2022 VHSL Preview: Region 5D
March 8, 2022
As the season approaches, we will go around the Commonwealth and DC and preview the action to come this spring, our first full season since 2019. In each preview, we will breakdown how teams qualify for the Region Tournaments, the Top Prospects in each Region, and Teams to Watch.
In 2021, Region A Champ Frank Cox defeated Region C Champ Woodgrove to capture the Class 5 State Championship. Mills Godwin won Region B and Mountain View won Region D in the 2021 season, earning State Tournament berths. Region runners-up were First Colonial, Glen Allen, Riverside, and Albemarle.
Realignment has hit Class 5 pretty hard this year as most of the Regions look very little like they did last year. Regions 5C and 5D were combined into the new Region 5D. The Richmond schools that made up Region 5B are now together in 5C. Finally, what had been a massive Region 5A of Peninsula and Beach schools has now been split in half into the new 5A and 5B.
The Region 5D tournament is a eight-team tournament. for seeding purposes, the Region is divided into three areas, Loudoun County, Stafford/Spotsylvania, and South. Schools earn their bids from their area with Loudoun and Stafford/Spotsylvania having three bids this year and the South having two.
TOP PROSPECTS
5D
| Name | High School | Position | Year | Commitment |
| Evan Burt | Harrisonburg | RHP | 2022 | VCU |
| Kyle Carpe | Stone Bridge | C | 2023 | |
| Joey Colucci | Woodgrove | RHP | 2022 | Maryland |
| Ryan DeMartin | Riverside | RHP | 2023 | Georgetown |
| Billy Fluharty | Riverbend | SS/RHP | 2023 | Bucknell |
| Bradley Gagen | Independence | LHP | 2022 | Tennessee |
| Jaden Greene | Massaponax | OF/RHP | 2022 | |
| Josh Hand | Independence | OF | 2022 | Virginia Tech |
| Zach Horn | Brooke Point | LHP/1B | 2023 | James Madison |
| Connor Hughes | Briar Woods | RHP | 2023 | |
| Kyle Johnson | Riverside | LHP/OF | 2023 | Duke |
| Charlie Krebs | Woodgrove | RHP/1B | 2023 | |
| AJ Labrusicano | North Stafford | SS/RHP | 2022 | Rider |
| Aidan McDonald | Independence | SS | 2022 | James Madison |
| Cavan McMeans | Riverside | SS | 2023 | College of Charleston |
| Jack McMullan | Albemarle | C | 2023 | |
| David Mendez | Independence | SS | 2023 | Dayton |
| Collin Snyder | Riverbend | C | 2023 | |
| Tyler Turner | Potomac Falls | SS | 2022 | Monmouth |
| Jay Vergel | Potomac Falls | 2B | 2024 | |
| Dawson Weems | Riverbend | OF/RHP | 2023 | |
| Chad Yates | Independence | LHP/OF | 2023 |
TEAMS TO WATCH
5D
Briar Woods
The Falcons were strong last season but lost a lot of their offense to graduation, specifically Evan Smith (West Virginia), Jon Torre (Washington & Lee), and Drew Petit (Eastern Mennonite) among others. Despite those losses, Briar Woods should still have plenty of talent in the lineup and the Falcons should be a threat in the Potomac District and Region 5D. Seniors Wesley Stanford (CNU), Michael Sabasteanski (Norwich), and Matt Quigley (Juniata) provide a strong offensive core, and look for junior Anthony Famiglietti to also see his role shift more into the middle of the lineup. On the mound, keep an eye on junior Connor Hughes who could make a jump this spring.
Independence
The 2021 Class 3 State Champs move up to Class 5 this spring in the school's third year since opening. The Tigers played the regular season in the Potomac District before dropping down to the Class 3 playoffs and going on their title run. They lost some talent to graduation and transfer with the departures of Brandon Clarke (Alabama), Sam Davies (St. Joseph's), and Bryce Dolby (Mississippi). There still should be plenty on the roster this spring for the Tigers to challenge for another deep postseason run. Look for the rotation to be led by senior lefty Bradley Gagen (Tennessee) with junior Chad Yates also picking up some innings. Offensively, senior Josh Hand (Virginia Tech) provides the juice and David Mendez (Dayton) and Aidan McDonald (James Madison) will make a quality double play combination. Owen Donahue (Salisbury) and Jack Gagen (Tusculum) also add depth and length to Indy's lineup.
Mountain View
The Wildcats were the 2021 Region D champs, capping off a season that saw them as the best of the Fredericksburg/Stafford teams. Graduation has gutted their roster, especially with the departures of Evan Hamill (Navy) and Britt Yount (George Mason), who anchored the rotation last spring along with current senior Michael Arce (Marymount). Gone from the offense will be Hamill and also Cam Murray (Western Carolina), Nicolas Rodriguez (Grove City), and Bode Lindauer (King). Arce will be back in the top spot of the rotation and seniors Braden Hamilton (UVA Wise) and Tyler Johnson (Bridgewater) will anchor the lineup as the Wildcats retool in 2022.
Riverside
The Rams finished 2021 as the Region C runners-up, falling in the Region final to Woodgrove after handing Freedom (South Riding) its only loss of the season in the Region semifinals. Riverside graduates its 1-2 punch on the mound with the departures of Michael Walsh (Maryland) and Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman (East Carolina). Despite those graduations, the Rams have plenty of talent and depth in the rotation this spring in seniors Mac Yarbrough (Norfolk State) and Steven Trone (Old Dominion) as well as juniors Kyle Johnson (Duke) and Ryan DeMartin (Georgetown). Junior shortstop Cavan McMeans (College of Charleston) anchors the defense and will be a part of an offense that is built around senior Stone Lasseigne (CNU) and also features Johnson. There is some fluidity to the offense, but Riverside always has things figured out in time to be very dangerous in May and June.
Stone Bridge
The Bulldogs are a young team coming off of a down 2021 season. There are some interesting pieces to keep an eye on for Stone Bridge, especially a trio of junior bats in Kyle Carpe, Jack Hayes, and Chandler Valbak. The Potomac District is generally very good top to bottom and 2022 looks to be no different as this squad has some offensive pieces and could be dangerous depending on how its pitching shakes out.
Woodgrove
The Wolverines are the Class 5 State Runners-up from 2021 and graduated a big chunk of their core from that team. Gone is all-everything ace and power hitter Christian Hile (Marshall) as well as Nathan Favereaux (Patrick Henry CC), and JD Robinson (Virginia Wesleyan). While there will be some turnover in the lineup, one of the big x-factors in the Woodgrove run in 2021 was the emergence of Joey Colucci (Maryland), who will now take over the top of the rotation in his senior season. Junior Charlie Krebs also has a big arm and provides plenty of pop at the plate. That one-two punch on the mound should keep Woodgrove near the top of the Potomac District and give them a chance at another State Tournament trip.