Cavaliers Now

Virginia Baseball: Jake Gelof and Alex Tappen Earn First-Team All-ACC Honors

Five Cavaliers were selected to the All-ACC Baseball Team

Matt Newton

Five Cavaliers were selected to the All-ACC Baseball Team as announced by the Atlantic Coast Conference on Monday morning.Β 

Sophomore Jake Gelof and graduate Alex Tappen were named to the All-ACC First Team. Left-handed pitcher Brian Gursky was named to the All-ACC Second Team and Griff O'Ferrall and Casey Saucke were named to the All-Freshman Team.Β 

In his sophomore season, Jake Gelof has delivered one of the best hitting seasons in the history of UVA baseball. Gelof led UVA in batting average (.376), runs (61), hits (73), doubles (15), home runs (19), and RBI (74). His 19 home runs and 74 RBI are three off of the Virginia single-season record in both categories.Β 

Alex Tappen is right behind Gelof in most of Virginia's hitting categories, totaling 72 hits, 13 home runs, and 70 RBI on the season, all career-highs for the fifth-year senior. Tappen is one of just three players in UVA history to drive in at least 70 runs in a season.Β 

In 12 starts this season, Brian Gursky recorded a 3.32 ERA and a record of 7-1 on the season. The grad transfer from USC registered 78 strikeouts this season, including a career-high 10 strikeouts against Louisville in what was his only loss of the season. Virginia has a record of 10-2 in games started by Gursky on the mound.Β 

Griff O'Ferrall and Casey Saucke have both had outstanding freshman campaigns so far.Β 

O'Ferrall has been the leadoff batter in the UVA lineup since opening day and became just the fourth true freshman to start at shortstop at UVA to begin a season since 2004. O'Ferrall is fifth in the conference with 17 stolen bases and has recorded 55 runs scored, 39 RBI, and two home runs.Β 

Saucke recorded at least one hit in each of his first 21 games this season. To put that stat in perspective, there has only been one longer hitting streak by any UVA player since 2000. Saucke's .360 batting average is second-best on the team and third-best amongst ACC freshman and he recorded 43 RBI and seven homers in the regular season.Β 

2022 ACC Baseball Awards & All-Conference Teams
Player of the Year – Max Wagner, Clemson, So., 3B
Defensive Player of the Year – Levi Usher, Louisville, Sr., OF
Pitcher of the Year – Rhett Lowder, Wake Forest, So., SP
Freshman of the Year – Tommy White, NC State, Fr., DH
Coach of the Year – John Szefc, Virginia Tech

All-ACC First Team
Max Wagner, Clemson, So., 3B
Parker Messick, Florida State, So., SP
Kevin Parada, Georgia Tech, So., C
Andrew Jenkins, Georgia Tech, So., 1B
Chandler Simpson, Georgia Tech, So., 2B
Carson Palmquist, Miami, So., SP
Andrew Walters, Miami, So., RP
Tommy White, NC State, Fr., DH
John Michael Bertrand, Notre Dame, Gr., SP
Jake Gelof, Virginia, So., 3B
Alex Tappen, Virginia, Gr., OF
Gavin Cross, Virginia Tech, So., OF
Drue Hackenberg, Virginia Tech, Fr., SP
Jack Hurley, Virginia Tech, So., OF
Tanner Schobel, Virginia Tech, So., SS
Rhett Lowder, Wake Forest, So., SP

All-ACC Second Team
Luke Gold, Boston College, Jr., 2B
Bryce Hubbart, Florida State, So., SP
Tim Borden II, Georgia Tech, So., DH
Tres Gonzalez, Georgia Tech, So., OF
Jared Poland, Louisville, Sr., SP
Michael Prosecky, Louisville, Jr., RP
Dalton Rushing, Louisville, Jr., C
Levi Usher, Louisville, Sr., OF
Jacob Burke, Miami, So., OF
CJ Kayfus, Miami, So., 1B
Yohandy Morales, Miami, So., 3B
Danny Serretti, North Carolina, Jr., SS
LuJames Groover, NC State, So., 1B
Matt Gilbertson, Pitt, Sr., SP
Brian Gursky, Virginia, Gr., SP
Cade Hunter, Virginia Tech, So., C

All-ACC Third Team
Mack Anglin, Clemson, R-So., SP
Blake Wright, Clemson, So., 2B
Stephen Reid, Georgia Tech, So., OF
Christian Knapczyk, Louisville, So., SS
Cameron Masterman, Louisville, R-Sr., OF
Ben Metzinger, Louisville, Sr., 3B
Jack Payton, Louisville, So., DH
Vance Honeycutt, North Carolina, Fr., OF
Angel Zarate, North Carolina, Jr., OF
Devonte Brown, NC State, Sr., OF
Chris Villaman, NC State, So., RP
Ryan Cole, Notre Dame, Gr., OF
Billy Corcoran, Pitt, Jr., SP
Nick Biddison, Virginia Tech, Jr., OF
Griffin Green, Virginia Tech, So., SP
Nick Kurtz, Wake Forest, Fr., 1B
Brendan Tinsman, Wake Forest, R-Jr., C
*17 players on the third team due to a tie in the voting

All-Freshman Team
Alex Mooney, Duke, SS
Jaime Ferrer, Florida State, OF
Logan Beard, Louisville, 2B
Karson Ligon, Miami, SP
Vance Honeycutt, North Carolina, OF
Tommy White, NC State, DH
Griff O'Ferrall, Virginia, SS
Casey Saucke, Virginia, OF
Carson DeMartini, Virginia Tech, 3B
Drue Hackenberg, Virginia Tech, SP
Tommy Hawke, Wake Forest, OF
Nick Kurtz, Wake Forest, 1B

Virginia (38-15, 17-13 ACC) has earned the No. 5 seed in the ACC Baseball Championship and has been placed in Pool D along with No. 4 Notre Dame and No. 9 Florida State. UVA will face FSU on Wednesday (5/25) at 3pm and Notre Dame on Friday (5/27) at 11am. All of the pool play games will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.Β 

See the full bracket and schedule for the 2022 ACC Baseball Championship here.Β 

See more Virginia baseball news and content: Virginia Baseball on Sports Illustrated

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Published
Matt Newton
MATT NEWTON

Matt launched Virginia Cavaliers On SI in August of 2021 and has since served as the site's publisher and managing editor, covering all 23 NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. He is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from UVA in May of 2021.

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