The 2017 Fluvanna baseball team has a roster full of talent and experience, including returning players Logan Gibson and Brant Wood. Wood has been a varsity member of the team since his sophomore year, playing middle infield, outfield, and batting at the top of the order. Many feel his best asset is his speed and ability to affect pitchers on the basepaths.

Meanwhile, Gibson is the all-around package, widely seen as one of the best two-way players in the conference. His best asset his arm, Gibson is a flamethrower with great off-speed pitches, including a no-hitter he threw at home against the Charlottesville Black Knights last year.

Not only is Gibson hard to hit, he’s hard to get out, and he bats in the cleanup spot for the Flucos. In the season opener last year at Waynesboro, he hit a towering three-run homerun to right field. Gibson plans to play college baseball at Shenandoah University next year.

The Flucos do have many changes to their roster compared to last season, including a new Assistant Coach in science teacher Joel Gray. Gray has coached the JV team the past two years with an astonishing 15-1 record last season, and some of the key players on last year’s JV team intend to make the move up to varsity this year.

In his first year on varsity, Gray plans to focus primarily on pitching as well as some other little areas. “Coach Mike Sheridan has entrusted me with polishing our pitching staff throughout the program.  We have worked really hard in the off-season.  I hope that our focus on mechanics and effort will translate into positive results on the field,” said Gray.

“We think we have tremendous pitching depth this season and hope to have a battery of tested arms ready for the post-season,” he added. “There are several varsity kids that could develop into dominant pitchers by the end of the regular season.  I know that I have big shoes to fill. Coach Bryan Searcy brought a world of knowledge and experience to Fluco baseball. He will be missed.”

Gray pointed out the following players as key contributors to see big innings this year on the mound: Gibson, Wood, Austin Brown, Shaun Holyfield, Nathan Gentry, Cameron Shields, Kevin Ward, and Noah Brown. He also expects Gentry, Gibson, and Holyfield to collect the bulk of the starts.  

The Flucos finished last season at the hands of Western Albemarle in the Conference 29 tournament. Overall, they had a season record of 9-11, and lost only four seniors from the 2016 squad. “I have a really good feeling for this year, we have a ton of experience and great young talent. We have a great opportunity to make a lot of noise in the post-season,” said Wood.