Blacksburg, VA – “He can operate offensively unlike a lot of guys. There aren’t many guys who are pure hitters, says Hokies head coach John Szefc.

Well, few elite players can match Gavin on (Nat rings) and off the pitch…

“I don’t think he carries a big ego, a lot of guys with that type of fanfare, there’s a huge suitcase of ego they carry around,” Szefc says.

“Baseball is so humble and it doesn’t take more than one guy to win a game, so if you go 0-1 one day, bounce back the next, that’s what I love about it according to Hokies OF Gavin Cross”

But there are very few days when the number 19 fights at home plate. The five-time 2022 preseason All-American bats 333 with eight home runs and 24 RBIs in 27 games this season,

“The opportunity that I’ve had to come here and play early and learn from some older guys and really take advantage of my summer experiences and learn from these guys too, just put it all together and trust me, said Cross”

That confidence is contagious with big league clubs… The Bristol, Tenn., native is a consensus first-round pick in the July MLB Draft.

Cross says: “Having a chance to be drafted that high would obviously be a dream come true, I think a lot of hard work has gone into it and a natural ability.”

Coach Szefc says “Why he gets this kind of hype, it’s not just because he’s this type of guy from Bristol who is a nice guy and has had success in the ACC…

And that’s not going to change anytime soon…

“I don’t want to be a top 10, I want to be a top 10 because I’m one of the best players in the top 10 and I’ve been playing the game for a long time, Cross said”

Just like his striking… Gavin’s love for the game is different from a lot of players…