Default Board Post Page

Twice a state champion, reigning back-to-back VISAA DII player of the year and now, officially, a Hokie.

With family, coaches and teammates in attendance, Walsingham Academy senior Tanner Schobel put pen to paper Friday morning signing on to play baseball next season at Virginia Tech.

"Tanner is a proven leader, a fine young man and a great baseball player," Athletic Director Neil Bailey said.

At the plate, Schobel is Walsingham's single-season leader in hits, runs and at-bats. He's also Walsingham's career leader in hits, triples and runs. He's excelled from the pitcher's mound, too, with single-season Walsingham highs in strikeouts and WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched).

Schobel has played multiple positions as a Trojan including pitcher, catcher and middle infielder. At the signing ceremony, head coach Ian Heisel praised Tanner for his versatility.

"Tanner always does what's best for the team," Heisel said. "Wherever you ask him to play, he will and he will at a high level. That's what makes him a winner."

Schobel has been first-team all-TCIS the past three seasons and was first-team all-state in 2017. Additionally, he is committed to play for the Perfect Game Collegiate League's Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs in Little Falls, N.Y. this summer.

"Walsingham set me on the right path academically and athletically to help get me where I needed to be in order to play for a program like Virginia Tech's," Schobel said. "I owe much gratitude to my teachers, coaches and, of course, my family for all of their support."

Next year, Tanner will join a long list of recent Walsingham baseball players to continue playing in college, including Christian Carter, '19 (California University of Pennsylvania); Zach Stanko, '19 (Longwood University); Jason Covaney, '18 (Hampden-Sydney College); Beau LeJeune, '16 (University of Tampa); Thomas Chisam, '15 (California University of Pennsylvania); Collan Cryts, '14 (Marymount University); and Dylan Cheelly, '12 (Wofford College).