Star Duke recruit flips commitment to Virginia

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Photo: Newsday

New Virginia baseball coach Chris Pollard already has secured his first high school recruit after Jayden Stroman announced he had flipped his commitment from Duke to UVA.

Stroman, a pitcher/outfielder from Long Island, N.Y., is the younger brother of New York Yankees right-handed pitcher Marcus Stroman. The younger Stroman, who spent 11th grade at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., played his senior season back home in Long Island, pitching for Patchogue-Medford.

Stroman throws in the mid- to upper 90s.

He may not be the only player to follow Pollard to Charlottesville.

Macon Winslow, Duke’s star sophomore catcher, entered the transfer portal with a do not contact tag, meaning he knows where he’s headed. Winslow drilled 9 home runs and 48 RBI this past season and walked 40 times.

Another Blue Devil with a do not contact tag in the portal is star sophomore outfielder A.J. Gracia, a second-team All-ACC player. He is projected as a first-round pick in the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft.

Also, sophomore power hitter Sam Harris, who hit 9 homers and had a hitting line of .297/.385/.563 has a do not contact tag.

While another Blue Devil in the portal does not have that tag, Crozet native Noah Murray, a sophomore this past season, was a key reserve for Duke this past season, who had nine starts. The infielder carried a .342 average with 10 RBI.

BREAKING: UVA hires Duke’s Pollard to replace O’Connor

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Photo: Duke Athletics

Director of Athletics Carla Williams announced Tuesday the hiring of Chris Pollard as the University of Virginia’s Head Baseball Coach. Pollard becomes the 16th coach in program history.

Pollard arrives in Charlottesville after spending the last 13 seasons at Duke, leading the Blue Devils to a 420-296 record, seven NCAA tournament berths, four Super Regional appearances and two ACC Baseball Tournament championships. His 420 wins are the most by a head coach in Duke baseball history.

During his time at Duke, Pollard coached 46 Major League Baseball Draft picks, 28 All-ACC selections, nine Freshman All-Americans and seven All-Americans.

Virginia will be Pollard’s fourth stop as a collegiate head coach. Over his 26 seasons as a skipper, Pollard has compiled a career record of 806-614-3, including stops at Pfeiffer (2000-04), Appalachian State (2005-12) and Duke (2013-25). As he did at Duke in 2025, Pollard led Appalachian State to the NCAA Tournament during his final season with the Mountaineers in 2012.

No stranger to postseason baseball in Charlottesville, Pollard coached Duke to the 2023 Charlottesville Super Regional and Appalachian State to the 2012 Charlottesville Regional.

In his final two seasons in Durham, Pollard led the Blue Devils to back-to-back 40-win campaigns for the first time in program history, culminating in Duke hosting its first Super Regional in 2025.

The 2024 season saw the Blue Devils break the home run record for the second consecutive season, recording a program-best 115. Duke finished the 2024 campaign with a 40-20 record, the second time in program history to record 40-plus wins in a season (both under Pollard). The Blue Devils secured their second ACC Tournament title by sweeping the week in Charlotte.

Duke secured the program’s third Super Regional appearance in 2023, finishing with a 39-24 record. The Blue Devils were selected to the Conway Regional, advancing to the championship game against host Coastal Carolina, where Duke blasted its way to a 12-3 final in the regional championship. 

Pollard led Duke to another historic season in 2021, capturing the program’s first ACC Baseball Tournament championship title in program history and its first conference title since 1961.

Duke’s 35 wins in 2019 marked Pollard’s sixth consecutive season with over 30 victories, making the Blue Devil skipper the first head coach to lead Duke to six 30-win seasons in his first seven campaigns. The 2019 season culminated in the program’s second Super Regional appearance, where Duke fell to eventual national champion Vanderbilt.

Under Pollard’s guidance, Duke assembled a historic 2018 campaign. Ranked in the preseason for the first time in program history, the 2018 Blue Devils lived up to the early-season hype, achieving the first 40-win season in program history while also earning a program-record 18 ACC wins and advancing to the first NCAA Super Regional in school history. 

Pollard and the Blue Devils first burst onto the national scene in 2016 as Duke ended the season with a record of 33-24, which was good enough to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1961.

