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VHSL Class 2 Previews:

Appomattox County Raiders   

2025 Record: 21-6 *VHSL Class 2 State Champion*

The Raiders are your 2025 Class 1 State Champions, going 21-6 on the season. They brought home their second state title in the last handful of years. Appomattox reeled off 11 straight wins from early May until the middle of June. They defeated Poquoson in extras in the semis before beating King William 3-1 in the championship game. Isaac Records, Micah Wilson, and Evan Carwile were all VHSL Class 2 1st Team All-State, with all three of those players graduating at the end of last season. Returning in 2026 are a pair of 2nd teamers with Jack Wilkerson and Owen Chavis being possibly the two most talented returners. In addition to their offensive contributions, the innings that they provided last season may be the most important part of their return. Those two and RJ Martin combined for 101 total innings last season. Chavis will need to cut down on the walks, but the strikeout numbers were pretty strong. In 24 innings on the mound, Wilkerson did not issue a single walk while also striking out 22. Their team ERA was 1.65 with an OBA of .223. The arms were what they hung their hat on in 2025 and will need more stellar performances in 2026.

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Buckingham Knights   

2025 Record: 18-2

Buckingham had three of their leading hitters graduate from last year’s 18-2 team. Ethan Walter, Avery Schaeffer, and Andrew Dorrier will certainly be missed, but they have some returning names like Ty Wilkerson, Ethan Myers, Trey Jones, and Ryland Carter that could help pick up the pieces. In total the Knights had seven hitters that were north of .300 BA that have moved on, so they will have some inexperienced players that will have to pull their weight. In addition to their offensive losses, the Knights only return around 20 innings on the mound, with the graduated Schaeffer, Kayne Wooten, and Dorrier accounting for nearly 90% of their innings pitched. Brayden Jamerson put up some solid numbers in short stints and will possibly have to be the guy in big games for Buckingham. If they figure out the arms, they could be looking at yet another run in Class 2.

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Central Lunenburg Chargers   

2025 Record: 16-3

The Chargers were 15-3 last season, one of their most successful seasons in recent memory and they will return six starters from last season. Cohen Berkley, Chad Mattox, and Jack Bender all hit better than .425 last season and should be returning this season. While Berkley was a big contributor at the plate, his presence on the mound may be his most vital role on this Chargers’ squad. Berkley threw 48 innings last season, striking out 79 and only walking 15. Rusty Hooton, Riley Rogers, and Reed Nowlin will all be in the mix to be big contributors for this Chargers team. There is some talent in the junior class and it will be interesting to see this program continue to evolve into a contender. That time may be coming sooner rather than later.

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Glenvar Highlanders  

2025 Record: 9-12

There were some ups and downs throughout the spring for the Highlanders as the offense went stagnant at times when they needed some run support in big games. Jake Franklin, Cameron Feazell, and Jack Osburn return for their sophomore year after being inserted as regulars in the lineup as freshmen. Landyn Pickard was an everyday guy as a utility defender that returns as an anchor in the infield. Cale Vaughan (Roanoke) was a big time arm for the Highlanders in 2025, as he logged 57 innings and 84 strikeouts. With his success and experience, he is the frontline arm that can give them a chance in big time games. Paired up with Vaughan is Feazell, who logged significant innings as well, giving them a duo that has experience in big games. The run support and mound depth will be important for them to have success in 2026.

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John Battle Trojans 

2025 Record: 21-9

It was a strong 2025 season for the Trojans as they made their way to a 21-9 record and made it to the VHSL Class 2 semifinals, where they fell short in a one run loss to King William. While they do lose some veterans that were a steady presence on a varsity level in Elijah Childress, Porter Gobble (Walters State CC), and Noah Hill (Milligan), they also return some firepower as well. Casey Rector (Rutgers) and Caden Sturgill return to the lineup that can give them a spark at the top of the order for some instant offense. Braxton Price gained some significant experience behind the dish as a freshman and looks to carry that into 2026. Carter Helton and Owen Senter are seniors that bring some more leadership to this roster. Palmer Gobble and Heath Persiani look to pick up significant innings on the mound from the arms that they lost. Two additional names to take note are Noah Cross and Ryan Rutledge. There’s some balance in this lineup that can generate runs, but finding some arm depth on the mound will be important for their hopes to return to the state tournament.

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King William Cavaliers    

2025 Record: 16-6 *VHSL Class 2 Runner Up*

2026 will certainly be a rebuilding year for the Cavaliers, as they graduated seven of their eight top hitters and two of their three top arms from a Class 2 runner up team. This year may very well be the Henry Kite (William & Mary) show. Kite threw the second most innings last season and is the only qualifying hitter returning that had better than a .200 batting average. Joseph Pasowicz and Hunter Thorpe could be a huge help with the pitching duties. Chase Jukes, Chace LeBaron, Javon Lewis, Zai Shelton, and Stevie Walton will be pieces in this offense that could give run support to the pitching staff. There are a lot of question marks with this team, but fortunately for them Kite has the ability to keep them in games while they sort the offense out.

