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20 CAVALIER CORNER BY SCOTT FITZGERALD V irginia baseball has a new king. He comes in the form of a 6-foot-1, 195-pound slugger from Delaware with his trademark loose-fitting crown — err, batting helmet — that can typi- cally be found on the dirt in his base-running wake between the first base line and home plate. No matter where the highly anticipated Cavalier postseason ends, third-year Jake Gelof will finish as UVA's standalone home run king and one of the most prolific run pro- ducers ever to don the orange and blue. The numbers are astounding. When the 2023 regular season came to a close, Gelof had 151 collegiate games played under his belt in three total seasons. In those con- tests he amassed a school-record 47 home runs, was credited with 180 RBI (two shy of matching the program mark) and held a ca- reer slugging percentage of .707 (highest of any Cavalier ever by almost 100 points). To put that mind-boggling production into perspective, the Cavalier faithful that have either attended a game at Disharoon Park or tuned in to a Virginia baseball game on tele- vision were almost guaranteed to see Gelof drive in a run because runs were scoring off his bat at a rate of 1.2 per game. Those same supporters also had a 31 percent chance to see him hit one out of the ballpark if they happened to catch the Hoos in action. No Virginia record has been safe since Gelof began his record book conquest at the beginning of 2023. He broke the program's career home run record with his 38th long ball, a solo shot over the left field fence against Richmond April 11. It took the slugger just 129 games to break UVA's all-time mark that stood for 25 years, and he reached it by totaling 4 homers in a four-game stretch. The way Gelof has gone about his assault on UVA's record books has been with a style and a flair that's been contagious. He's not the biggest guy in Virginia's lineup, might not be the strongest but his superior tool set has been his consistency. Above all, he has been a student of the game over his three seasons in Charlottesville and evolved his approach through experience and preparation. "He's aggressive, he gets his money's worth," UVA head coach Brian O'Connor said. "Coming off the season he had last year and the one he's had so far this year, it just speaks to how talented he is and how prepared he is every day to help his team be successful." When in person for a Gelof at-bat, one takes notice. When on the precipice of Vir- ginia baseball immortality, the oohs and the ahhs from the Disharoon Park crowds were palpable on every swing, every foul tip and any fly ball to the outfield. It's something that even his teammates have marveled at. "I mean he hits one every single day," second-year first baseman Ethan Anderson said with a smile after Gelof's historic 38th home run against Richmond. "It's just a re- occurring thing." Ever since, more records have come tum- bling down seemingly by the day. In the final game of the regular season, Gelof mashed 2 home runs in an 8-7 comeback win at Georgia Tech. By the way it was his seventh multi-home run game of his career, also a UVA program best. The homers were his 21st and 22nd of the 2023 season, moving him into a tie with Brian Buchanan, who lifted 22 over the wall in 1994 for the single-season record. Yes, you read that correctly, another record that stood for 25-plus years was matched in the blink of an eye. Gelof is the first Cavalier ever with two 20- home run seasons. What is most impressive about his uncanny ability to mash baseballs is the relatively short span of time in which it took him to get to the throne. He hit only 4 home runs as a first-year after seeing limited action on a loaded 2021 team that marched all the way to the College World Series, the program's fifth appearance since 2009. Gelof found his niche on the ultra- talented club by playing an unfamiliar posi- tion, first base, across the diamond from his older brother, Zack, who had been a staple for the Cavaliers at third base. The younger Gelof took advantage of an injury to veteran Devin Ortiz and ended up starting the final 24 games of the season. After Zack became a second-round pick of the Oakland Athletics in the summer of 2021, it was Jake's turn to occupy the hot Through the end of the 2023 regular season, Gelof had amassed a school-record 47 home runs, 180 RBI (two shy of the program mark) and a career slug- ging percentage of .707 (highest of any Cavalier ever by almost 100 points) in 151 games played. (Photo by Matt Riley/courtesy UVA) ALL HAIL ALL HAIL THE KING THE KING Third-Year Slugger Jake Gelof Turns In A Record-Setting Season While Chasing Team Goals For UVA Baseball