Before taking the job at Duke, Pollard spent eight seasons transforming Appalachian State from a bottom-dweller to a perennial mid-major power.

The Pollard era in Boone was highlighted by the 2012 Mountaineers winning their first conference championship since 1987 and advancing to NCAA postseason play for the first time since 1986. Appalachian State also claimed four wins over nationally-ranked opponents and spent six weeks in the national rankings. Before the record-breaking 2012 campaign, the Mountaineers boasted just one win over a nationally ranked team since 1982 and one appearance in a major college baseball poll.

Pollard got his first head coaching gig at DII Pfeiffer University. In his final year at Pfeiffer, Pollard coached the Falcons to the winningest season in school history, a 41-14 campaign that culminated with Pfeiffer’s second straight Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference regular-season championship and a berth in the 2004 NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional.

His prowess in program building can be traced back to Pfeiffer, as the Falcons suffered three losing seasons in the four years preceding his arrival. The Falcons improved their record in each of the five years with Pollard at the helm.

Pollard broke into the college coaching ranks in 1997 as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at his alma mater, Davidson College.

While on staff at Davidson, Pollard gained coaching experience in the NCAA-certified Coastal Plain Summer League as the head coach of the Durham Braves in 1998 and pitching coach with the Rocky Mount Rock Fish in 1997.

As a player at Davidson from 1993-96, Pollard became just the third pitcher in program history to win 20 games for a career. He ranks among the top 10 in Davidson history with 20 wins (4th), 309 innings pitched (6th), 18 complete games (6th) and two shutouts (3rd).

Pollard and his wife, Stephanie, have two sons, Thomas and Brady.

THE CHRIS POLLARD FILE

2013-25 – Duke – Head Coach (420-296)

2005-12 – Appalachian State – Head Coach (244-210-1)

2000-04 – Pfeiffer – Head Coach (141-108-1)

1996-99 – Davidson – Assistant Coach

PRESS CONFERENCE INFORMATION 

The date and time of Coach Pollard’s introductory press conference is to be determined.

Will Virginia turn its attention to Duke’s Pollard?

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Photo: Duke Athletics

With Duke suffering a heartbreaking loss only a step away from advancing to Omaha on Monday night, will Virginia go after Blue Devils coach Chris Pollard?

At least one national report placed Pollard and Wake Forest coach Tom Walter at the top of UVA’s wish list to replace Brian O’Connor, who became college baseball’s second-highest paid coach when he took the Mississippi State head coaching job last week. Updated reports said that Walter may be out of the running after he made a homophobic slur during the Demon Deacons’ game with Tennessee.

The slur was caught by ESPN’s crowd microphone and quickly spread through the sports world.

Certainly that’s not going to go over well at Virginia. Walter has been Wake’s coach since 2009 and led the Deacs to seven NCAA Tournament appearances since 2016 while posting a 495-383 record. He has 927 wins to his credit during his career.

Does that mean UVA AD Carla Williams’ national search will focus on Duke’s Pollard?

It would be a natural transition because Pollard is a native of nearby Amherst County and grew up a huge Virginia and O’Connor fan. He has won everywhere he’s been, from Pfeiffer to Appalachian State, to Duke in 2013. He’s come a long way since breaking into the college ranks in 2000.

Pollard has coached 46 Major League Draft picks and is well respected among major college baseball circles.

Aidan Teel latest Wahoo to follow O’Connor

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Photo: UVA Athletics

Virginia outfielder Aidan Teel is the latest Cavalier to announce his transfer to Mississippi State, following former UVA coach Brian O’Connor to Starkville.

Teel, a third-team All-ACC player and one of the top players in the transfer portal, joined freshmen Tomas Valincius (pitcher) and Chone James (designated hitter) as former Wahoos to join O’Connor’s program, along with another former teammate in James Nunnallee. In addition, Valincius’ older brother, Vytas Valincius, who played at Illinois, also committed to Mississippi State.

A .317 hitter, Teel had seven home runs and 40 RBI this past season. He also scored 51 runs and started all 50 games for the Cavaliers.

The older Valincius will be a senior. He played outfield for the Fighting Illini.

