Blacksburg, Va. – Collegiate baseball is like a curveball; you think you know what to expect until it's right in front of you. Few freshman make a quick adjustment from high school but Virginia Tech's JD Mundy has already gotten into the swing of things.
"As a freshman, he's a pretty advanced hitter. He came in this fall and really showed he belonged so we've gone out of our way to try to find places, whether it's starting the game or late inning pinch hit, inevitably he finds himself in pretty much every single game," Hokies head coach Patrick Mason said.
Mason has trusted Mundy at the plate and so far, he's shown promise. He's batting .235 and through 85 at bats he has 16 RBI's and five home runs.
"Just the confidence he has in me makes me feel like I can go out there and do good for the team, just help any way to help the team win. Just because he believes in me makes me feel like I can do it," Mundy explained.
He's no stranger to Southwest Virginia. As a high school senior at Northside, Mundy batted .550 and was selected as first team all state by the VHSL.
"He was definitely a special player. I always told the story about the first time I saw him hit, the sound of his bat, the ball coming off the bat was just incredible and that was when he was just a freshman," head baseball coach at Northside High School Ed Culicerto explained.
As the only player from Roanoke on the roster, his decision to come to Blacksburg was easy.
"Main reason I came here is just because it's close to home. Family environment, I wanted my family to come watch me play, my family to come so that's the reason why," Mundy said.
His contributions on the field come mostly at the plate, but his worth ethic in practice that sets him apart from your average player.
"He lived and breathed baseball, he went to morning workouts with one of the places here in town, played ball with the Richmond Braves," Culicerto added.
"You know, when you have freshmen that can come in and their learning curve isn't as large that's an important thing to build around. We'll see if it's three years or four years, but obviously, the way he swings the bat makes him a prospect. But that's a road we'll cross in a couple years," Mason said.
Mundy's short time in Blacksburg has been productive, and no matter what is thrown his way in his future as a Hokie, no doubt he will step up to the plate.