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The VISAA Division I preview features content on more than a dozen teams and notes on more than 100 players. Is Miller School once again the clear favorite in 2026, or is there a dark horse that can challenge the Mavericks and stop their repeat? See in depth previews and player spotlights below.

VISAA Division I Previews:

Benedictine Collegiate Cadets   

2025 Record: 13-16-1

After a complete overhaul from the 2024 season, it was a very different looking Cadets team in 2025. Massive losses all over the field created what many would say was a down year for Benedictine. While there was certainly some rebuilding that took place, they will still have to replace two of their main offensive pieces from last season in Roddrey McWilliams and Easton Ogle (VMI). Both of these uber athletic seniors were extremely important to a limited output offense, with Ogle collecting 2nd Team VISAA All-State honors. In addition to the offensive production losses that those two create, the Cadets will also need to replace the year over year dominance that Jake Wise (Virginia Tech) brought to the table. Wise was once again 1st Team All-State and the Cadets will need Chris Canady to step up and take over Wise’s ace role on the mound. Davy Rasmussen is another name to know for the Cadets on the mound. Rasmussen threw some solid innings for BCP last spring and has the chance for an expanded workload this spring. While there are some upperclassmen that could be contributors this season, there is also certainly a youth movement with the Cadets. Names like Odin Gaitens, Jordan O’Brien, Hayes Corbitt, Cooper Crabtree, Garner Hedrick, and Braylon Rogers are underclassmen that, while maybe not this year, should be key names to know in the future of this program. Luke Moore and Luke Kincaid are two names to know for the offense, as they were middle of the order bats last season, but who else will join them in jumpstarting this Benedictine team in 2026?

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Bishop O’Connell Knights   

2025 Record: 20-6

Moving from 15-12 in 2024 to 20-6 in 2025, the Knights saw some massive upgrades last season. Quality wins over Georgetown Prep (MD), Paul VI, and a clean sweep in Myrtle Beach were some of the highlights of 2025. However, after a winning streak of 11 games from April 8th to April 28th, O’Connell lost their first game in the WCAC playoffs and the VISAA playoffs. The biggest ask in 2026 will be replacing the offense that they lost with the departures of Noah Haught (Richmond), Kamari Chisolm (Hood), Will Headley, and Truman Leckey (Eastern Conn. State). Those four players hit .365 or better, with Haught leading the way at .443. While Haught led the team in batting average, Leckey led in RBI (29) and in stolen bases (16). The two returning big names on the offensive side are Chaz Walker and Jack Woda (ECU). Both hit around .360 for the season, with Woda leading the team in doubles (11), runs (29), and homeruns (3). While Haught certainly had the best “stuff” of any DJO arm, it was Drew Markey (Presbyterian) that carried the heaviest workload last season. Markey threw 47.1 innings and carried the lowest ERA (2.51) of any real qualifying arm. While it is not necessarily big strikeout numbers, he brings reliability and consistency to this staff, while also limiting free passes and big innings. Joining Markey should be Shota Fogus (Richmond). Fogus threw just over 28 innings last season with just under a 4.0 ERA. The biggest improvement area for the Spiders commit, from a statistical vantage point, would be in the K:BB ratio and BB/7. While the Knights certainly have some big losses from 2025, their additions may outweigh the losses, especially from an offensive standpoint. Bryant James (Virginia), Lucas Grubb, Cam Bates, and Daggu Rana should be massive adds to the athleticism, versatility, and offensive output of this team. They went from being a fairly athletic team, to having one of the best and most versatile lineups in the state. Bates and Rana should also contribute more than their share on the mound as well, only adding to an already solid staff. While they have an immense amount of team speed, strength up the middle of the defense, and some intriguing arms on the mound, it is the power production that could be the biggest question with this team. Insert Walker McElwain. If the physical right handed bat can consistently find the barrel in the middle of that order, there may not be many big tasks for the DJO pitching staff. Be on the lookout for Kian Kaboli and Kayden Ragsdale as two guys that could see some important time this season for DJO. While they technically only return four starters and four arms, the new transfers and versatility that they bring could inject some serious life into this program. 