Cowbells ring in Brian O’Connor era in Starkville

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Photo by Austin Frayser/Special To The Clarion Ledger

Thousands of Mississippi State baseball fans and their patented cowbells showed up at Dudy Noble Field on Thursday night to greet and celebrate the hiring of Brian O’Connor.

The long-time Virginia coach was cheered, given his first cowbell and a No. 26 Bulldogs jersey, and was saluted with fireworks to cap off the night. O’Connor had already signed a four-year contract worth an average of $2.9 million annually, essentially doubling what he made at UVA ($1.4 million). MSU’s deal made the Hall of Fame coach the second-highest paid coach in the SEC, behind only Tennessee’s Tony Vitello ($3.25 million per year).

O’Connor said Bulldogs athletic director Zac Selman was the key figure in convincing him to accept Mississippi State’s offer, after having turned down opportunities at several other schools in recent years, including Florida, LSU and Texas A&M.

“Zac Selman was a big part of this,” O’Connor said. “I felt like if I was going to leave this place that I loved and worked at for 22 years, it had to to be the right partnership, first and foremost. And then, it had to be the place that you felt like you could be as successful as possible. I poured everything into that program in Charlottesville and the timing was lined up from the standpoint of where I was at in my career and where my family was at.”

Selman told media attending the welcome event that he was overjoyed when O’Connor decided to accept the Bulldogs’ offer. It wasn’t an easy decision for the veteran Cavaliers coach.

“Well we had a final conversation, Zach and I did, and I think he felt like in that conversation, maybe I should have or would have accepted the job,” O’Connor said. “And I just told him that I needed a little bit of time. I’m a little bit of a softie sometimes, OK. My family is always first and foremost in my decisions, I sat down on the couch with my wife, Cindy, and my son, Dylan, and I held their hands and said one last time, are you all on board?

“They looked at me and smiled and said, yes, we are. I knew that I wanted to do it. I knew it was the right opportunity. And then I called Zach back and told him that I wanted to be the next baseball coach here. There’s a process in this. It just doesn’t mean that now you’re going to be the baseball coach. There’s approvals that have to happen and things like that, and that takes sometimes 24 hours to run those approvals as just part of the search. It was an exciting, proud moment in my life. Obviously it was a change, but really exciting.”

O’Connor said he sat down with every Mississippi State player who had eligibility left, each meeting lasting half an hour, on Tuesday and Wednesday, but felt it was important.

“Those two days were long days, but they were great days because I got to understand from them, the guys that wore the uniform, what this place means to them, what the fan base means to them, and that cultural investment that is so important.”

O’Connor confirmed that Mississippi State pitching coach Justin Parker, considered one of the top pitching coaches in the nation, will stay on to complete his coaching staff.

The former Virginia skipper spent most of the early portion of his chat with media Thursday night, thanking UVA’s fan base for all its support through the years.

In addition to his salary, O’Connor also agreed to several contract bonuses that could earn him up to $500,000 in bonuses each year. Here’s the breakdown:

• SEC regular season championship: $50,000
• SEC tournament championship: $50,000
• SEC coach of the year: $50,000
• National coach of the year: $50,000
• NCAA tournament appearance: $50,000
• NCAA tournament super regional appearance: $100,000
• College World Series: $150,000
• College World Series final: $200,000
• National championship: $300,000

O’Connor thanks Virginia fans, donors for support

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Photo by Austin Frayser/Special To The Clarion Ledger

Brian O’Connor was full of excitement about his new gig as Mississippi State’s baseball coach, but he didn’t forget where he came from when he was introduced to Bulldogs Nation on Thursday night in Starkville.

“Before I answer questions, I want to talk about the past and why I’m here,” O’Connor said. “22 years ago, the athletic director at the University of Virginia decided to take a chance on a 32-year-old, never-been head coach and I’m forever grateful to Craig Littlepage for providing me that opportunity.

“And as the 22 years passed, we had so much success on the field, in the classroom. And the donors at the University of Virginia, the fans, it just kept growing and growing to levels that maybe nobody ever thought it would. I’m incredibly proud of that and thankful for those years of everybody that immersed themselves in that baseball program, players, fans, donors.”

