Virginia fans have seen Jay Woolfolk compete in orange and blue many times over the past four years. Whether that was football at Scott Stadium or baseball at Disharoon Park, Woolfolk has took the field 91 times as a Cavalier.
He’s not done yet.
Woolfolk, who gave up football to focus on baseball last summer, announced Tuesday morning that he would return to the UVA baseball program for a fourth and final year in 2025. He released that decision on social media.
Already seventh all time for the Virginia baseball program in appearances with 82, Woolfolk will hope to add to that total while recapturing some of the postseason magic this June. In two starts against Mississippi State and Kansas State at Davenport Field, Woolfolk allowed 5 total earned runs with 14 strikeouts and only 3 walks to help propel UVA back to the College World Series.
That included an electric outing in the NCAA Tournament Charlottesville Regional when he went a career-high 8.0 innings with a career-high 7 strikeouts against MSU on the way to being named the Region’s Most Outstanding Player. Prior to that big moment that clinched Regional title for UVA, he had only pitched into the sixth inning once before in his career.
Woolfolk followed it up with a gritty outing against KSU where he went 6.1 innings. He matched his career-high 7 strikeouts again in that game too as Virginia won its Super Regional. His season ended with a start in Omaha. Against Florida State in the College World Series, some lingering knee discomfort led to an outing of 3.1 innings with 3 strikeouts and 3 walks while allowing 2 runs. Virginia eventually lost 7-3.
Still, the end of the season gave Woolfolk a strong finish after an up-and-down junior campaign. He had entered the year as a projected weekend starter following the offseason choice to focus on baseball. In his first four starts, however, things didn’t go smoothly. He gave up 17 earned runs and 12 walks in those games, leading to a move to the bullpen after a March 17 start against Wake Forest. Woolfolk pitched only parts of innings in four of his next six appearances.
A meeting during the season helped turn the tide, though. Virginia coach Brian O’Connor had the pitcher rip up and throw away a sheet with his stats on it, which Woolfolk said helped him mentally reset. Over the last 11 games of the regular season, he pitched an inning or more nine times. In those nine appearances, he allowed 0 earned runs three times and extended outings against Louisville and Virginia Tech showed some signs with 9 strikeouts split between those games about a month apart.
That set the stage for the postseason run and those clutch starts in the NCAA Tournament. The hope was that the turnaround in those games would lead to renewed Major League Baseball Draft chances. Once the first two days and 10 rounds passed, however, Woolfolk announced his decision to return, likely for the chance to improve his draft position.
Virginia opens the season in February 2025. Two events already are set: the Puerto Rico Challenge from Feb. 13-16 and the Karbuch Round Rock Classic Feb. 21-23.
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