CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Collecting national honors for the second time this preseason, Virginia Tech third-year outfielder Gavin Cross has been named to the 2022 Perfect Game/Rawlings Preseason All-American First Team, as announced by the outlet on Wednesday.
Cross headlined the class of three First Team outfielders, sharing in recognition alongside James Madison's Chase DeLauter and Stanford's Brock Jones. Tech's lefty slugger also accompanied two ACC pitchers on the First Team, joining Florida State starter Parker Messick and Miami reliever Carson Palmquist.
Wednesday's First Team consideration comes as a leg up for Cross, who on Dec. 21 was named to the 2022 Collegiate Baseball Preseason All-American Second Team. The six-foot-three power bat is coming off his exceptional 2021 season with the Hokies, during which he batted .345, slugged .621 and registered team-best tallies in runs (48), hits (70), doubles (13), triples (five), home runs (11) and stolen bases (nine).
After co-leading Tech to a breakout campaign on the diamond, Cross suited up for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team inside the Stars and Stripes summer series, where he showcased his talents among the country's elite collegiate players. Without losing a beat, he paced the tour in batting average (.455), slugging percentage (.879), home runs (four) and RBIs (13).
Primed to reamin as one of the Hokies' leading contributors, Cross' value as a 2022 MLB Draft prospect has only risen as the spring season approaches. On collegiate player draft boards, he is ranked No. 3 by Perfect Game, No. 5 by D1Baseball, No. 10 by MLB Pipeline and No. 14 by Baseball America.
The following excerpt on Gavin Cross was taken from Perfect Game's 2022 Preseason All-American Teams release:
Cross led the ACC in hitting a year ago and parlayed what was a breakout season, both for himself and for the Hokies in general, into a hot streak during his time with Team USA over the summer. He checks a ton of boxes, as he's big with a left-handed power stick along with underrated athleticism and run tools. His center field future is a bit more unsettled when compared to the other collegiate center fielders but he's a prospect who would profile really well in right field thanks to his arm and emerging raw power.