O’Connor continued on with his well wishes and thanks to everyone back in Charlottesville.

“Craig Littlepage stepped down and Carla Williams took over as the athletic director, and with her guidance and support, our program continued to elevate. That was evident three out of the last four years with that program going to Omaha. So I haven’t had the opportunity to thank the fans and all the support and everybody involved at the University of Virginia, but I am forever grateful for all the support that was there for that baseball program. I had written a letter to all those fans and those donors and former players and Carla Williams will release that letter thanking all those people.”

O’Connor told this reporter late Wednesday night that he had sent that letter to UVA a few days ago, but didn’t know why it hadn’t been released. Virginia said Thursday that it didn’t receive the communication from O’Connor’s administrative assistant Justin Armistead until Wednesday.

“Virginia’s support meant everything to me, they poured resources and their time and everything going on with the program so it could be one of the nation’s elite,” O’Connor went on to say Thursday night. “So I would be remiss if I didn’t start off by showing my gratefulness for the last 22 years and what that program means and what their opportunities are moving forward. So I’m honored to be the baseball coach at Mississippi State.”

Seven Cavaliers enter transfer portal

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Photo by Nikolozi Khutsishvili

Virginia lost its baseball coaching staff on Sunday. On Monday, several of the program’s players hit the transfer portal. A total of seven Cavaliers, many of them key players during the 2025 season, entered the portal as of 10 p.m.

Talented freshman pitcher Tomas Valincius entered the portal, along with sophomore first baseman Henry Ford, freshman utility man James Nunnalee and junior pitchers Evan Blanco and Bradley Hodges. Later on Monday, leadoff hitter Aiden Teel and power hitter Chris Arroyo hit the portal.

Those seven players decided to transfer less than 24 hours after Virginia head coach Brian O’Connor and most of his staff resigned and headed to Mississippi State (see related story).

Valincius, a left-hander with a 6-1 record, was a rising star with unlimited potential in the eyes of O’Connor, who predicted greatness for the rookie Cavalier. Valincius had a 4.59 ERA in 12 starts. He pitched 64.2 innings and walked only 17 compared to 70 strikeouts.

Ford has been a steady hitter in Virginia’s lineup for the past two seasons. The Charlottesville native, who played first base and right field, led UVA in runs scored this past season with 54, while hitting .362. In 50 starts, he posted 11 home runs and 46 RBI.

Blanco, a left-hander, was 3-5 in 8 starts this season with an ERA of 6.23. In 14 appearances, he pitched 39 innings, walked 9 and struck out 36.

Outfielder Teel scored 51 runs, blasted 59 hits for a .317 batting average, hit 7 home runs and had 40 RBI.

Arroyo, who transferred to UVA from Florida, was a left-handed pitcher with 4.97 ERA and as a utility player hit .291 with 11 home runs and 42 RBI.

Hodges, another southpaw, was 2-1 in 8 starts with an ERA of 4.88. He threw 27.2 innings, issued 17 walks and fanned 36.

Nunnalee, who played outfield, infield and catcher, carried a .401 batting average in 36 games. He had 42 hits and 26 RBI.

BREAKING: O’Connor leaves Virginia for Mississippi State

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Image: hailstate.com

Hall of Fame baseball coach Brian O’Connor, who built Virginia into a national baseball power, has been named head coach at Mississippi State University.

O’Connor will be introduced to the Bulldogs’ fan base on Thursday at 7 p.m. (Central) at Dudy Noble Field.

Despite last-minute, last-ditch efforts to keep O’Connor at UVA, relations had become too strained between the coach and the school’s athletic administration, according to sources close to the program. As of Sunday night, all of the UVA coaches had cleaned out their offices.

Associate head coach Kevin McMullen, assistant coach Matt Kirby and associate AD for baseball administration Justin Armistead will join O’Connor in Starkville. It is not expected that pitching coach Drew Dickinson will be included in the move.

Sources indicated that several donors and former players had rallied to raise big numbers to resolve issues that caused the veteran coach to look around for the first time since coming to Virginia from Notre Dame in 2004.

