UVA baseball picked up a potential replacement for centerfielder Ethan O’Donnell from the transfer portal, landing a commitment from Indiana centerfielder Bobby Whalen this week.
Whalen, as a redshirt junior at Indiana in 2023, slashed .277/.368/.383, with a .751 OPS, three homers and 39 RBIs.
On the defensive side, Whalen had five outfield assists from center in 2023.
O’Donnell, UVA’s starter in center field in 2023, slashed .354/.448/.587 with a 1.035 OPS, 13 homers, 57 RBIs and 18 stolen bases for the ‘Hoos.
O’Donnell, who transferred in from Northwestern ahead of his junior season, was a sixth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft earlier this week, going to the Cincinnati Reds.
Top UVA recruit Jonny Farmelo, a high-school centerfielder from Northern Virginia, was taken with the 29th pick in the first round of the draft by the Seattle Mariners, and is likely to forego college.