NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion baseball landed four Monarchs on the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) All-State Teams, which were announced by the organization on Tuesday afternoon.
Sam Armstrong earned First Team honors, while Hunter Fitz-Gerald, Jake Ticer and Ben Moore were selected to the Second Team. The University of Virginia led the way with nine honorees, while ODU and VMI were next with four each.
Armstrong was drafted by the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday with the 386th pick in the 13th round. The junior from Wantage, New Jersey finished the 2023 season 9-4 with a 3.51 ERA in 15 starts. A Second Team All-Sun Belt selection, he led the Monarchs with 72 strikeouts while allowing 33 runs, 30 of them earned, on 69 hits and 28 walks. He ended up fourth in the conference in wins and was seventh in batting average against (.231). Armstrong was 6-0 through his first eight starts of the season and struck out a season-high 12 batters on Feb. 26 against Fordham.
A transfer from Florida Southwestern State College, Fitz-Gerald led ODU and was second in the league with 22 home runs. A .316 hitter, he also ranked third in the Sun Belt in total bases (150) and was fourth in both RBIs (70) and slugging percentage (.658). His other season totals included one triple, 16 doubles, 46 runs, 36 walks and two stolen bases on three attempts. The Margate, Florida native recorded team highs with 22 multi-hit games and 21 multi-RBI games. Fitz-Gerald was named a Collegiate Baseball Nationall Player of the Week on Feb. 28, was the Sun Belt Player of the Week on March 6, was an All-Sun Belt First Team honoree and a Dick Howser Trophy semifinalist.
Ticer hit .292 in 2023, owned a team-best .708 slugging percentage and was second on the team with 16 long balls. He added 41 RBIs, 39 runs, six doubles and 29 walks to his totals while turning in 10 multi-hit games and eight multi-RBI games. The junior from Prescott Valley, Arizona had five multi-home run outings, to include three homers on Feb. 19 versus St. John's and another three-home run performance on March 25 against Marshall. Collegiate Baseball named him a National Player of the Week on Feb. 20.
A left-handed pitcher out of Frederick, Maryland, Moore was named a Second Team Freshman All-American by Perfect Game on June 15. In 21 appearances and one start, he finished his first year as a Monarch 2-1 with a 1.88 ERA. He allowed 19 runs (six earned) on 36 hits and 12 walks through 28.2 innings pitched. Moore recorded 24 strikeouts, to include a season-high of four in 3.2 scoreless innings against Georgia State on May 19.
2023 VaSID All-State Honors
Coach of the Year – Brian O'Connor, Virginia
Pitcher of the Year – Connelly Early, Virginia
Player of the Year – Kyle Teel, Virginia
Rookie of the Year – Garrett Michel, Virginia Tech
All-State First Team
C – Kyle Teel, Virginia
1B – Ethan Anderson, Virginia
2B – Christian Martin, Virginia Tech
3B – Jake Gelof, Virginia
SS – Griff O'Ferrall, Virginia
OF – Jack Hurley, Virginia Tech
OF – Ethan O'Donnell, Virginia
OF – Fenwick Trimble, James Madison
DH – Carson DeMartini, Virginia Tech
SP – Connelly Early, Virginia
SP – Sam Armstrong, Old Dominion
SP – Chad Gartland, George Mason
RP – Carter Lovasz, William & Mary
RP – Jay Woolfolk, Virginia
UT – Jack Cone, James Madison
All-State Second Team
C – Garrett Cole, VMI
1B – Hunter Fitz-Gerald, Old Dominion
2B – Ty Swaim, VMI
3B – Ben Williamson, William & Mary
SS – Gregory Ryan, Jr., Longwood
OF – Cole Jenkins, VMI
OF – Johnny Hipsman, Richmond
OF – Trey Morgan, VMI
DH – Jake Ticer, Old Dominion
SP – Brian Edgington, Virginia
SP – Ben Shields, George Mason
SP – Nick Parker, Virginia
RP – Rojo Prairie, William & Mary
RP – Ben Moore, Old Dominion
UT – South Trimble, George Mason
Four Monarchs Named to VaSID All-State Baseball Teams