Some of those sticking points, according to sources, were UVA’s initial plan to fund only 20 full baseball scholarships rather than the newly allowed 34, along with O’Connor’s frustrations of Disharoon Park’s shortcoming with the stadium’s lighting system and the inability to play mid-week, nonconference road games more than two or three hours from home, something O’Connor had attempted to have changed for the past three years.

By the time money was raised, O’Connor had already decided to leave for Starkville, home to one of college baseball’s most passionate fan bases and a school willing to fork over funds necessary to compete on a national basis.

O’Connor, in a text message to his Virginia team, said: “I want to thank each of you for your dedication, tireless work and loyalty during our time together. You and the many players before you have made Virginia baseball what it is, as you have heard me say before _ it is the players that make the program what it is. I have chosen to accept this opportunity because I need a new challenge and am excited about this next chapter of my life.”

Meanwhile, O’Connor was quoted in a press release from Mississippi State on Sunday night.

“Mississippi State represents everything I love about college baseball — tradition, passion and a relentless pursuit of excellence,” O’Connor said. “I’ve coached against this program and followed it closely for years.

“The atmosphere at Dudy Noble Field is nationally recognized as the best in the sport. I’m incredibly honored and grateful for the opportunity to lead a program with this kind of legacy and fan base. Mississippi State has set the standard in college baseball and I can’t wait to get to work, build relationships and compete for championships in Starkville.”

O’Connor is considered one of the top baseball coaches in America, having been named National Coach of the Year three times. In 22 seasons at Virginia, he guided the Cavaliers to 14 straight NCAA tournaments from 2004-2017, 18 overall trips to the NCAAs, seven College World Series appearances, including three of the last four years. UVA won the national title in 2015 and was runner-up in 2014.

O’Connor has had 102 Major League Draft selections (including 14 first-round selections), 31 players reach the Major Leagues, including Ryan Zimmerman, Sean Doolittle and Chris Taylor, along with Andrew Abbott.

O’Connor ranks second among active Division I coaches in career winning percentage (.702), claiming his 900th career win in late March of 2024, and is one of only eight active Division I coaches with a national title.

“Brian O’Connor is one of the most respected and accomplished coaches in college baseball,” said Zac Selmon, Mississippi State’s athletic director. “He’s a national champion, a Hall of Famer and a proven leader with a track record of building a championship-caliber program.

“Mississippi State is built to win at the highest level, and Coach O’Connor knows what that takes. From elite player development to consistent success on the national stage, his resume speaks for itself. He understands the standard here and embraces the opportunity to elevate it even further. This is a defining moment for Mississippi State Baseball and a powerful step forward for our program, our players and our fans.”

Virginia fans must be wondering if this is also a defining moment for the Cavaliers program, having to scramble at the last minute to try and salvage an emergency, just way too late.

O’Connor’s hiring was such a big deal in Starkville that Mississippi State’s president weighed in.

“At Mississippi State, we have a long tradition of success in baseball,” said president Dr. Mark E. Keenum. “The ‘M over S,’ the Maroon and White, and hosting postseason in Starkville is woven into the very fabric of who we are and what we expect of our baseball program. Brian O’Connor is an elite level coach that aligns perfectly with our elite level program. His past certainly speaks for itself, but his clear understanding of the evolution and future of college baseball is clear. We are in the pursuit of championships. I am thrilled for Coach O’Connor, our student-athletes and Bulldogs everywhere as this is a historic day for Mississippi State.

It’s also a historic day for Virginia, which let one of the nation’s best coaches walk out the door, resorting to last-minute tactics to make up for a completely botched situation.

So, where will UVA look for its next head coach? University of Washington coach Eddie Smith is a prime target. Smith has only been with the Huskies for one season and was once on O’Connor’s coaching staff at Virginia. Smith is considered one of college baseball’s most brilliant offensive minds. Smith has proven himself at various programs such as Utah Valley, Notre Dame, Tulane, LSU and Santa Clara.

Duke’s Chris Pollard has been mentioned in recent days. Pollard grew up in Amherst County and was a self-described huge fan of O’Connor and Virginia prior to taking over the program at Appalachian State. Mark Wisikowski of Oregon, Mitch Canham of Oregon State and Kentucky’s Nick Mingione could also be candidates.