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20 CAVALIER CORNER If those experiences weren't enough, Gelof had some gaps in the fall and winter where he was able to reconnect with his brother for some offseason workouts in Zack's new home in Florida. It was in the Sunshine State where he was able to be around professional baseball players and really see how they go about the business of baseball. THE START OF SOMETHING SPECIAL Back on Grounds in the early months of 2022, Gelof suddenly found himself as a veteran second-year amongst a flurry of new- comers. The tough part of having great teams in college baseball is roster attrition in the year following a run to the College World Series. "Coming back, I gained a lot of confi- dence from hitting very well in the summer," Gelof said. "The role change of coming back from being a freshman, really being a follower and seeing how the older guys handle their business. Now it's taking what I learned from the older guys and passing it along to the younger guys on the team." The entire left side of the infield, formerly occupied by shortstop Nic Kent and third baseman Zack Gelof, was off to professional baseball. The pitching staff, the backbone of the 2021 team, was depleted. More than 70 percent of the innings pitched in the 2021 season were lost to either the profes- sional ranks or graduation. It didn't take long for Gelof to showcase all the hard work he put in throughout the offseason. He quickly established himself as one of the premier hitters in the league, if not the country. In the second series of the year against Cornell, he went 9 for 10 with 4 home runs and 15 RBI in four games to put his name on the map. He earned ACC Player of the Week honors for the first time, was recognized by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association as the co- National Player of the Week and was listed on the Collegiate Baseball Newspa- per's National Team of the Week. Included in the incredible four-game run was a two-homer game in the series opener. Then, in the series finale, he produced UVA's first cycle in 20 years. It took only four at-bats and five innings played to record a single, double, triple and a home run. With a single in his last at-bat, he received a stand- ing ovation from the UVA faithful. The home runs, though, are what separated Gelof from the pack, and they came in bunches this year. The Ledford Clubhouse, situated in left- center field at Disharoon Park, was a frequent target for his long home runs. Social media, teammates and loyal fans were affectionately referring to the structure as "Jake's House." MOST RBI IN A SINGLE SEASON UVA HISTORY Through May 31 Rk. Name (Year) RBI Games 1. Pavin Smith (2017) 77 59 2. Jake Gelof (2022) 74 55 3. Alex Tappen (2022) 70 55 4. Kenny Towns (2015) 67 68 4. Joe Koshansky (2004) 67 59 Gelof had 19 home runs and 74 RBI heading into the NCAA Tournament, putting him three shy of equaling UVA single-season records in both categories. (Photo by Dan Addison/courtesy UVA)