VIENNA, VA — Vienna took the national spotlight Sunday as hometown athlete Bryce Eldridge got drafted into the MLB. Two days later, his whole baseball team from Madison High School got recognition for their recent state championship win.
On Tuesday, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors honored the Madison High School baseball team for winning the Virginia Class 6 state title over Westfield High School. Coach Mark “Pudge” Gjormand and the team were present to accept the board’s resolution.
“We’ve won state championships, but it meant everything from for me personally to do it with this group of young men,” said Gjormand, who in 2021 became the baseball coach with the most wins of Northern Virginia. “They’re a tremendous group of young men, very resilient. We could have been knocked out many times and they didn’t flinch. There was no quit in this group, and that’s going to carry them for life.”
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Hunter Mill Supervisor Walter Alcorn noted Gjormand’s contributions to the team’s success as the coach for about three decades.
“Coach Gjormand’s done a lot, not just for Madison baseball, but for the community at large,” said Alcorn at the board’s Tuesday meeting.
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In remarks to the board, Gjormand affirmed Vienna was the “town of champions.” For the baseball team, this was the second Virginia Class 6 state title in the last three seasons. Other Vienna teams recently honored for championships were Vienna Rugby for its first Tier 2 boys high school level national championship, Madison’s girls basketball for their fourth consecutive state championship, and boys lacrosse for their second consecutive state title and third in the past four seasons.
Eldridge, who was drafted 16th overall by the San Francisco Giants in the first round of the 2023 MLB draft, was a captain of Madison’s baseball team. Now the San Francisco Giants see the pitcher and first baseman as a potential two-way player on the team.
Gjormand praised Eldridge for staying grounded despite all the MLB scouts that came to watch him play on Madison High School’s team.
“I couldn’t be more proud of all these young men, but how Bryce is handled the 40 scouts in every game and the whole process,” said Gjormand. “He is very grounded, and he’s a tremendous leader. That’s where I’m most proud.”
Other players on the team are expected to continue playing baseball in college and will “grow to be leaders in our county and throughout Northern Virginia,” according to Gjormand.
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