WEYMOUTH, Mass. (June 14, 2024) 一 The Futures League will be well represented by former players competing for a Division 1 national championship as the NCAA Men’s College World Series begins on Friday and continues through Monday, June 24 in Omaha, Neb.
Four of the eight programs set to take to Charles Schwab Field over the next 10 days will feature least one Futures League alumnus, headlined by a league-high eight from a University of Virginia program that is in Omaha for the third time in four seasons after emerging from regional and Super Regional brackets on its home field in Charlottesville.
Seven of those eight Cavaliers enjoyed their Futures League summer experience in Vermont, including a key 2021 championship-winning Lake Monster in Ethan Anderson, who was the first-team All-Futures League catcher that summer. The All-ACC junior has reached base in 33 consecutive games and sports a .333 average with 28 extra-base hits and 40 RBI for the year. Junior outfielder Anthony Stephan also contributed to Vermont’s inaugural season championship.
Two more of Virginia’s offensive catalysts spent the 2022 as Lake Monsters. Sophomore second baseman Henry Godbout hits a team-best .370, while outfielder Harrison Didawick has showcased his power all season long by totaling 23 home runs and 68 RBI. Godbout hit a deciding three-run homer in Game 1 of last weekend’s Super Regional against Kansas State.
Third baseman Eric Becker prepared for his ongoing ACC All-Freshman campaign with Vermont in 2023, where he hit .286 with 13 RBI in 24 games to help the team make another championship appearance. Becker is on a current tear for the Cavaliers, hitting .411 over his last 16 starts.
Three other freshmen on Virginia’s roster saw Futures League time in 2023. First baseman Antonio Perrotta and pitcher Patric Menk have both seen reserve action this spring after playing for the Lake Monsters last summer. Redshirt Mark Gialluisi caught for the Brockton Rox.
A member of the New Britain Bees early in 2023, shortstop Alex Lodise helped Florida State advance past a Futures League-heavy UConn team for a spot in the Omaha field. Lodise, who transferred to the Seminoles following a Freshman All-American season at North Florida, went 3-for-5 in last weekend’s first Super Regional game to reach 41 RBI on the season.
The Texas A&M lineup includes catcher Jackson Appel, a second-team All-Futures League and Defensive Player of the Year honoree for the Pittsfield Suns in 2021. Appel, formerly of Penn, is a first-team NCBWA All-America and All-SEC performer hitting .330 with a .971 OPS, 10 homers and 40 RBI back in his home state of Texas with the Aggies.
The college path of Kentucky pitcher Dominic Niman included a 2019 Futures League All-Star stint with a former league member, the Bristol Blues. The left-hander from West Hartford, Conn., has started 15 games for the Wildcats this season, totaling eight wins and striking out 66 in 70.2 innings. A highlight of his season was pitching a complete-game shutout against Alabama in April.
Should any Futures League alumni come out on top at this College World Series, they would be the first to help their team win a national championship since former Nashua Silver Knights and North Shore Navigators catcher Dominic Keegan with Vanderbilt in 2019.
For the latest news and information on the Futures League all year long, visit thefuturesleague.com and follow the league’s Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram pages.
Stay Connected