The Valley Baseball League is an

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

and

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

-sanctioned collegiate summer baseball league in the

Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge- ...

region of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. The league was started in 1923 and sanctioned by the NCAA in 1961. It has been a wooden bat league since 1993. It is one of almost a dozen leagues in the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball. The VBL is funded in part by a grant from

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

. The Valley League has produced well over 1,000 professional baseball players, including a record 79 former players drafted in the 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. In 2007, the Valley Baseball League expanded to include one new team with the addition of the Fauquier Gators. Another team was planned to be added in

Lexington, Virginia Lexington is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines ...

but difficulties with the lighting system delayed the team's addition to the league. The VBL announced in July 2008 that the Rockbridge Rapids would start play in the 2009 season, but the team folded a couple years later. In 2011 the Strasburg Express entered the league and in 2015 the Charlottesville Tom Sox entered the league. The league canceled the 2020 season due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. The Culpeper Cavaliers are set to join as the league's 12th team in 2023. Harrisonburg Turks game

Current teams

Former teams

Season structure

The regular season consists of 42 games played beginning the Friday after Memorial Day and continuing until late July. Through the 2019 season, teams played all inter-division opponents 3 times and intra-division opponents 5 or 6 times. Beginning in 2021, teams no longer travel to every other ballpark in a single season: rather, all inter-division meetings were scheduled as a single, 7-inning weekend doubleheader. This format was continued in 2022 but with the home teams reversed.

Playoff format

Playoffs begin immediately following the regular season and continue into early August. In all series, the higher seeded team hosts games 1 and 3. No off-days are taken except for rain-outs and while waiting on other series' to finish. ; ; Division Semifinals : North Division: #1 vs. #4 (Best 2 of 3 games) : North Division: #2 vs. #3 (Best 2 of 3 games) : South Division: #1 vs. #4 (Best 2 of 3 games) : South Division: #2 vs. #3 (Best 2 of 3 games) ; Division Championship : North: Highest Remaining Seed vs. Lowest Remaining Seed (Best 2 of 3 games) : South: Highest Remaining Seed vs. Lowest Remaining Seed (Best 2 of 3 games) ; Championship : North Division Champion vs. South Division Champion (Best 2 of 3 games)

VBL champions

Championships per team

(in alphabetical order) * Charlottesville -2 * Covington -2 * Elkton -1 * Front Royal -1 * Haymarket -1 * Harrisonburg -12 * Luray-7 * Madison -2 * New Market -4 * Shenandoah -6 * Staunton -6 * Strasburg -3 * Waynesboro -6 * Winchester -13 *Not all teams have been with VBL since 1954. Throughout its history, teams have been removed and added. The summer of 2008 was highlighted by a promotion called Around the Valley in 60 Days. This promotion was started by Crystal Clear Delivery and S. Carter Studios and encouraged patrons to visit all 11 parks in the 60-day season. The program was deemed a huge success as some fifty fans completed the program and attended all 11 ballparks.

Notable players

* Daniel Murphy Luray '04 '05 *

Brett Gardner Brett Michael Gardner (born August 24, 1983) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees. Gardner was a walk-on for the College of Charleston's base ...

New Market New Market may refer to: Bangladesh *New Market, Dhaka *New Market, Khulna, in Sonadanga Model Thana *New Market, Chittagong, near Government City College, Chittagong India * New Market, Bhopal *New Market, Kolkata Jamaica *New Market, Jama ...

'03 Center Field *

Ben Guez Benjamin James Guez (born January 24, 1987) was drafted by the Tigers in 2008, and has played in Detroit's organization from to 2008-2014. He played in the Milwaukee Brewers organization from 2014-2016. In 2012, he was named an MiLB.com Organiza ...

, Covington '06 *

Jason Kipnis Jason Michael Kipnis (born April 3, 1987; nicknamed "Kip") is an American professional baseball second baseman who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs. He attended Glenbrook N ...

, Covington '07, second baseman for the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

Collin Cowgill Collin Brannen Cowgill (born May 22, 1986) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and current major league coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Oakland Athletics, New York Mets, Los Angeles ...

