CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – For the fifth time in the last six seasons, the Virginia program features multiple student-athletes on the preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List, with AJ Gracia and Eric Becker named among the 55 players on the initial list. The award, presented by USA Baseball, is annually bestowed on the nation’s top amateur baseball player.
Since 2008, 27 Cavaliers have been featured on the GSA preseason watch list. Virginia has also been represented on the GSA preseason watch list in 15 of the last 19 years.
Becker was one of four Cavaliers to play in all 50 games during the 2025 campaign. He landed Third Team All-ACC honors while leading UVA in batting average (.368), runs (54), RBIs (52), doubles (21) and total bases (124). Becker’s batting average of .368 ranked the sophomore eighth in the league while his doubles (21) placed him second among all ACC hitters.
Gracia, who played the 2025 season at Duke, started all 60 games for the Blue Devils. The outfielder batted .293 (63-for-215) with ten doubles, one triple, 15 home runs and 54 RBIs. In his final campaign with the Blue Devils, he set the program record for walks in a season with 57.
Both Cavaliers were named to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team that competed in the 45th USA vs. Japan All-Star Series over the summer.
Headlined by the Preseason All-American duo of Becker and Gracia, the Chris Pollard Era of Virginia Baseball begins on Friday, Feb. 13, against Wagner.