2025 Season Previews: VISAA DI
February 13, 2025
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The VISAA Division I preview features a ton of content on teams and players. Is Miller School the clear favorite this year, or is there a dark horse that can challenge the Mavericks? See notes and player spotlights below.
VISAA Division I Previews:
Benedictine Collegiate 
2024 Record: 24-4
The Cadets are coming off of yet another state championship after defeating Miller School for the VISAA DI title. While star ace Jake Wise (Virginia Tech) is coming back, they lose an ENORMOUS amount of talent and depth from last year. We will not even begin to list the players that they lost, just think about a position, and then realize that they graduated. For as much as they lost, the Cadets do bring back some potential depth on the mound, however it is somewhat unproven depth. Nathan Smith, Chris Canady, and Jason Canady could all potentially help lift some of the burden on the mound that Wise will carry. While Easton Ogle (VMI) was out last year due to injury, he will be one of the very few returners that has some experience on the positional side of things. Potentially joining Ogle is JMU football recruit, Roddrey McWilliams. McWilliams has twitch and is uber athletic with a well above average run tool, so his athleticism alone will be a welcomed addition to this lineup. Brady Barrett (Mary Washington) could be a big run production bat in the middle of the order and fellow senior Josh Babcock could see an expanded role after some limited time in 2024. A trio of sophomores to know in the future are Luke Moore, Fred Dolan, and Nate Sanders. There may be some time this year where they will play a role, but almost certainly they will be names to know in the future. Where does the BCP program go from there? Only time will tell. It will be a steep climb uphill for this club to get back to the title game in 2025, but if anyone is capable of it, it is Jake Wise and this storied Cadets program.
Bishop O’Connell .jpg)
2024 Record: 15-12
New leadership will bring a new look to the Bishop O’Connell Knights. Good news for Coach Berset is they return some really solid talent up the middle of the field, including catcher Jack Woda (East Carolina) and two-way star, Noah Haught (Richmond). Joining Haught on the mound should be junior right handers, Shota Fogus (College of Charleston) and Drew Markey. While the Knights did have some big losses on the offensive side, they still return some middle and top of the order pieces like Woda, Haught, and Truman Leckey (Eastern Conn. State). Chaz Walker is another name to know. The junior is a long and rangy outfielder that could see a significant role this season. Haught has the arm talent to lead O’Connell to a deep run in the WCAC and VISAA, but they will need to show added depth on the mound, as well as the ability to score runs on the premium arms of PVI and St. Johns.
Cape Henry Collegiate 
2024 Record: 22-6
While Cape did not suffer a ton of loss in terms of number of players from the 2024 squad, the significance of those losses is tremendous. All-everything Tanner Schaedel moved on the Old Dominion, lock down centerfielder and middle of the order bat Andrew Hart is at NJIT, and middle of the order bat Nate Jensen is now at Chapman University. Seniors led the team in virtually every offensive and pitching category for the Dolphins. The good news, Colin Lebel (George Washington) is back and should serve as staff ace, cousins Ryan (Randolph-Macon) and Noah Hummel (Navy) are back and will add depth on the mound and in the lineup, and they return much of the lineup from 2024. Chris Martinez should anchor shortstop and be a steadying presence there, Reid Downs does a really good job of setting the table at the top of the order, and they have some talented underclassmen that should play larger roles this year. Senior Trajan Taylor (Mars Hill) could see an expanded role on the mound, as well as potentially in the box. Ryan Dobrinsky should also return behind the plate for Cape. What kind of innings can some of the arm depth bring to the table, and is it enough to take down some of the firepower that lies inside of VISAA DI?
