Follow @PrepBaseballVA
Facebook + Instagram

For the next two weeks we will roll out our Preseason Power 25. We will release three teams per day for the first week and then move to two teams per day once we reach the Top 10 next week. Voting for preseason teams centers more around the depth of talent on that team, the roster outlook, previous success with players on the roster, as well as where it stacks up within their region/area, as opposed to strictly predicting schedule outcomes. Our staff weighs ten different categories (i.e. offensive depth, impact players, frontline arm, pitching staff depth, sustained program success, etc). 

Generally, larger schools and classifications have a greater depth of player talent on roster. However, once the season begins and records begin to take shape, the Power 25 will be adjusted as needed. In addition to that, we will debut our Private School Top 10 around late-March/early-April and the Small School Top 10 around mid-April. This will allow teams to settle in and their schedule to begin to shake out. Our first overall Power 25 update, due to the VHSL season being pushed back a week, will come Monday, March 30th.

---

#25: Briar Woods Falcons

 

2025 Record: 12-11

Returners: Nick Donatella (Salisbury), Cole Harris, Liam Heffernan (McDaniel), Maxwell Henry (Shenandoah), Dani Jensen, Noah Martin (Chatham), Blake Mingo (JMU), Daniel Sanchez (Virginia), Bryce Stanford (Longwood), Gavin Sylvester (Misericordia)

Key Losses: Max Lawson, Gage Strucko

Season Outlook: Seven of their eleven losses came by three runs or less. The Falcons struggled to find a way to win in close games, but the evolvement of this pitching staff could be the difference from last year to this. Lawson and Strucko will be big losses in the middle of the infield and in the lineup, but a healthy Mingo and the emergence of some strong offense that guys like Heffernan and Henry have shown could prove huge in 2026. While there is some stiff competition in Region 5D, this Briar Woods team is the sleeper with the power stuff some of their arms have shown.