, Covington * Javier Lopez,

'96 *

Mike Lowell Michael Averett Lowell (born February 24, 1974) is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 13-year career, Lowell played for the New York Yankees (1998), Florida Marlins (1999–2005), and the Boston Red Sox (2006&ndas ...

, Waynesboro '93 *

Mike Maroth Michael Warren Maroth (born August 17, 1977) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) starting pitcher and current pitching coach for the UCF Knights. Born in Orlando, Florida, and after attending the University of Central Florida, th ...

, Staunton '96 '97 * Kyle Snyder, Winchester '97 *

Cory Spangenberg Cory Joseph Spangenberg (; born March 16, 1991) is an American professional baseball infielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, and St. Louis Cardinals, and ...

, Winchester '10 *

Aubrey Huff Aubrey Lewis Huff III (born December 20, 1976) is an American former professional baseball player who played 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Huff played for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tiger ...

, Staunton * Luke Scott, Staunton *

Juan Pierre Juan D'Vaughn Pierre (born August 14, 1977) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2000–2013 for the Colorado Rockies, Florida/Miami Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Ch ...

, Harrisonburg *

Steve Finley Steven Allen Finley (born March 12, 1965) is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for eight teams between 1989 and 2007, most notably the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks; he is one of only two play ...

, Harrisonburg * Clint Robinson, Harrisonburg '05 *

Mo Vaughn Maurice Samuel Vaughn (born December 15, 1967), nicknamed "The Hit Dog", is an American former Major League Baseball first baseman who played for the Boston Red Sox, Anaheim Angels, and New York Mets from 1991 to 2003. He was a three-time All-Sta ...

, Harrisonburg *

Jon Rauch Jon Erich Rauch (born September 27, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. At , he is tied with Sean Hjelle as the tallest player in Major League Baseball history. He is also an Olympic Gold Medalist in baseball. Early year ...

, Harrisonburg *

David Eckstein David Mark Eckstein (; born January 20, 1975) is an American former professional baseball player. He was an infielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) for ten seasons. He played college baseball for the University of Florida and played professiona ...

, Harrisonburg *

Chris Hoiles Chris Allen Hoiles (born March 20, 1965) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played his entire Major League Baseball career as a catcher for the Baltimore Orioles from 1989 to 1998. Although his playing career was sh ...

, Harrisonburg *

Chris Devenski Christopher Michael Devenski (born November 13, 1990), also known as "Devo", is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Los Angeles Angels organization. He played in MLB for the Houston Astros from 2016 to 2020, and the Diamondbacks fr ...

, Woodstock *

Guido Knudson Guido Joel Knudson (; born August 5, 1989) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers. Early life Prior to playing professionally, Knudson attended Bonita Vista High ...

, Woodstock *

Yonder Alonso Yonder Alonso (born April 8, 1987) is a Cuban former professional baseball first baseman and current MLB Network analyst. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, Cl ...

, Luray '06 *

Johnny Oates Johnny Lane Oates (January 21, 1946 – December 24, 2004) was an American professional baseball player, Coach (baseball), coach, and Manager (baseball), manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher for the Baltimore Orioles, ...

, Waynesboro *

Denny Walling Dennis Martin Walling (born April 17, 1954) is a former Major League Baseball player. Walling played all or parts of 18 seasons in the majors, from 1975 to 1992. His most frequent position was third base, but he also saw significant time as an out ...

, Waynesboro * Wayne Comer, Shenandoah * Jerry May, Staunton *

Jon Jay Jonathan Henry Jay (born March 15, 1985) is an American professional baseball coach and former outfielder who is the first base coach for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego ...

, Staunton '04 * Chris Perez, Staunton '04 *

Ryan Schimpf Ryan Michael Schimpf (born April 11, 1988) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Angels. He made his MLB debut in 2016 with the Padres and was ...

, Luray '08 * Roberto Hernandez, Front Royal * Eddy Rodriguez, Luray '05 & '06 *

Jim Morris James Samuel Morris Jr. (born January 19, 1964) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for two seasons with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Although brief, Morris' career is noted for making hi ...