Collegiate 
2024 Record: 17-6
Collegiate had a successful season in 2024 going 17-6, but falling to Paul VI in the VISAA DI quarterfinals in a heart breaker. They graduated some key pieces up the middle with Hartley Rahman (JMU) and Will Slater (VMI), but they return two of the biggest bats in VISAA DI. Jett Bristow (UVA) and Carter Mitchell (William & Mary) can provide electric offense at any given moment that can give opposing pitchers headaches each time out. Harrison Baxter (Rhodes) and Jack Callaghan (Richmond football) are some other senior leaders that have the chance to provide some offense as well. They will have to replace big innings thrown in 2024 from the arms of Mason Quigley and Malcolm Pace. Carter Hepp has some experience for the Cougars and Matthew Zandler could also do some lifting for the staff in 2025. They have run production in the order, but will the Cougars get on base in front of them and do they have the arms to hold opponents within striking distance?
Flint Hill 
2024 Record: 11-13
The Huskies’ season ended in the MAC conference championship game. Coach Mendler’s squad will return seven starters and a slew of arms. Vincenzo Fiorino was staff ace last year. After racking up over 60 strikeouts and batting over .300, Fiorino is back for his senior season. He should be joined on the mound by junior left hander, Michael Morgan. Flint Hill brings back PJ Lyons, and if healthy, he could be a big contributor on the mound as well. Lyons hit over .300 last year and one way or the other, the senior will be a major piece of this 2025 team. A pair of juniors that contributed on the mound and in the box last season were Aidan Ryan and Jackson Speer. There are a handful of underclassmen that could contribute this season, but one sophomore that had a meaningful impact last season was Zach Rachinsky.
Miller School 
2024 Record: 29-5-2 *VISAA DI State Runner-Up*
The Miller School Mavericks are loaded once again in 2025. From top to bottom, they have the most talented roster in VA/DC, and maybe even the Mid-Atlantic region as a whole. There are maybe one or two pitching staffs that rival or are better than the Mavericks staff, but none have the backing of the offense that this roster brings. Jacob Rexrode (Ferrum), Kason Wagner, Dillon O’Connor (JMU), Matthew Bobsin (Mary Washington), Naomi Ryan, and Evan Hankins (Tennessee) round out a large portion of the pitching staff. Both freshman Drew Wade and transfer junior Lorenzo Cafferillo could see some valuable innings as well, and neither lacks the confidence or stuff to contribute to this staff. The offensive lineup returns every major piece outside of Jackson Ingram (West Virginia). While Ingram is a significant loss, John Michael Szefc (Louisiana Lafayette) is arguably the best pure hitter in the state and is a solid defender up the middle. The Mavs do lose one of their vocal leaders in Dom Cafferillo (Georgetown), but Drew Lucy (Charleston-WV) is more than capable to fill those shoes, especially when controlling the running game. Noah Gray had a breakout year as a freshman last year and junior outfielder Jackson Rosales looks to have a big spring as a potential run producer for the Mavs. Hankins, Rosales, Mandela Browman (UNC), Szefc, Gray, and Wagner will probably do some heavy lifting in the lineup, but in addition to Wade, Conner Lockhart is another freshman to be on the lookout for in the future. As is the usual, Coach Wagner and company have an extremely difficult schedule, especially early on, but make no mistake about it, the Mavericks will be primed for another trip to Shepherd Stadium in May.
Norfolk Academy 
2024 Record: 17-8
Coach LaVigne’s Norfolk Academy squad is coming off of a TCIS championship and a 17-8 season. They will return six starters and five arms this season. Of those returners a few notables are staff ace CJ Murray (Merchant Marine Acad.), Parker Codington (Princeton), and Davis Steadman. The Bulldogs also bring back starting catcher Peter Galiotos, junior infielder Kiran Folck, potential two way contributor Matthew Lukevics, and right hander Sam Light. Sophomores Jed Creedon and Evan O’Boyle look to play significant roles on this year’s team as well. Murray played a huge role last year on the mound and at the plate and looks to do the same this year. Codington has the stuff to hold down just about any opposing offense. Depth on both the mound and at the plate will be question areas, not necessarily during regular season play, but as they navigate through a tough VISAA DI field in search of a VISAA State Championship.
