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Virginia Tech Baseball Scouting Report: Outfielders

Originally posted on Virginia Tech Hokies on SI
By Josh Poslusny | Last updated Feb 3, 2026 9:16 PM ET

Rounding out Virginia Tech baseball's scouting reports, we are moving to the outfield, which is easily the most competitive position group on the roster. A few spots seem all but locked up, but the left field spot is wide open with a few potential suitors.

CF Treyson Hughes

Hughes is very highly regarded by the Virginia Tech coaching staff, but he dealt with a lingering injury that kept him sidelined for a majority of the season. His last action of the season was against Wake Forest in late March. The staff opted to shut him down and redshirt him after that series.

A career .318 hitter, Hughes has had ups and downs throughout his career, which started at Mercer, included a stop at Ole Miss and now, Virginia Tech. This is his final year of eligibility.

Starting at Mercer, Hughes hit .387 as a sophomore before transferring to Ole Miss, where he had a lot of struggles. At Ole Miss, Hughes started 40 games and hit .227 with two homers, a big drop off from his 25 long balls over two seasons at Mercer.

Last year with the Hokies, Hughes played in 13 games and knocked at a .275 clip with four extra-base hits and nine RBI. He also has a strong eye, walking at an 18.2% clip. Hughes has the profile of a leadoff hitter, and that is where I expect him to be to open the 2026 season.

RF Sam Gates

Sam Gates is one of the headliners from the transfer class this offseason, boasting a .346 average last season at George Washington. He also tallied eight home runs and 11 doubles with 37 RBI. He boasts a solid eye, walkings around 12.2% of the time.

He's somebody who brings speed to the order as well, swiping 40 bases over his career in 55 attempts. The added speed is a reflection of what Virginia Tech has been doing over the last couple of years, where they have focused on guys who can get on base and steal bases in order to manufacture runs.

Gates has 158 games of starting experience in right field, and that is right where he fits in at Virginia Tech.

OF Nick Locurto

Rather inexperienced with just six starts and 35 game appearances over two years, this is the year that Virginia Tech is hoping that Locurto can step up and take over a starting role. He is a career .243 hitter and has tallied a home run and 13 RBI in his career, along with a double and two triples.

Locurto feels similar to Sam Tackett last year. He's somebody that the staff likes and trusts, but can he put it together on the field? Tackett sure did last year. Locurto will likely be a starter on opening day, but whether or not he can hold the role is to be determined.

OF Mycah Jordan

Mycah Jordan came on late for the Hokies, not seeing significant playing time until late April, where he was a pinch-hitter and plug in start down the stretch for Virginia Tech. He had a strong start to the year, going 4-for-5 to begin his career.

He hit just .250, but he displayed some power, with two of his five hits on the season going for extra bases, including a home run in a win against Stanford in the ACC Championship Tournament.

He walked at about a 17% clip last season, so he has a strong eye. If Locurto doesn't work out in the starting role, there's a good chance that Jordan is the first to get a chance to take it over.

UTL Sam Grube

Grube is a scrappy player coming off of his true freshman season at Mount St. Mary's. As a true freshman, he hit .293 and started 50 games for the Mountaineers. He boasts incredible vision and discipline, walking in 16.3% of his plate appearances.

He doesn't bring much power to the plate, hitting just 12 extra base hits, not including four home runs. He played primarily on the infield for the Mountaineers last year, but Virginia Tech head coach John Szefc opted to give him time in the outfield during fall ball, including during one of the Hokies two games against Walters State Community College.

Overall, he's more of a plug-and-play utility guy, the way I see it. He will likely see time just about everywhere on the diamond this season, but I don't think he starts early on.

UTL Ethan Ball

Coming in as a true freshman, Ball got draft looks and impressed a ton in fall ball, going 1-for-2 with two walks and a double. Many draft scouts had the opinion that he profiled best on the outfield at the next level.

Whether or not that will be the case at Virginia Tech is to be determined, but in a lineup that has little power, Ethan Ball is somebody who will have a very good chance to find the field given his power abilities. The middle infield is loaded with 2-4 guys that are above him on the depth chart, so the outfield or DH is his clearest pathway to finding the field.