Previewing UVA baseball’s position players

Virginia baseball is at the dawn of a new, exciting era in Charlottesville. Head coach Chris Pollard arrived this offseason from Duke, where he spent 13 seasons and led the Blue Devils to seven NCAA tournament berths and two ACC Tournament championships, becoming the program’s all-time wins leader in the process.

Though the ’Hoos were predicted to finish just 7^th in the ACC Preseason Coaches Poll (released last week), there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic that Pollard’s squad can blow past those expectations in year one of his tenure (evidenced by their No. 14 national ranking in Baseball America’s Preseason Top 25).

At the top of that list is a lineup that is primed to rake in 2026. Led by a strong crop of transfers (several of whom followed Pollard over from Durham) and some key returning pieces, the ’Hoos have a deep group of experienced hitting talent.

With the first pitch of Virginia’s season opener against Rider less than a week away (3 PM EST on Friday, Feb. 13 at the Dish), let’s break down the position players who will be taking the diamond for Pollard this spring.

Outfield

A pair of exciting Blue Devil transfers will be roaming the 2026 Virginia outfield, along with a very familiar face.

AJ Gracia, the crown jewel of Pollard’s transfer class, will be UVA’s everyday starter in center and the nucleus of its batting order. A junior transfer from Duke, Gracia checked in at No. 2 on D1Baseball’s Preseason Top 150 Outfielders list after earning Second-Team All ACC honors in 2025.

Gracia, a 6-foot-3 slugger from Monroe, New Jersey, is likely to hear his name called in the first round of the MLB draft this summer, with some mocks projecting him as a top-ten pick after a sophomore campaign in which he posted a 1.007 OPS while smacking 15 home runs and setting Duke’s single-season program record with 57 walks.

A First-Team All-American campaign is easily on the table for Virginia’s new centerfielder. The Blue Devil transfer has a rare combination of traits at the plate, including an incredible eye (chase rate of only 18% in 2025), elite bat-to-ball skills (12.6% strikeout rate), and next-level pop.

Alongside Gracia, returning senior Harrison Didawick and Duke transfer Kyle Johnson project as the usual corner outfielders. Didawick had a bit of a letdown season in 2025 with the ’Hoos after tying the single-season program record with 23 home runs in 2024. He hit just .225 as a junior and regressed to six homers, but Didawick (a Second Team All-ACC selection in ’24) is primed for a major bounce back this spring.

“Offensively, it’s just about relax, free up, and let your ability take over,” Pollard said about Didawick to the media in late January. “He’s got big-time bat speed and barrel awareness. I’m super bullish on him having a big year.”

With Didawick penciled in as Virginia’s leftfielder, Johnson figures to get the first look in right. A two-way left-handed pitcher and outfielder, Johnson’s biggest impact this season will likely come as the Cavaliers’ ace on the mound, as Pollard has indicated Johnson will be UVA’s Friday night starter to begin the season.

At the plate, however, Johnson will be looking to bounce back from a 2025 season in which his batting average fell to .222. But as the No. 18 overall player in the high school class of 2023 out of Leesburg, Virginia, and a 2024 ACC All-Freshman Team selection, there’s no doubt that Johnson has the tools to take a big step forward in Charlottesville.

Infield

Going around the horn, the ’Hoos biggest question mark and most competitive preseason position battle comes at the hot corner. Luke Hanson was expected to be the everyday starter at third base, but he was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 15^th round of the MLB draft, leaving a group of four talented options to fill the void.

“I think the most open competition on the field right now for us is at third base, and it’s a good competition,” Pollard said in a media availability on January 20^th. “You can mix and match a little bit if guys are being consistent with their defense … And so I think you’ll see a number of different jersey numbers over there early in the season, getting guys reps. All four of those guys have something that they do really well.”

Duke transfer Noah Murray is the most experienced of the bunch. A 5-foot-10, Crozet, Virginia, native, the local product appeared in 28 games for the Blue Devils in 2025. Murray was highly productive in his limited opportunities at the plate, going 13-for-38 (.342 average) with three big flies and 10 RBIs.

Beyond Murray, a trio of exciting young prospects could all be in the mix to see time at third. Sophomore Aiden Harris was the No. 1 third baseman and No. 1 overall player in Virginia coming out of high school (via Perfect Game), and he went 4-for-10 with a double in limited plate appearances as a true freshman last spring.

Harris flashed over the summer, posting a .457 OBP and a .902 OPS in eight games for the Wausau Woodchucks of the Northwoods League, and reports around Grounds are that Harris could be in line for a breakout campaign. It seems likely he’ll consistently get his chance in the lineup, whether his starts come at third or as the DH.

Freshman Jayden Stroman is another talented option. The younger brother of 2x MLB All-Star Marcus Stroman, Jayden was the No. 58 overall player in the class of 2025, with Perfect Game noting his “quick feet … excellent bat speed … [and] a power/run profile that can rival any prospect in the class. Rounding out the group, freshman RJ Holmes was the No. 108 overall recruit in the country. Though he played mostly at shortstop in high school, he could force his way into some playing time with a compact, simple swing that should easily translate at the next level.

Things get a lot more straightforward for Virginia up the middle. Eric Becker, a junior from Thiells, New York, is back for another year with the ’Hoos after a Third Team All-ACC campaign in 2025. Becker was one of four Cavaliers to start all 50 games, and he posted a team-best .368 average with nine home runs and 52 RBIs.

Becker, who reached base in all 27 ACC games last spring and could hear his name called in the first round of the MLB draft in June, is as reliable as it gets at short. He’ll be a top-of-the-order bat for Pollard from day one.

Junior Joe Tiroly slots in alongside Becker up the middle. A transfer from Rider, Tiroly was named the 2025 MAAC Player of the Year after mashing for the Broncs to the tune of a .377 average, 18 homers, and a single-season program record 70 RBIs. Tiroly, who is getting MLB draft buzz himself, led Rider in just about every major hitting statistic last season, and he’s improved every year he’s been at the collegiate level.

Rounding out the infield, another Blue Devil transfer, junior Sam Harris will be Virginia’s starting first baseman. Harris made 32 starts for Duke in 2025, mostly at DH, and hit .297 with nine home runs. He also elevated his game when it mattered most, earning a spot on the NCAA Athens Regional All-Tournament Team. The nation’s No. 4 first baseman in the high school class of 2023, Harris is a great depth piece in a loaded lineup.

Catchers

The ’Hoos have two solid veteran transfers to lean upon behind the dish. Junior Jake Weatherspoon, the NJCAA Defensive Player of the Year at Indian River State, mashed at the JUCO level last season (.374) while flashing the leather and throwing out 15 runners on the base paths. Weatherspoon is the projected starter, but grad transfer Noah Jouras will see time as well. The Davidson transfer hit .374 for the Wildcats last season and was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Championship Team.