Paul VI Catholic 
2024 Record: 24-7
After bolstering a talented offensive roster in 2024, the Panthers flip the script a little in 2025. This year, after the major losses of Jackson Sirois and Alex Peltier, PVI will be driven more so on the mound than at the plate. The Panthers return staff ace Carter Perdue (ECU), Aiden Gallagher (JMU), Brenden Moehnke (Iona), Greg Quintana (Lafayette), Matthew Roussey (CNU), and Will Emerson. While they lost plenty of offensive talent, they still return the likes of Will Tighe, who is one of the best hitters in the state, as well as Thomas Jewett, Ryan Vaxmonsky, and Owen Peltier (VMI). The staff has plenty of depth and frontline ability to win the big games, but will the offense give them the run support they need versus some of the premier arms that they will face.
The Potomac School 
2024 Record: 19-5
The Panthers had a strong showing in 2024 going 19-5 and capturing the MAC title. They lost some key pieces in Jack Graham, Owen Peterson (Navy), and Paul Witkop (Richmond), but return some experience in 2025. Will Piester looks to provide some offense and help manage the pitching staff behind the dish. They return the big bat of Wyatt Pence (Roanoke) that looks to build off of a strong junior season. Jake Adamec (Stevenson) should patrol the outfield and add production in the lineup. Jason Seeber (Carleton) is another senior leader that gives the Panthers some more depth in the lineup. Gavin Speigel is an arm that could potentially fill some big innings this spring. The Panthers will need to fill some big shoes on the mound to have the same success in 2025.
St. Anne’s Belfield 
2024 Record: 19-6
The Saints took a step forward in 2024, as they went 19-6 making a VISAA DI quarterfinals appearance before falling to the eventual champions, Benedictine. They graduated some key contributors, but also brought back some impact returners. Will Yow (Richmond) should be the table setter at the top of the order and up the middle to provide a spark. Oscar Hickey (William and Mary) looks to have a huge junior year being a run producer in the heart of the order. Junior Brooks Fox should help to manage the pitching staff, taking the reins behind the plate and providing a valuable left handed bat in the order. Ryan Steeper could play a big part on the mound, as well as offensively for the Saints. Townes Peper looks to be healthy and fill in some big innings on the mound this spring as their potential staff ace. Keep an eye out for Waylon Ammons, Davis Raymond, and Beau Bloxsom to contribute for the Saints, as well as new addition, Mike Poncy. There are offensive pieces for the Saints to have success, but mound depth could make a big difference.
St. Christophers 
2024 Record: 8-13
The success of the Saints was derailed by injuries to key pieces in 2024, but they return those players and look healthy heading into 2025. Senior Bryce Neely (UVA) is one of the more tooled up players in the state that can change the game in an instant and he is healthy and is looking to have a monster senior season. Willie Hurt (Virginia Tech) is versatile and looks to be a run producer alongside Neely at the top of the order. Senior catcher Joseph Conner returns to handle the pitching staff and give some offensive production. Gibson Beck stepped up a big role for the Saints as an eighth grader, look for him to take the next step with a year of experience under his belt. Henry Knighton (George Washington) is one of the top pitchers in the Richmond area and he looks to provide some important innings this spring. A healthy roster and pitching depth can be a factor in getting back to a VISAA DI championship.
Trinity Episcopal 
2024 Record: 10-10
In their first season under a new head coach there were some growing pains, but the Titans still managed to finish the season with a .500 record. The Titans have arguably one of the best duos in the state on the mound, with Jalen German (Coastal Carolina) and Lawson McLeod (LSU). With these two arms they have a chance to pick up a win each time out. The Titans struggled at times last year with run production and they look to improve that in 2025. Newcomer Vinnie Fischi looks to come in and help out with run production, as well as providing some mound depth. Seniors Tony Benitez, Cole Hartley (Milligan), and Jackson Hobbs (Averett) look to give some offensive production. The arms are the strong suit and if they can find some run support, they are a team to watch out for.