UVA Pitcher Jake Berry Signs With Cleveland Guardians as Undrafted Free Agent

Berry becomes the fifth member of the 2023 Virginia baseball team to join the ranks of professional baseball

Mark Kuhlmann/Virginia Athletics

Another member of the 2023 Virginia baseball team has joined the ranks of professional baseball. UVA junior pitcher Jake Berry signed as an undrafted free agent with the Cleveland Guardians, as reported by Baseball America. Berry joins fellow Cavaliers Kyle Teel, Jake Gelof, Connelly Early, and Ethan O'Donnell, who were each selected in the first six rounds of the 2023 MLB Draft. 

READ MORE: Four Cavaliers, One UVA Baseball Commit Selected in 2023 MLB Draft

A 6'10" lefty junior from Great Falls, Virginia, Berry came to UVA as a heralded pitching prospect out of Bishop O'Connell High School, ranking as the No. 4 left-handed pitcher in the country in his class and the top-ranked baseball prospect in the state of Virginia. Berry appeared in 50 total games and pitched 112.2 innings over his three-year career at UVA, posting a career 4.39 ERA. 

As a true freshman in 2021, Berry played in six games, one of which was as part of a combined no-hitter as Berry, Andrew Abbott, and Griff McGarry recorded the seventh no-hitter in UVA program history against Wake Forest. In 2022, Berry posted a 5-3 record in nine starts, including a dazzling effort in his first collegiate start, throwing five hitless innings, once again against Wake Forest. 

Berry had his best season in 2023 after returning to the bullpen. In 24 games, Berry registered a 3.93 ERA with 60 strikeouts to 21 walks and gave up 22 earned runs in 50.1 innings. Berry was credited with six saves, including a big two-inning save in Virginia's pivotal 2-1 victory over East Carolina to put the Cavaliers in the driver's seat in the Charlottesville Regional. He then tossed another scoreless inning to seal Virginia's regional-clinching win over the Pirates the next day. 

Although his final performance as a Cavalier at the College World Series was far from his finest, there's no denying the crucial role Jake Berry played in getting the Virginia baseball program to its sixth College World Series. Now, Berry will look to continue to serve as an impactful pitcher at the next level, beginning his professional baseball journey with the Cleveland Guardians. 

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