will be free and open to the public.

Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. Broadcast information will be released by the Atlantic Coast Conference later.

Counting the spring game, the Cavaliers will have 15 practices. The first practice is set for March 19.

JMU’s Kromah to play in Shrine Bowl

James Madison defensive lineman Jamree Kromah accepted an invitation to compete at the 99th annual East-West Shrine Bowl in Frisco, Texas, on Thursday. He is one of four Sun Belt players on the East roster.

In 2023, he had 60 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Previously committed to the game were Virginia wide receiver Malik Washington and Liberty guard X’Zauvea Gadlin.

Springer commits to CNU

Christopher Newport landed a commitment from defensive lineman Tim Jones Jr. of Class 6 state runner-up Highland Springs High. He’s a 6-foot, 275-pound nose guard who also helped the Springers win the 2022 state Class 5 title.

COLLEGE MEN’S LACROSSE

Six Cavaliers gain preseason A-A nods

Six Virginia players were named preseason All-Americans by Inside Lacrosse.

Connor Shellenberger and Cole Kastner represented the Hoos on the first team. Payton Cormier, Griffin Schutz and Chase Yager were named third-team selections. Noah Chizmar garnered honorable mention.

The Cavaliers will open their season at noon Feb. 10 by hosting Michigan.

COLLEGE WOMEN’S LACROSSE

JMU sixth, UVA 16th in preseason poll

James Madison was ranked sixth, Virginia 16th and Richmond 19th in the preseason Division I coaches’ poll.

The Dukes, who finished last season at No. 6, will start their season in Harrisonburg at noon Feb. 10 against No. 3 North Carolina.

In the Division III poll, Christopher Newport was tabbed 24th. CNU will open its season at No. 7 Washington & Lee on Feb. 21. Defending NCAA champion Middlebury, which was unbeaten last season, opens the year at No. 1.

COLLEGE TRACK AND FIELD

Captains gain C2C weekly honors

CNU’s Eliza Dana and Ashley Eley swept the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Women’s Track and Field Athlete of the Week honors, while Wade Dunkelberger was celebrated as the men’s Field Athlete of the Week after the Camel City Invitational in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, last weekend.

Dana, the Track Athlete of the Week, anchored the women’s distance medley relay, which finished in 12:36.75 to set a C2C record. She ran the final 1,600 meters in 5:21.06.

Eley, the Field Athlete of the Week, cleared 1.55 meters (about 5 feet, 1 inch) in the high jump, the best among Division III competitors at the meet, and triple-jumped 10.72 meters (about 35 feet, 2 inches). Dunkelberger cleared 2 meters in the high jump, third overall and best among D-III entrants.

COLLEGE MEN’S TENNIS

UVA’s recruiting class ranked No. 1

Virginia’s recruiting class for the 2024-25 season was listed No. 1 in the nation in rankings released Monday by the Tennis Recruiting Network.

Coach Andrés Pedroso signed four players to join the team next season. The combined class garnered 18 of 19 possible first-place votes from a panel of college tennis followers, including Sonny Dearth of The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press.

The class is led by Brazilian Joao Fonseca, who finished 2023 as the No. 1-ranked boy in the International Tennis Federation Junior Rankings. He reached the quarterfinals or better in all four junior Grand Slams, including winning the singles title at the 2023 Junior U.S. Open.

The class also includes, according to the ITF Junior Rankings, No. 11 Rafael Jodar of Spain and No. 32 Keegan Rice. It also has Stiles Brockett of Fairfax, who is the No. 10 overall recruit in the nation.