On Wednesday, outfielder Sam Gates announced that he was transferring to Virginia Tech following a three-year career at George Washington.
He had this to say about his commitment
"[I really] enjoyed my conversations with the coaching staff and really enjoyed my visit. It gave me an opportunity to play in a bigger conference at a bigger school."
During that three year stretch, Gates appeared in 159 games, where he slashed .309/.412/.532 with 20 homers and 109 RBIs.
He had a breakout year in 2025, though, where the outfielder slashed a stellar .346/.457/.532 with a career high eight home runs. He also has 34 stolen bases over the past two seasons and will be a threat on the basepaths.
Gates feels like a sure-fire starter at the moment, especially given the current outfield situation. He will likely fit in at a corner-outfield spot since center field is occupied with Treyson Hughes.
In the batting order, Gates seems likely to be in the middle of the order given his experience as George Washington’s cleanup hitter, but he could also slide into the top of the order given his quality contact hitting and speed.
