BLACKSBURG – Forecast to be an elite-producing student-athlete on the diamond this spring, Virginia Tech third-year outfielder Gavin Cross has been named to both Baseball America's and D1Baseball's 2022 Preseason All-American First Teams, as announced by both outlets on Monday.
Cross – now a four-time 2022 Preseason All-American – stood out to MLB scouts from 14 organizations in Baseball America's voting as one of three First Team outfielders who display superior collegiate talent and have great professional potential. Likewise, D1Baseball's staff of national writers tabbed Cross in a class of three First Team outfielders who add exceptional value to one's program and are best equipped to perform against peak college baseball competition.
On both sets of preseason teams, Cross accompanied LSU's Dylan Crews while sharing once with James Madison's Chase DeLauter (Baseball America) and once with Stanford's Brock Jones (D1Baseball). Tech's power hitter was also the lone ACC position player to crack the outlets' respective nine- and 10-member First Teams, excluding pitchers.
Through his first two seasons in Blacksburg, Cross has batted .351 and slugged .563 with the Hokies, laying claim to 14 doubles, five triples and 11 home runs across his 67-game career. Last spring, the six-foot-three native of Bristol, Tennessee, was hitting north of .400 as late as April 27, finishing the year with the eighth highest slugging percentage among ACC players (.621).
After earning 2021 All-ACC First Team and ACC All-Freshman Team honors, Cross carried his hot production into the summer, representing Tech on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. As he had done in Blacksburg, he wound up leading the Stars and Stripes summer showcase, too, in batting average (.361 at Tech; .455 with Team USA), slugging percentage (.621; .879) and home runs (11; four).
Cross is considered one of five starting position players who the Hokies will retain from their 2021 roster, three of whom appeared in 50 or more games (Jack Hurley, Tanner Schobel). In all, Tech's offense – which ranked sixth in the ACC in team batting average last season (.272) – will retain 62 percent of its total runs scored and 61 percent of its total bases.
Monday's Preseason All-American honors for Cross align with both outlets' rankings of him as a top-15 college prospect for the 2022 MLB Draft (No. 5 – D1Baseball, No. 14 – Baseball America). Tech's most recent first round draft pick is left-hand starting pitcher Joe Saunders (2002), though the program last witnessed a position player drafted in the first round in 1982 (Franklin Stubbs).
The following excerpt on Gavin Cross was taken from Baseball America's 2022 Preseason All-American Teams release:
Cross had a breakout season with Virginia Tech in 2021, hitting .345/.415/.621 with 11 home runs and 13 doubles. The lefthanded hitter followed that up with a terrific stint over the summer and was the most reliable hitter with USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team. He profiles as a corner outfielder at the next level but has the plus power to profile there. His plus arm strength could fit nicely in right field.