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Cape Henry Collegiate Dolphins   

2025 Record: 19-11

The Dolphins have seen a significant amount of turnover in the last two seasons, losing names like Tanner Schaedel (ODU), Andrew Hart (NJIT), Colin Lebel (GW), and Reid Downs (Richmond). From last year to this year, figuring out how to replace the offensive production of Colin Lebel (.467 BA/29 RBI/10 2B) and Reid Downs (.438 BA/28 Runs/13 SB) will be the biggest challenge. In addition to Lebel’s offensive numbers, the GW freshman threw 40 innings last season with a 2.10 ERA and nearly a 5:1 K/BB ratio. Between Lebel, Trajan Taylor (Mars Hill), and Ryan Hummel (Randolph-Macon), those three graduated arms threw 50% of their total innings on the season. Noah Hummel (Navy) is back again and should have another big year, but he will need some help from names like Jackson Jones, and the hopeful return of a healthy Copeland Smith. While there were the previously mentioned losses from the offense, breakout seasons from names like Harley Matela, Grayson Friske, and new face Colt Bradshaw would be an enormous help to the steadying presence of senior Chris Martinez (Washington & Lee) in the Cape offense. Martinez is the top returning hitter for Cape and ranked in the top three of a large majority of statistical categories last season. While there may not be a huge outlier in terms of deficiencies for this Cape team, catching experience behind the plate may be the one area that this team could use a shot in the arm to get them back to a title game.

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Collegiate Cougars   

2025 Record: 16-10

The Cougars had an up and down 2025 season, finishing 16-10. While they did not really have a “bad loss”, they did not capitalize on some close games, losing six of their ten games by three runs or less. Best wins of the season came versus Highland, Benedictine, and swept the week versus Trinity Episcopal. The biggest question this season is where will the offense come from. Collegiate lost Jett Bristow, Jack Callaghan, Carter Mitchell (William & Mary), Will Quinby (Rhodes College), and Harrison Baxter (Rhodes College). Mitchell and Baxter combined for 51 innings on the mound, while Mitchell, Callaghan, and Bristow brought 14 homeruns to the offense last season. Replacing those seniors is a massive ask for this 2026 team. A few returning names to watch are guys like Michael Chambers (Mary Washington) and Owen Prusek on offense. The potential leading arm on the mound is Matthew Zandler. The junior accounted for the most innings pitched last year with 35 innings of work. While the offense has some notable gaps that need to be filled, the other question is can the arms step up in the absence of true run production type of hitters? The Cougars will need some arms to fill that void and someone like Emery Williamson can certainly help lift that staff up.

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Flint Hill Huskies    

2025 Record: 21-8

11-13 to 21-8 turnaround from 2024 to 2025 for the Huskies. There were certainly other bright spots, but that was probably the most glaring. This season the Huskies return six offensive starters and a whopping eleven arms from their 2025 season. As a team, Flint Hill hit .321 with 48 extra base hits and 9 homeruns. That offense was led by Logan Lucca (Carleton College) and Sebastian Gratacos (Mt. St. Mary’s). Lucca is returning after hitting a staggering .422 on the season. Gratacos has graduated and his loss, along with guys like Vincenzo Fiorino, Jake Blazejowski, and PJ Lyons, will certainly make 2025 harder on the offense. The next leading hitter was freshman standout Asher Ricard. In somewhat limited time, Ricard hit .355 on the season. Returning senior Aidan Ryan swiped 26 bases, accounting for roughly 20% of their 132 stolen bases. Other names of note for the 2026 offense include Brennan Lublin, Bruce Waldschmidt, and Zach Rachinsky. Jackson Speer, Michael Morgan, and Marshall Johnson return for their senior season on the mound, and should be joined by underclassman Jefferson Speakes. All three of those arms combined for more than 50% of their innings pitched last season. Morgan had some staggering numbers, throwing just over 28 innings and only allowing four earned runs. Their biggest strikeout arm was Fiorino and they will need to find a shutdown type of arm, but they return experience and some upperclass arms to allow their offense to come into their own.

