BLACKSBURG – With Sunday's conclusion of the 2023 High-A, Single-A and Rookie regular seasons, the Virginia Tech baseball team is proud to recognize the achievements made by many of its emerging professional talents.
Stay tuned to HokieSports.com during the weeks to come as the Hokies chronicle the latest updates from their cast of pro alumni.
Peyton Alford
P • Everett AquaSox (SEA-A+) • Virginia Tech (2019-21)
Peyton Alford tailored a 2.83 ERA during his 2023 season in High-A (Everett AquaSox), finishing with a 4-4 record while earning six saves and seven holds across 41 relief appearances (47 and two-thirds innings pitched).
Alford bounced back from a lackluster April to toe a 2.70 ERA during the month of May, rebounding to allow nine earned runs across his final 35 outings. He was nearly unhittable during July, achieving a perfect, 0.00 ERA while allowing one hit through nine and two-thirds innings (14 strikeouts).
Through three minor league seasons, Alford is sporting a 12.67 strikeouts per nine innings mark.
Nick Biddison
OF • Great Lakes Loons (LAD-A+) • Virginia Tech (2019-22)
Nick Biddison continued his tenure in Single-A (Rancho Cucamonga Quakes) at the start of the 2023 campaign before earning promotion to High-A (Great Lakes Loons) on Aug. 4.
Biddison batted .240 with four doubles, three triples, seven home runs and 29 RBIs through his 64 games played this season with Rancho Cucamonga, later delivering four doubles and a home run during his 26 games played with Great Lakes. Joining the first half champions of the Midwest League, he and the Loons are competing in this week's best-of-three Midwest League Division Series against the Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres).
Considering the entire 2023 regular season, Biddison hit .219 with nine doubles, three triples, eight home runs and 39 RBIs, swiping five bases.
Graham Firoved
P • Aberdeen IronBirds (BAL-A+) • Virginia Tech (2021-22)
Graham Firoved debuted in High-A with the Aberdeen IronBirds at the beginning of the 2023 season, logging 38 and one-third innings pitched through his 32 appearances.
Firoved (0-3, 7.23 ERA) was the author of 46 strikeouts, converted three saves and was credited with three holds in relief. He opened the year with a 3.38 ERA during the month of April, set season monthly highs in strikeouts (15) and opposing batting average (.219) during June while posting a 3.60 ERA during July.
Chris Gerard
P • Peoria Chiefs (STL-A+) • Virginia Tech (2019-21)
Chris Gerard began his 2023 season flawlessly, combining to log 16 and two-thirds scoreless innings of relief on the mound, despite missing the remainder of the regular season after May 19 due to his thoracic outlet syndrome diagnosis.
Gerard opened the year with seven consecutive shutout appearances in Single-A (Palm Beach Cardinals), flexing a 0.69 WHIP and a 2.77 hits per nine innings average while chalking two victories and two holds in late relief. Opponents were batting .103 against Gerard, who fanned 12 batters across 13 innings pitched.
On May 16, Gerard was promoted to High-A where he made two appearances with the Peoria Chiefs, tossing three and two-thirds scoreless innings.
Cade Hunter
C • Chattanooga Lookouts (CIN-AA) • Virginia Tech (2020-22)
Cade Hunter hammered 15 home runs across two classifications during his first full minor league season, having earned promotion midway through to High-A (Dayton Dragons) on July 18.
Picking up where he left off at the end of the 2022 season, Hunter played in 61 games with the Daytona Tortugas (Single-A), tallying five doubles, 10 home runs and 34 RBIs (.245 batting average). Upon making it to High-A, he closed the season by making 43 appearances with Dayton, capping the year with four doubles, five home runs and 18 RBIs.
Following the conclusion of the High-A regular season on Sept. 10, Hunter – who was batting .238 through 104 games this calendar year – was called up to Double-A, where he is expected to finish the 2023 campaign with the Chattanooga Lookouts. Joining the first half champions of the Southern League, he and Chattanooga will open best-of-three Division Series play on Tuesday, Sept. 19, against the Tennessee Smokies (Chicago Cubs).
Jack Hurley
OF • Hillsboro Hops (ARZ-A+) • Virginia Tech (2021-23)
Jack Hurley was considered by many to be one of the best steals in the 2023 MLB Draft, slipping to No. 80 overall where the Arizona Diamondbacks selected him during the third round.
Hurley – currently the No. 7 Arizona prospect per mlb.com – began his professional career on July 26 with the ACL (Arizona Complex League) Diamondbacks, earning promotion to Single-A (Visalia Rawhide) on Aug. 2. The left-hand slugger recorded a hit during eight of his first 10 career games between both classifications, batting and slugging as high as .429 and .762, respectively, upon his Single-A arrival.
Promoted to High-A on Aug. 15, Hurley hit .293 and boasted a .756 OPS with the Hillsboro Hops, paring five doubles, a triple and a home run with six stolen bases. During September alone, he batted .379 (11-for-29) and contributed a .438 on-base percentage to his 1.059 OPS.
Considering the entire 2023 season, Hurley combined to swing .276 across 33 games with nine doubles, a triple, two home runs, 11 RBIs, 10 stolen bases and a .783 OPS.
Ian Seymour
P • Bowling Green Hot Rods (TB-A+) • Virginia Tech (2018-20)
Ian Seymour began his road back through the Tampa Bay Rays system in July after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June 2022.
Seymour – currently the No. 16 Tampa Bay prospect per mlb.com – debuted professionally in 2021 to incredible success, earning a September call-up to Triple-A (Durham Bulls) after being named the Rays' Minor League Pitcher of the Month that August (1.20 ERA, 15 innings pitched, two walks, 28 strikeouts). The left-hander began the 2022 season in Double-A with the Montgomery Biscuits, making five starts before succumbing to his year-long recovery.
Beginning his rehab assignments, Seymour returned to the mound on July 4 with the FCL (Florida Complex League) Rays, progressing to Single-A (Charleston RiverDogs) on July 28 and to High-A (Bowling Green Hot Rods) on Sept. 2. Through 12 combined starts, he has charted a 1.69 ERA and 42 strikeouts across 37 and one-third innings pitched with a 0.91 WHIP and a .164 opposing batting average.
Carson Jones
OF • ACL Mariners (SEA-RK) • Virginia Tech (2020-23)
Carson Jones was selected in July by the Seattle Mariners during the 15th round of the 2023 MLB Draft (No. 457 overall).
Assigned to the ACL (Arizona Complex League) Mariners, Jones debuted on July 28 against the ACL Rangers, delivering a two-run home run during his third career professional plate appearance. He played in 12 games with the ACL Mariners, scoring eight runs while drawing nine walks (.385 on-base percentage).
Christian Worley
P • St. Louis Cardinals organization • Virginia Tech (2021-23)
Christian Worley was drafted in July by the St. Louis Cardinals during the ninth round of the 2023 MLB Draft (No. 275 overall), soon signing above his slot value.
Worley – who was shut down by Virginia Tech due to injury after his March 17 outing at Miami – recorded 15 strikeouts and two walks across 10 innings pitched with the Hokies during the early stages of the 2023 college season. He remains unassigned in the St. Louis organization with outlook placed on his return to the mound in 2024.