Tomas Valincius is used to people mispronouncing his name. It comes with the territory. Many take the Biblical choice that rhymes with the more traditional Thomas. Others use the more Eastern European nomenclature, which stands to reason. Valincius was raised in a home where English was not the first language. As a result, the hard-throwing southpaw is fluent in both English and Lithuanian.
No matter what fans of Mississippi State choose to call the former Virginia hurler, much is expected of the talented sophomore. Last year, Valincius earned a spot in the weekend rotation with the Cavaliers. He posted a 6-1 record with an ERA of 4.59 to go along with 70 strikeouts against 17 walks. It was a freshmen season that saw him make the All-ACC freshmen team.
A lot has changed since those early days in Charlottesville. The staff that recruited Valincius to join the Wahoos, led by Coach Brian O’Connor, made the move to Starkville back in June. Valincius followed them to Mississippi State. It appears that the transition is going well…