Organization Details

 

  • Last VBL Title: None in Purcellville or Charles Town, although the franchise, originally based in Luray, last won a title in 2010.
  • General Manager: Dave Dinges
  • Recruiter: Ridge Fuller (Ridge was interviewed for this writeup)
  • Head Coach: Brett Fuller
  • Key Alumni: Luke Berryhill, 13th round draft pick in 2019; Anthony Zimmerman, free agent sign in 2019

 

2019 Season Recap

 

The 2019 Purcellville Cannons finished at 15-27, 11 games behind North-leading Strasburg and three games behind Winchester and the #4 playoff spot. The team’s MVP was Bradley Riopelle (Coastal Carolina), Cy Young was Avery Short (Siena), and “glue guy” was Andrew Kasiski (Hampden-Sydney).

 

Returners

 

 

Key Hitters

 

  • Felix (Western Oklahoma State) will most likely get a chance to be a two-way player in pro ball, at least for a while, but he will be the Cannon’s shortstop
  • Christian Collier (Lurleen Wallace State) has big power in the outfield
  • Luke Edwards (Marshall) is probably Marshall’s best player
  • Crabbe (Alvin CC) will be a rare first base/leadoff combination, and is 2021 Region XIV All-Conference
  • Zane Faulk (Wallace Dothan) is an impact bat
  • Chenar Brown (Jackson State) is 6-foot-8 and in the top 10 in the nation in RBIs
  • Ty Hill (Jackson State) will also be an outstanding bat
  • Gavin White (Ranger) is the “hardest working kid I’ve ever met,” according to Ridge Fuller, and has amazing raw tools at 6-foot-3, 217 lbs.

 

Key Pitchers

 

  • Michael Grupe (Virginia Tech), a local kid from Purcellville, can hit 92 on the mound
  • Jakob Mattos (Florida-Manatee Sarasota) was a key arm in 2019, and will be a swingman in 2021
  • Parker Collier (Wallace) can hit 95 in short stints
  • Jake Cothran (Florence-Darlington Tech) is a hard throwing lefty

 

Other Notes

 

  • Max Soliz, a top five recruit from the state of Alabama, will be Purcellville’s first incoming freshman player in franchise history. He has one of the best righthanded bats in the class of 2021. He’s an Arkansas signee.
  • Christian and Parker Collier are brothers, and their father, Dan, player in the minor leagues for seven years in the 1990’s.
  • Crabbe has attended Hawaii, Long Beach State, and Alvin Community College.
  • The team has at least six local kids- Grupe, Goldsmith, Joe Vogatsky, Aidan Piccioni, Alderman, and Brady Drawbaugh