CHARLOTTESVILLE 鈥 During the most transient era in Division I sports, Jay Woolfolk was a constant for Virginia athletics.
Supporters of the Hoos were first introduced to him on the gridiron. But over the last four years, they really learned to appreciate his undeniably competitive spirit whenever he took the mound for the Cavaliers.
鈥淵ou come to college hoping and thinking that you get to experience these things, but you never know,鈥 Woolfolk told The Daily Progress this week.
鈥淵ou say that you鈥檙e going to go to Omaha, but you鈥檙e never really sure that you鈥檙e going to go to Omaha,鈥 he continued. 鈥淵ou think you could start against Notre Dame as a freshman [quarterback], but you never really know that鈥檚 going to happen. The fact that I鈥檝e been able to do both and meet great people on both sides in baseball and football, that鈥檚 a little kid鈥檚 dream. I came to college not knowing what to expect from both worlds and I think it exceeded my expectations.鈥
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Woolfolk, a Chesterfield native, has been preparing for the next phase of his career ever since UVa鈥檚 baseball season ended in May.
Baseball America ranks Woolfolk as the 253rd-best prospect for the upcoming MLB draft, which begins on Sunday evening with the first three rounds and extends into Monday with rounds 4 through 20.
The 6-foot right-hander wasn鈥檛 selected during the first 10 rounds of last year鈥檚 draft and made the choice to return to the Cavaliers for his senior year.
鈥淚 have a lot better feeling about it this year than I did last year,鈥 Woolfolk said. 鈥淟ast year, I kind of expected that it wasn鈥檛 going to be a great outcome just because the of my inconsistencies. [That season] started off really bad and then it got better at the end of the year. But this year, I felt like I was consistent.鈥
And that鈥檚 what Woolfolk said he wanted to show scouts and front offices this past spring. The 2024 campaign was his first in which he was only playing baseball 鈥 he stepped away from the UVa football program in July of 2023 鈥 and with another full offseason to hone his mechanics, he felt like he improved for 2025.
His numbers reveal better performance, too.
In 2024, he was 4-2 with a 5.92 ERA, 67 strikeouts and 40 walks over 62 1/3 innings. His best work didn鈥檛 come until postseason starts against Mississippi State in the Charlottesville Regional and Kansas State in the Charlottesville Super Regional. He threw eight innings of two-run ball against the Bulldogs and 6 1/3 innings of three-run ball against the Wildcats. He combined for 14 strikeouts in the two critical bouts.
This past season, Woolfolk finished 4-3 with a 4.73 ERA, a team-best 75 strikeouts and only 24 walks over 64 2/3 innings while often pitching similarly to how he did in the 2024 postseason.
鈥淟ast year, I started in the Sunday role and then obviously bounced between the bullpen and starting,鈥 Woolfolk said, 鈥渁nd I guess if you look at that from the front office perspective, you鈥檙e kind of questioning 鈥 is he a starter? What is he? And maybe they don鈥檛 really want to take a chance on that, but I feel like this year with staying in the Friday role for every single start, that鈥檚 something I did.
鈥淎nd I鈥檝e looked at it like last year was my first full year with no football 鈥 but being able to make that big jump from last year to this year with my pitchability and consistency, I feel like front offices can look at that and think that I鈥檓 going to keep getting better with a full focus on baseball. That鈥檚 how I feel.鈥
Woolfolk said his reduction in walks issued from last year to this year was probably the biggest difference. His 8.6% walk rate (24 walks allowed over 279 batters faced) in 2025 was the lowest of his career. He鈥檇 been around 13% in the previous two years.
鈥淚t was a big thing I focused on,鈥 Woolfolk said, 鈥渁nd I look at like it like, 鈥楬ey, your stuff is good. But if you can鈥檛 throw your stuff for strikes, then it鈥檚 pointless.鈥 So, I kind of had that in the back of my mind during every start.鈥
Woolfolk said he doesn鈥檛 have a guess yet about what round he could be selected in or which teams are interested, but he鈥檚 open to however a club wants to use him.
鈥淚 just want to pitch,鈥 Woolfolk said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 care what role that鈥檚 in, whether it鈥檚 a starter, reliever or closer. I really don鈥檛 care. The good thing is I鈥檝e been in every single one of those roles before, so I know I can go do it. So, whatever is best for a team and however I can help that team win a championship.鈥
His attitude always reflected that during his time at UVa.
Whether former Hoos skipper Brian O鈥機onnor pegged Woolfolk for a high-stakes responsibility in relief when he was a freshman or as the Cavaliers鈥 top starter this year, he was up for the challenge. Even when football coach Tony Elliott and offensive coordinator Des Kitchings asked Woolfolk to line up against Miami and North Carolina as a running back and wide receiver late in the 2022 season, Woolfolk obliged even though it wasn鈥檛 as a quarterback.
On top of his willingness to pitch in any role, Woolfolk said he also hopes MLB front offices value how usually after a bad outing, he鈥檇 get back on track in his next appearance.
There鈥檚 football proof there as well.
Woolfolk said other than helping pitch UVa to the College World Series and thriving during college baseball鈥檚 postseason last year, he鈥檚 probably most proud of how he handled himself when he was forced in off the bench against Virginia Tech in the Commonwealth Clash football showdown in 2021.
Former starting quarterback Brennan Armstrong needed to exit briefly in the third quarter, and Woolfolk entered to complete two passes for first downs and rush for a first down to get the Hoos into Hokies territory.
And that was only a week after Woolfolk鈥檚 start at quarterback against the Irish, 鈥渄idn鈥檛 really go the way I wanted it to,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut then being able to go in during an important situation and drive the ball down the field to set up Brennan, who came back in during the same drive, and to bounce back from that start in obviously what was a big game, to do that was huge.鈥
Woolfolk will anxiously wait to find out where he鈥檚 headed next, he said, but he鈥檒l always treasure his four years as a Cavalier.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 thank the Virginia community enough,鈥 Woolfolk said, 鈥渁nd all the fans for always having my back no matter what through the ups and downs. Charlottesville will always be my home, and I can鈥檛 wait for the start of my new chapter.鈥
