Jenny Allen, Staff Writer
Second-year catcher Jacob Lee went beyond expectations during his debut collegiate season in 2025. He delivered unanticipated performances while setting records that will be hard to beat.
Lee began receiving his collegiate recognition during the 2025 preseason, during which he was ranked No. 2 among the Division 1 Baseball Preseason Atlantic 10 Impact Freshmen and No. 92 out of the D1 Baseball Preseason Top 100 Impact Freshmen.
Lee was then named Freshman All-America First Team by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and Freshman All-American Second Team by Baseball America, D1 Baseball and Perfect Game.
The star catcher is a native of Chesterfield, Virginia, and is the first player in VCU Baseball history to be named to four Freshman All-American teams in one season, according to VCU Athletics.
“His value; you probably couldn’t put a number on it,” Head Coach Sean Thompson said during a press conference.
Lee has set standards high for the upcoming season after proving himself last year.
Lee was recently ranked No. 7 among the D1 Baseball Preseason Top 50 catchers in the 2026 preseason.
“Lee’s looked really good, I think this is some of the best he’s swung the bat since being on our campus,” Thompson said.
Matching his accomplishments at the plate in producing runs, Lee’s ability as a fielder has increased steadily.
“He’s developed so much defensively, turning himself into a really high level prospect,” Thompson said. “Not with the bat but playing a premium position like catcher and looking like a catcher that’s going to be able to play the game for a long time.”
Lee has already made his mark in the Rams record book in his first year, setting the freshman home run record with 17 home runs, finishing third in single-season home runs and tied No. 9 in single-season runs batted in, according to VCU Athletics.
Lee had 20 multi-hit games and 14 multi-RBI games, including seven games with four or more RBIs — the most by a VCU player in each category.
Alongside those stats Lee was tied for the team lead with 59 hits and four sacrifice flies, while finishing second among Rams with 13 doubles and 53 games started.
Thompson had his first season as head coach during Lee’s rookie season, giving them the opportunity to create an unstoppable dynamic duo.
In Thompson’s first victory as head coach, Lee hit a go-ahead, eighth-inning homer, driving in three runs.
Despite the other opportunities Lee encountered after an outstanding first season, he has kept his loyalty with VCU — pleasing his teammates and coaches.
“He loves VCU, he loves his baseball program, he loves his friends, his teammates. He bought into the vision right away last year,” Thompson said.