On Deck Season Wrap Up: Tom Sox Fall Just Short of Fifth Championship

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. –In the monumental 10th season of Tom Sox baseball, Charlottesville fell just short of earning its fifth Valley League title after dropping game three in the championship series against Strasburg.

The newest (and final of the 2025 season) episode of On Deck w/ the Tom Sox features a panel of guests to recap all of the happenings from day one of the season, to the no-hitter thrown by the Express in the championship finale. I was joined by Jeremy Rose, Nathan Schwartz, Luke Stefanisko, Daniel Stein, and Landon Weaver to talk in-depth about a plethora of topics.

“Resiliency, perseverance and being able to overcome challenges – I think that’s what this team did best,” Schwartz said.

Following the 3-9 start to the season – which was the worst in franchise history, Randy Tomlin and his coaching staff were able to find an identity for the team en route to landing at the three-seed in the South Division.

A team that featured eight Valley League All-Stars and four all-VBL selections was always destined to have a plethora of talent, it was just a matter of when they would come together as a team and put everything together.

The summer was highlighted by 16 come-from-behind wins, four of which happened in walk-off fashion. The other defining story of the summer: brutal weather and the organization adapting to whatever Mother Nature threw at the Valley. 11 games were postponed or cancelled due to extreme heat or rain in the area.

Fast forward to the postseason, the Tom Sox took care of business against the Waynesboro Generals in round one, 8-5, then had the test of two of the VBL’s hottest teams waiting for them: Staunton and Culpeper.

We agreed on the podcast that the South Division Semifinal and Championship were exemplary of the entirety of the season – comeback wins, affected by weather, defined by the success of small ball.

“You can’t count the Tom Sox out of a game… it’s this ‘never back down’ competitive spirit,” Stein said. “They are so used to playing from behind, and that’s what they were doing.”

Following the walk-off hit fromJackson Sirois (Maryland)that propelled them past Culpeper, the team hit the road again just over 12 hours later to take on one of the best offensive teams the Valley has ever seen.

Games one and two against the Express were each a thriller, with each team taking the contest on their home field in walk-off fashion. 38 total runs were scored between both contests, andHudson Luttermanwas the hero in game two with a walkoff sac-fly, which set up a winner-take-all matchup on July 30th.

Ultimately, the Tom Sox team-driven offense was no match for the stellar pitching of the Express, who threw a combined no-hitter en route to Strasburg’s fourth VBL title.

Charlottesville yet again fell short of the elusive back-to-back Jim Lineweaver Cups, after winning its fourth title in 2024.

We took some time to go through the ups and downs of it all in the full episode of ON DECK, and talk about the joys of the summer collegiate baseball setting.

Finally, the panel selected a few awards for the Tom Sox in 2025:

Heart & Hustle (“a passion for the game of baseball and best embodies the values, spirit and traditions of the game”):

Landon’s Pick: Perry Hargett

Luke’s Pick: Perry Hargett

Jeremy’s Pick: TEAM AWARD

Daniel’s Pick: Preston Gamster & Will Jennewein

Nathan’s Pick: Preston Gamster

“Throughout the course of the season, the guy who could have been the best [for this award] changed… from game to game, from part of the season to part of the season,” Rose said. “That’s what made this ‘Sox team so special; there was always at least one guy on the roster who could do that for the ‘Sox – who could be that spark plug.”

Hargett had a Charlottesville-record five sac bunts on the season, spending a majority of the year in the leadoff spot while being a reliable outfielder; he also stole 15 bases. Gamster earned an all-star nod at the shortstop position and had an infectious personality off-the-field, before his season was cut short due to injury.

Media Player of the Year:

Ben’s Pick: Lee Sowers

Luke’s Pick: Preston Gamster

Lee Sowers always found the camera and was never a stranger to having a good time or expressing his mind. Gamster was always a superstar when it came to putting a microphone or camera near him. Both Gamster and Sowers consistently gave every media member a story to tell.

Silver Slugger:

Landon’s Pick: Elijah Guilliams

Luke’s Pick: Brock Clayton

Jeremy’s Pick: Patrick Niehus

Daniel’s Pick: Andrew Mannelly

Nathan’s Pick: James Nunnallee

Five different names on this list is a testament to the style of play that the Tom Sox adapted all season. Despite not recording a hit in the final game of the championship series, Charlottesville still put two runs on the board by advancing runners on walks, steals, and wild pitches.

“I think [Hitting Coach Joey Davis] managed to adapt the offense well, to just work for that small ball style of baseball, you know, just looking for base hits, balls on the ground, trying to create chaos. And the ‘Sox were effective in that regard,” Stefanisko said.

Cy Young:

Nathan’s Pick: Trevor Booton

Daniel’s Pick: Evan Alwine

Jeremy’s Pick: Ian White Jr.

Luke’s Pick: Trevor Booton

Landon’s Pick: Brandon Eldridge

Trevor Booton, one of the few returning members of the 2024 championship team, boasted a 1.40 over 14 appearances after coming into his own following the departure of closer Jason Ban. Booton worked through a new arm-slot this season and decided to come back to Charlottesville because he trusted Randy Tomlin to allow him to work through the struggles, he told me in late June.

MVP:

Nathan’s Pick: Kyle Langley

Daniel’s Pick: Kyle Langley

Jeremy’s Pick: Kyle Langley

Luke’s Pick: Jackson Sirois

Landon’s Pick: Jackson Sirois

Ben’s Pick: Kyle Langley

Both of these players were on the lineup card on Opening Day against Harrisonburg and game three in Strasburg, and that is a large factor in them getting this recognition. Sirois, one of the newest members of the Maryland baseball program, and Langley, a rising junior for James Madison, were as consistent as it gets in summer baseball. Sirois started 33 games, drove in 17 runs and drew 27 walks; he was also involved in 13 successful double plays as part of the middle infield. Langley was flawless defensively in center field, and he recorded 40 hits with 25 RBIs, stole 20 bases, was second in the team in at-bats and first in batting average (.274) over 36 starts.

To listen to the full roundtable conversation recapping the 2025 season, subscribe to On Deck with the Tom Sox, the official podcast of the Charlottesville Tom Sox. Hosted by Ben Rekosh, it can be found on all major podcast platforms and YouTube.