, Charlottesville *

Tom Browning Thomas Leo Browning (April 28, 1960 – December 19, 2022) was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1984 to 1995, spending almost his entire career with the Cincinnati Reds. In his rookie season in 1985, Br ...

, New Market *

Dan Pasqua Daniel Anthony Pasqua (born October 17, 1961) is an American professional baseball outfielder and first baseman who played in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox from 1985 through 1994. He works as a community repr ...

, New Market *

Jimmy Key James Edward Key (born April 22, 1961) is a former left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Toronto Blue Jays (1984–1992), New York Yankees (1993–1996), and Baltimore Orioles (1997–1998). His best personal y ...

, Winchester * Alex Wimmers, Luray '08 * Drew Rucinski, Luray '08 * Brian Bocock, Luray '04 * Erik Kratz, Waynesboro and Harrisonburg * Mike Cubbage, Charlottesville *

Rick Honeycutt Frederick Wayne Honeycutt (born June 29, 1954) is an American former professional baseball coach and pitcher. Honeycutt pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for six different teams over 21 years, from 1977 to 1997. He pitched in 30 post-season ...

, Charlottesville *

Billy Sample William Amos Sample (born April 2, 1955), is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, and Atlanta Braves in parts of nine seasons spanning 1978–1986. Early life A native of Roanoke, Virgi ...

, Harrisonburg *

Kirt Manwaring Kirt Dean Manwaring (born July 15, 1965) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from through , most prominently as a member of the San Francisco Giants, with whom he played for the majo ...

, Waynesboro *

Rich Rodriguez Richard Alan Rodriguez (; born May 24, 1963), also known as Rich Rod, is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach at Jacksonville State University. Rodriguez previously was the head football coach at Salem Uni ...

, Staunton *

Reggie Sanders Reginald Laverne Sanders (born December 1, 1967) is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball. He batted and threw right-handed. He played professionally with the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves, S ...

, Front Royal *

Wayne Tolleson Jimmy Wayne Tolleson (born November 22, 1955) is an American former professional baseball infielder who played for the Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, and New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). Western Carolina University A star hig ...

, Staunton *

Vic Correll Victor Crosby Correll (born February 5, 1946) is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds in all or parts of eight seasons spanning 1972–1980. Listed at 5' 10", 185 lb., Cor ...

, Staunton *

John Kruk John Martin Kruk (born February 9, 1961) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and outfielder. Kruk played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies, and Chicago White Sox from through . Du ...

, New Market *

Sam Perlozzo Samuel Benedict Perlozzo (born March 4, 1951) is a former second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball, most recently with the Baltimore Orioles. Biography After graduating from Bishop Walsh School in Cumberland, Maryland, Perlozzo was ...

, Waynesboro and New Market *

Jason Michaels Jason Drew Michaels (born May 4, 1976), nicknamed "J-Mike", is an American retired Major League Baseball outfielder. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Houston Astros. High school and college Bo ...

, Staunton * John Pawlowski, Staunton *

Chad Tracy Chad Austin Tracy (born May 22, 1980) is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2004 to 2010 and again from 2012 to 2013 for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, Florida Marlins, ...

, Staunton *

Tommy La Stella Thomas Frank La Stella (born January 31, 1989), nicknamed TL and 3 AM, is an American Infielder, professional baseball infielder in the San Francisco Giants organization. He previously played for the Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Ang ...

, Haymarket *

Darrell Whitmore Darrell Lamont Whitmore (born November 18, 1968) is an American former professional baseball player for the Cleveland Indians and Florida Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB) and was a college football and baseball player for the West Virgini ...

, Front Royal * Rick Spiers, Charlotte * Conor Miller, Woodstock River Bandits ‘19, ‘21

References

External links

Valley Baseball League
{{College Summer Baseball Summer baseball leagues College baseball leagues in the United States Baseball leagues in Virginia Sports leagues established in 1923 1923 establishments in Virginia