Ever since they first began playing in the Valley Baseball League in 2015, the Charlottesville Tom Sox have called the baseball field at Charlottesville High School home. 

And this summer, the franchise’s unique bond with the Black Knights has grown even stronger thanks to two recent CHS graduates serving in key roles for the four-time Valley Baseball League (VBL) champions. 

On the field, Lucas Arbelaez, who finished a standout high school baseball career with the Black Knights this past spring, is now a relief pitcher for the Tom Sox. 

And in the press box, the dugout, or wherever else he is needed, Ben Rekosh keeps the Tom Sox fan base informed and entertained as the franchise’s Chief Storytelling Media Officer. 

Rekosh, a 2023 CHS graduate, is in his fourth season with the Tom Sox. But before he became the master of media for Charlottesville's VBL franchise, Rekosh was a high school student who was eager to learn and take advantage of the opportunities available to him at CHS. 

“It gave me a passion for public speaking and for media and sports media, which is what I'm studying now at VCU,” Rekosh said of his time at CHS. “I credit a lot of that to Ms. Jenn Horne and Mr. Dave Stipe, who really helped show me the ropes when I was a junior and a senior at CHS. You need confidence to do this sort of thing, and I think Ms. Horne and her class really helped instill that in me.”

Rekosh’s confidence got another boost during his senior year of high school when CHS Activities Director Andy Jones hired him to be a public address announcer for the Black Knights. 

“He said he needed someone to do PA, so I was like, ‘Why not?’ It sounds like a lot of fun,” Rekosh recalled. “Doing PA is one of my favorite things. I did PA for CHS girls soccer and girls lacrosse as well as some boys soccer, and some baseball, and it was just a great time.”

That time in the CHS announcer’s booth helped to open another door for Rekosh as he began life after high school.

“When I graduated from CHS, I got a call from someone with the Tom Sox organization,” Rekosh said. “They needed someone to host their podcast, and I had done a podcast when I was at CHS. I didn't know who the Tom Sox were at the time, so I had to think about it for a little bit. But I said yes, and it ended up being one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life.” 

Now in his fourth summer with the franchise, Rekosh has blossomed into a jack of all trades for the Tom Sox’s media operation.

“I do a bunch of things,” said Rekosh, who is studying journalism and sport management at VCU. “My official title is Chief Storytelling Media Officer, and it includes everything, from writing PA scripts to hosting the podcast to running the YouTube channel and the social media feeds to graphic design to press releases to marketing. It’s just kind of a jack-of-all-trades job and that's what makes it fun for me.”

One of the Tom Sox players that Rekosh has helped to shine a spotlight on this summer is Arbelaez, a 6-foot-5 right-handed pitcher and fellow CHS graduate. Arbelaez was a first-team All-Jefferson District pitcher for the Black Knights this past spring and will play college baseball at Randolph-Macon. 

But before he heads to Ashland for his freshman year of college, Arbelaez has been getting a different kind of education on the diamond this summer with the Tom Sox. 

“It's a lot more intense,” Arbelaez said of playing in the Valley Baseball League, which serves as a wood-bat summer league for collegiate baseball players looking to refine their skills and showcase their talents for professional scouts. “The biggest adjustment baseball-wise has been the strike zone. It's so much smaller than in high school, which I didn't expect. I knew it'd be a little bit smaller, but in high school, it seemed like it was a lot bigger. It's a lot harder to pitch.”

Another challenge Arbelaez has faced with the Tom Sox is adjusting to a new role on the pitching staff. When he pitched for CHS, Arbelaez was a starter. With the Tom Sox, he is a relief pitcher. 

“It's a huge adjustment,” Arbelaez said. “When I was a starter in high school, I knew exactly when I was going to have to pitch. I would have about an hour to warm up. Now, all of us (relief pitchers) in the bullpen, we warm up before the game and then it could be an hour or two before we pitch, and we're kind of just sitting there. And often I've been thrown into the game with very limited warm-up time – probably 5 to 10 minutes – compared to about an hour that I had in high school. You just have to be ready to go.”

Despite the challenges, Arbelaez has adapted well to his new role. Through Monday, July 13’s games, Arbelaez had made six appearances for the Tom Sox this season, boasting a 1-1 record with a 1.93 ERA (earned run average), a 1.07 WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched), and eight strikeouts.

Arbelaez can attribute some of that success to playing in a place he has considered home for years and the added comfort that comes with it. 

“This is my high school,” Arbelaez said of CHS. “I live up the street. I used to walk to school before I had a car.” 

Playing that close to home has allowed Arbelaez’s family and friends to come and watch his games this summer, just like they did when he was starring for the Black Knights.

“My whole family comes,” Arbelaez said. “My grandparents live in the house right next to me. 

They come to the games. My aunt and uncle live up the street, too. My whole family is in Charlottesville, so they can all come and watch me play, like they have countless times before. It's really cool.” 

Another person who is enjoying watching Arbelaez and Rekosh succeed with the Tom Sox is Jones, who takes pride in getting to see CHS graduates pursue their dreams close to home.

“It's really cool to have this partnership with the Tom Sox where these kids are getting these opportunities to continually learn more about their future careers,” Jones said. “That is exactly what we wanted.”