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Miller School Mavericks   

2025 Record:  34-6 *VISAA DI State Champion*

Will there be another state title in Miller School’s future? If this roster is any indicator, yes they are the VISAA DI state title favorites. While Evan Hankins (Tennessee) and Drew Lucy (Charleston-WV) are significant losses from the 2025 team, the Mavericks have more than enough firepower to replace those two. Mandela Browman (UNC), Jackson Rosales (Ferrum), John Michael Szefc (Louisiana), Noah Gray (ECU), and Will Tomlinson (Ferrum) bring plenty of offensive firepower to this lineup. They can run, they can slug, they have a good mixture of hitters from both sides, and are solid up the middle. Cody Peck (Richard Bland) could be the steadying presence behind the plate for MSA, but Lucy left some big shoes to fill, especially on the defensive side. On the mound this roster returns the two headed snake of Kason Wagner (Coastal Carolina) and Jacob Rexrode (Ferrum). These are two of the most consistent arms in terms of production and winning baseball games. Joining them should be names like Dillon O’Connor (Ferrum), Naomi Ryan, Drew Wade, and Leo Cafferillo. A couple of young names to keep an eye on long term are Sammy Ranson and Conner Lockhart. While we are not quite sure how they will fit into this very strong roster, they will be vital for the long term success of this program. There may be teams who have similar or better staffs (see PVI) and teams that have similar offensive lineups (see Battlefield), there is not another team that has the combination of both.

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Norfolk Academy Bulldogs    

2025 Record: 14-12

After a really quality 2024 season that finished 17-8 with a TCIS championship, the Bulldogs were not as successful in 2025. After a 6-1 start, NA finished 14-12 last season and outside of an extra innings victory over Walsingham, they lacked a true quality win. While it wasn’t an amazing season, they will still have to replace a lot of key contributors from that team. Peter Galiotos and CJ Murray (US Merchant Marines Acad.) graduated and both of them led the team in batting average, among other categories. While they don’t lose any other key contributors on offense, those were the only two hitters that hit above .280. The team as a whole hit .261, which is a number that will have to be improved upon significantly if they want to be competitive with playoff type teams in VISAA DI. While the offense has a lot to figure out, they are in a much better spot with the pitching staff. Evan O’Boyle, John Benton, Sam Light (Rochester Inst. of Tech.), and Jed Creedon return more than 110 innings on the mound which is a massive number. Their experience and ability should keep them in games, but without a true shutdown type of arm with elite stuff, the offense will have to show the ability to put up some crooked numbers versus arms on regularly scheduled teams like Cape and Benedictine. Can senior Davis Steadman (Sewanee) lead this offense back to challenging in VISAA DI?

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Paul VI Catholic Panthers   

2025 Record: 27-9 *VISAA DI & WCAC Runner Up*

The Panthers can make an argument for having the best rotation in the state returning for 2026 despite losing pieces like Brenden Moehnke (Iona) and Matthew Roussey (CNU). Aiden Gallagher (JMU), Landon McGinn (Radford), and Carter Perdue (ECU) headline this pitching staff, and each one of them can give this team a very good chance to win when they are on the mound. Bryson Pickeral and Lucas Driscoll are two names to know on this pitching staff, as both did get some innings on the varsity level last spring. They could carve out a bigger role behind these senior arms this spring. The Panthers bring back a lot of the offense from 2025 minus the power bat of Will Tighe (Shenandoah). Thomas Jewett (Radford) and Owen Peltier (VMI) are spark plugs at the top of the order and valuable pieces up the middle of the field for this team, and their everyday presence will be needed to succeed this spring. Ryan Bahr is an exciting returning piece, as he burst onto the scene as a freshman starting at the hot corner. Cole Karas and Ryan Vaxmonsky add to the offensive depth of this lineup. This is arguably the best and deepest pitching staff in the state, and possibly in the region, but will they be able to get the run support they need in the big games?

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The Potomac School Panthers   

2025 Record: 15-9

Potomac School finished 15-9 last season. The Panthers graduated seniors Jake Adamec (Stevenson), Jason Seeber (Carleton), Colby Bohnen, and Wyatt Pence (Roanoke). Bohnen contributed at the plate and on the mound, while Adamec, Seeber, and Pence were big parts of the offense. The Panthers return four starters and three arms from last year's team. Tony Diller (Bard) is their lone college commit at this time. Will Piester hit .400 as an everyday guy and Ian Parrish played the majority of the season, totaling a .395 BA in 43 at bats. Two other positional guys to watch are Owen Taylormoore and Wyatt Overman. Overman is a young player with some power and offensive upside.  Gavin Spiegel, Aidan Kaminski, and Tony Diller will need to have strong seasons on the mound once again for Potomac if they want to challenge when it comes time for the playoffs.

