UVA’s standout shortstop Griff O'Ferrall '21 was selected in the first round, 32nd overall, by the Baltimore Orioles in the June MLB draft. He also won the Brooks Wallace Award, which is given to the nation's top college shortstop. In between training sessions in Sarasota, Florida, O’Ferrall answered a few questions about his time as an athlete at St. Christopher’s:

Do you have a favorite memory from playing baseball at St. Christopher’s?
We won the state championship my freshman year, and I have such great memories of playing with those older guys, like Nick Biddison ‘18, Donovan Murphy ‘18 and Partick Routsis ‘19. My senior year was also incredible, and it meant a lot to have that kind of season playing with the guys I grew up with.

What do you remember about playing for Coach Szymendera?
Coach Szymendera is a great player’s coach; he really believes in his players. I had a rough start to my sophomore season, but I’ll never forget how Coach sat me down and told me that even when I struggled, I would always be the shortstop and a leader on our team. That conversation really changed something for me, and we went on to have a great season.

What advice would you have for other St. Christopher’s athletes who aspire to play in college and beyond?
First, if you’re not having fun, it’s not going to work. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself; just play the game with some of your best friends. Second, play as many sports as you can. I use moves in the infield every day that I picked up from playing quarterback on the football team at St. Christopher’s.