Four Cavaliers Headline D1Baseball’s Preseason All-American Teams

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Four Cavaliers were named Preseason All-Americans by D1Baseball when the publication announced its selections on Tuesday (Jan. 21).

The selections include Jacob Ference and Henry Godbout on the first team, Evan Blanco on the second team and Chris Arroyo on the third team to round out the Cavalier quartet. UVA joins Texas A&M as the only two programs with four players named to D1Baseball’s preseason squads.

In his first season at Virginia, Ference batted .350 (70-for-200) with 17 home runs, 13 doubles, and 43 RBIs while making 53 starts. The second-team All-ACC selection ended the 2024 campaign ranked seventh in the ACC in slugging percentage (.710) and eighth in on-base percentage (.465).

In 2024, Godbout led the Cavaliers with a .372 (64-for-172) batting average on the year which was the sixth-highest in the ACC. He was recognized as a Third Team All-ACC selection at the end of the regular season and was listed on the Charlottesville Regional All-Tournament Team. Godbout established career-highs in nearly every offensive category, including 18 doubles, nine home runs and 47 RBI. He made only four errors in 224 chances in the field.

Blanco paced the Cavalier pitching staff in 2024, posting an 8-3 record with a 3.62 ERA. The left-handed pitcher totaled 99 strikeouts in 99.1 innings pitched in 18 starts. He ranked top-10 in the ACC in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.67 – 6th), strikeouts (4th) and wins (4th) along with nabbing a third team All-ACC selection.

Arroyo arrives on Grounds following an All-America season at Pasco-Hernando State in the JUCO ranks. The utility player batted .403 with 19 home runs and 52 RBIs while pitching to a 5-4 record on the mound with a 3.53 ERA. The left-handed pitcher struck out 63 batters in 62.2 innings in his lone season at Pasco-Hernando.

UVA Preseason All-Americans

2B Henry Godbout – Perfect Game (Second Team), D1Baseball (First Team)

1B/OF Henry Ford – Perfect Game (Second Team)

C Jacob Ference – D1Baseball (First Team)

P Evan Blanco – D1Basball (Second Team)

UTL Chris Arroyo – D1Basball (Third Team)