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St. Anne’s Belfield Saints   

2025 Record: 15-13

While there was some turnover on the mound from 2024 to 2025, the main contributing factor in the Saints going from 19-6 to 15-13 very well may have been the team being a little dinged up health wise. STAB should be pretty healthy coming into 2026, they have a very young and talented roster, and they return nine offensive starters and eight pitchers from last year. There may still be some question marks on the mound, but names like Will Yow (UVA), Ryan Steeper (Washington & Lee), Brooks Fox, Davis Raymond, Jack Fisher, Mike Poncy, Beau Bloxsom, Waylon Ammons (Richmond), and Chase Miller are back. Essentially their entire offensive group returns, but they will need major contributions on the mound from Steeper and Kai Clark. Those two arms were some of the go-to arms down the stretch, but the new addition of QB1 Haden Morris could also be a welcomed addition on the mound. Joining the staff should be some names like Beau Bloxsom, Waylon Ammons, Trevor Almond, and potentially some more innings for Will Yow. A bat that they did not have last year was now senior Oscar Hickey (William & Mary). While there is not a ton of room in the lineup department, he is an essential piece to help this 2026 version of STAB click and get to Shepherd Stadium in May. A few new faces that could play big roles at certain times this year are Parker Thomas, Colt Bloxsom, and Nate Wilson. Thomas has some arm talent, while Colt Bloxsom and Nate Wilson transferred in and could bring more offensive production to this team. What will hold this team back from challenging for a VISAA DI title? From our end, they will need a frontline arm to step up to shutdown some of the VISAA DI competition that they will have to face.

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St. Christopher's Saints   

2025 Record: 21-7

After a bounce back season in 2025, the Saints will have to rebuild yet again. Willie Hurt (Virginia Tech), Joseph Conner, Wally Jones, Henry Knighton (George Washington), and Bryce Neely (UVA) are the main significant players that St. Chris loses from last year’s squad. Hurt led the team on the offensive side, garnering 1st Team All-State honors from VISAA and Prep Baseball VA/DC. Joining Hurt on VISAA 1st Team was Henry Knighton. Knighton was a workhorse on the mound, throwing just over 53 innings. Knighton also hit .308 and drove in a dozen runs. Wally Jones hit .330, threw 18 innings, and was a VISAA 2nd team selection. Christian Gray and Gibson Beck will be the two main returning arms for the Saints, throwing about 35% of the total innings pitched on the season. Jaerron Johnson will be the most notable offensive piece returning this year after he batted .306 last season. Other than Johnson, St. Chris did not have a qualifying hitter hit over .215 last season. Sophomores Toney Smith and Palmer Berry and junior Charlie Gunn could be big names that could carve out significant roles inside of this lineup. While they should be in an okay spot on the mound, the offense will see a major overhaul and will need to get adjusted quickly if they want to compete for a title in 2026.

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St. John Paul the Great Wolves 

2025 Record: 7-13

The Wolves have seen some steady improvements across the board over the last two seasons, more than doubling their win total from 2024 to 2025. James Genovese, James Fuller, Jack Dreany, Liam Kennedy, and Alejandro Sanchez are a few positional players that should be back and leading the way in 2026. All four of these players hit .340+ last season. Levi Reale graduated and it will be tough to replace his more than 55 innings on the mound, but Elijah Thompson gained an immense amount of experience in his more than 30 innings on the mound as a freshman. The team batting average was below .300 and the team ERA was 6.9, which is a difficult combination to find wins with, but with everything they have returning, we would anticipate the offense to take another step forward this spring.

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Trinity Episcopal Titans   

2025 Record: 12-9

After a blistering 12-1 start last season, the Titans lost eight in a row to finish the season. In addition to a rough finish, the Titans hit .261 as a team, with only one qualifying hitter hitting over .300. Cole Hartley (Milligan) hit .390 and led them in a fair majority of the offensive categories that aren’t RBI and homeruns. Hartley graduated and two of their other key hitters from last season may not see much time in 2026 due to injury. Trinity had a two headed monster last season, with Jalen German (Coastal Carolina) and Lawson McLeod (LSU), but McLeod has since transferred out, leaving German to carry more of the weight this season. Joining the senior right hander on the mound should be Owen Giesen (Hampden-Sydney) and Walker Bloomquest, both throwing more than a dozen innings last year. There are many questions surrounding the 2026 Titans squad, most of which is probably centering around how will this lineup score runs.