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Lebanon Pioneers   

2025 Record: 21-6

Losses of Eli Breeding (Alice Lloyd), Toby Baker, and Nathan Phillips (Mt. St. Mary’s) are big voids to fill. On the mound, the Pioneers have Isaac Godsey, Jake Hilton (Carson-Newman), and Lake Baldwin (Roanoke) back for this season, offsetting some of the loss of Phillips and Breeding from the pitching standpoint. The lifting in the lineup will be a little tougher, but returners Luke Garrett, Booker Steffey, and Brady Cole all played a solid role in their offensive output. With teams like John Battle, Union, and Central (Wise) all looking stronger and stronger year over year, it will be a tough road in 2026, but it is a road that has long been navigated by this Lebanon program.

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Nandua Warriors    

2025 Record: 11-8

An 11-8 season in 2025 ended in a one run loss at the hands of King William. Nandua was another fairly senior heavy team last year, graduating five of their top seven hitters and two of their top three arms. Aiden McIntyre and Greggory Lessard hit .315+ last season, while McIntyre accounted for half of this Nandua team’s homeruns (5). McIntyre also was absolutely dominant on the mound, throwing 56 innings, totaling 111 strikeouts, and only allowing 8 earned runs. His season ERA was .99 and the OBA was .097, just ridiculous numbers from McIntyre. At the plate, Hayden Williams and Jordan Snead are two names to know that should be returning for the Warriors in 2026. Williams is also the top returning arm after throwing 27 innings last season. While it may be some time before he is a contributor on the varsity level, watch out for 2029 Orion Loredo. Loredo made a big splash in our tournaments in 2025 and he has a chance to be a special hitter.

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Patrick County Cougars

2025 Record: 15-6

It was a strong season in 2025 for Patrick County heading into regionals until an upset loss in the semifinals to Dan River ended their season. They have some experienced players returning for 2026 that hope to make a deep run. Jaiden Wilson (Bluefield), Christian Hylton, Calvin Lancaster, Zach Holt, and Erik Martinez-Tejada are a group of seniors that bring back plenty of experience for this roster. Mark Register is a sophomore that could play an important role in the rotation for the Cougars this spring. Will the veteran leadership be enough to make a deep playoff run in 2026?

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Poquoson Islanders 

2025 Record: 14-11

Every single season the Islanders seem to be in contention for a Class 2 title. Last season was no different, but their season ended in the semis at the hands of Appomattox, the eventual state champions. While there are years that Poquoson gets beat up during the regular season, it seems to prepare them for the playoffs. This season the Islanders will need to do it without Eli Tyndall (VMI). The VHSL 1st Team All-State selection has graduated and moved on, with his absence being extremely hard to replace. In addition to Tyndall’s departure, Eli Monroe, Mason Deas, and Tyler Martin have graduated, leaving big voids in this team. The Islanders should return four starters from the lineup and three arms that contributed last year. Dan Sperling (Bridgewater) and Lucas Power should be two contributors this season, with Sperling’s ability on the mound being key to their success. Joining this Poquoson team could be the fresh faces of Brody Bunting, Lucas Hatok, John Rainone, and Daniel McAdams. Outside of the two seniors in Sperling and Power, there are lots of question marks to be answered if the Islanders want to get back to their usual ways in Class 2.

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Randolph-Henry Statesmen   

2025 Record: 13-8

The Statesmen were 13-8 last season, struggling to put up crooked numbers in their bigger games. Every important hitter returns in 2026, including Brennan Arrington and Alex Duffey, both of whom hit .415+ in 2025. Parker Allen and Cayden Hudson both carried some significant weight for the offense as well, with both of them hitting .385+. Duffey, Arrington, and Allen led the way in OPS for last year’s team and they will need to bring that impactful offense to the big games as well. Sam Critzer was a freshman last season and led the team in innings pitched (58) and ERA (3.38). Critzer was joined by Parker Allen on the mound. The then sophomore threw 34 innings and had a 3.67 ERA of his own. With everything they have returning in 2026, and other teams having graduated a lot of talent, the door is open for Randolph-Henry to get back into the race for a Class 2 title.

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Union Bears   

2025 Record: 16-10

The Bears had a solid showing in 2025 with a 16-10 record and just fell short of punching their ticket into the VHSL Class 2 state tournament with a one run loss to Lebanon in the region semifinals. They return a bulk of their roster that looks to continue to take a step forward in 2026. Kamron Bishop and Keith Chandler are two of the top bats that return for the Bears that were run producers and generated offense. They return the duo of Collyn Neff and Liam Skeen, who threw a bulk of the innings on the mound as underclassmen in 2025. With the experience that they gained last season, it will be important for them to put together quality outings on the mound to give them a chance in high magnitude games.

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Wise (Central) Warriors   

2025 Record: 11-11

The Warriors are returning seven starters from last year, including two All-State performers in Jaron Wyatt (2nd Team) and Ethan Foster (1st Team). In addition to those two returners they bring back sophomore Colton Elkins, juniors Gabe Thompson and Isaiah Bentley, as well as a potential freshman standout Grant Pilkenton. The Warriors will more than likely only have one senior on this team, setting them up nicely for this year and the next few. The Warriors have some very intriguing offensive pieces, but how the arms shape up may be the biggest determining factor as to whether or not they will be able to challenge for a Class 2 state tournament berth.