Parker named All-American in baseball

Mountain View graduate faces top draft pick of the Nationals, appears in College World Series with Virginia

Jarrett Parker of Stafford walked to the plate on a sunny Friday evening in California. He was leading off for the University of Virginia baseball team, something he had done in all but three games this season.

But this was not just any night for Parker and the Cavaliers, who were facing the best college pitcher in the country in Stephen Strasburg of San Diego State.

Parker, who had been named second-team All-American just a few days earlier, swung at the first pitch from Strasburg and fouled it back. He later strike out a change up, but the next Virginia batter hit a homer and the Cavs won, 5-1, as Parker had two hits — one of them off Strasburg.

"It was cool but it didn't make me nervous," Parker, a graduate of Mountain View High School, said of hitting against Strasburg.

Strasburg was the first overall pick by the Washington Nationals on June 9 in the Major League amateur draft.

Parker realized that later this summer he could be sitting at Nationals Park as Strasburg pitches for the Nationals.

"He is going to be up with the Nationals," said Parker, who was to several games at Nationals Park as a fan.

Virginia not only beat Strasburg but also knocked off Cal-Irvine, ranked No. 1 in the nation, two times to win the Irvine Regional.

"It is a big step. We are definitely proud of it," Parker said. It got even better, as Virginia beat host Ole Miss, 5-1, on June 7 to capture the Super Regional after losing the first game June 5. With two wins in three games against Ole Miss the Cavaliers earned the school's first-ever trip to the College World Series and will play national power LSU this coming weekend in Omaha.

The Cavaliers are just the second school from Virginia to earn a spot in the College World Series. The first was James Madison, which advanced to Omaha in 1983.

Virginia lost its first game June 13 to LSU but came back to beat Cal State-Fullerton, 7-5, on June 15 in the double-elimination event as Parker was dropped from his leadoff spot lower in the order to get a chance to drive in more runs. He went hitless in three at bats against Fullerton but scored a run. Virginia was to play Arkansas or LSU in its third game of the CWS.

Parker started the first 61 games and was one of just two players on the team who has played in every game for the Cavs. He was hitting .369 with a team-high 16 homers and 69 RBIs prior to the CWS.

Parker found out about his All-American honor after it was posted on the school website. "It is a great honor," said Parker, who was named to the all-regional team at Irvine.

Last summer Parker stayed in Charlottesville and gained 20 pounds of muscle while working out. That paid dividends this year as he became one of the top power hitters in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“I feel I am much better. I stayed in Charlottesville and I gained a lot of weight. I am feeling really good,” said Parker, who hit just .264 with no homers in 148 at bats in 2008 as a freshman.

“It has made a difference on how he carries himself,” Virginia coach Brian O’Connor said. “He has been a real shot in the arm for our team.”

David Driver is a contributing writer for the Stafford County Sun. He can be reached at info@staffordcountysun.com