Virginia Baseball adds three pitchers through transfer portal

Posted on Friday, Jul. 7, 2023, 11:19 pm

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By Jerry Ratcliffe

Photo: UVA Athletics

Hall of Famer Brian O’Connor will be on the recruiting trail for the next month, but that hasn’t stopped Virginia from adding to next season’s roster thanks to the transfer portal.

UVA gained a lot of notoriety for its expertise in bringing in players from the portal after the 2022 season, signing players — pitchers, in particular — that strengthened the team and helped the Cavaliers to a 50-win season and another appearance in the College World Series in 2023.

In the past week, Virginia has landed three transfer pitchers for the 2024 season: right-hander Hayden Snelsire from Randolph-Macon; righty Joe Savino from Elon; and southpaw Owen Coady from Penn.

Snelsire is a graduate transfer who posted an 8-2 record for the Jackets this past season, compiling a 2.99 ERA and 1.096 WHIP in 69.1 innings pitched. He also struck out 107 batters and walked only 18.

The RMC transfer is presently playing in the Coastal Plain summer league for the Tri-City Chili Peppers.

Savino is coming off a solid season for Elon, where he went 5-1 with a 3.86 ERA and two saves in 22 relief appearances. At 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, Savino brings the heat, having struck out 72 batters and walking a mere 13 in 53.2 innings pitched.

Playing for Harwich in the Cape Cod League last summer, the Elon hurler had a 1.59 ERA and a save, with a 3-0 record in 12 appearances as a reliever. He fanned 38 in 28.1 innings pitched.

Coady committed to UVA during the season and will be a fifth-year senior. Ivy League rules do not allow grad students to play, so the reliever started looking for a program to finish out his career, and liked the Cavaliers.

The left-hander went 5-3 for the Quakers with a 2.98 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. He struck out 79 in 66.1 innings this past season. The year before (‘22), he was mostly a reliever for Penn, but still managed a 7-1 record with a 2.80 ERA. He had two saves in 14 appearances (12 of those in relief and two as a starter). He fanned 74 and walked 22 in 54.2 innings pitched.

At 6-3, 230, Coady also brings power.

In other Virginia baseball news, Colin Tuft has left the program and transferred to Tulane, joining two other former Wahoos, Christian Sanchez and Billy Price.