HAMPTON — Aidan Feather, an infielder for the Virginia Peninsula Community College baseball team, had possibly the best statistical season in program history in 2025. It didn’t surprise his coach.
“I knew he could hit. I knew his swing was violent,” said Shane Harrison, who has known Feather for about 10 years and coached him in travel ball and summer leagues. “Did I think he would come in and bat .400? I really did. Did I know he would hit that many home runs? No, I didn’t expect that.”
Nor was Feather surprised by his season.
“Coming from a Division II school, I played against some pretty good competition, so I kind of figured when I came down to the (junior college) level that I was going to be able to do some cool stuff,” he said.
His numbers were impressive: a.425 batting average, 15 home runs (one more than his teammates combined), 15 doubles, 56 runs driven in, .525 on-base percentage and an .812 slugging percentage, and was named a Region 10 first-team All-American. He was among the top three in the nation in average and home runs. As a result, he will be recognized as the college’s athlete of the year by the Peninsula Sports Club at the latter’s annual headliner’s dinner June 23.
“I feel honored and blessed to be named the athlete of the year,” he said. “I’m just another guy doing his thing, just playing baseball. I’ve been trying hard to do something cool, but I didn’t really think this would happen.”
Feather, 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, played second and third for the Gators. He bats and throws right-handed. He graduated from Grassfield High School in Chesapeake in 2021, attended Chowan University in Murfreesboro, North Carolina, for three years, redshirting his freshman year, playing his sophomore year and not participating his third year. The one year he played, he batted .320 (33 for 103) with three home runs and started 31 games. He transferred to VPCC for the 2024-25 academic year.
He had no higher education plans while in high school, so his journey has been somewhat of a surprise.
“I was just oblivious to the whole college thing,” he said, noting he struggled in high school until having a serious talk with his mother.
“This is the route I should have probably taken out of high school,” he said. “I was born and raised right down the street. This is like home sweet home.”
He grew up in the Bethel school district and his older sister graduated from there. However, he moved to Chesapeake with his father, which is how he ended up at Grassfield. He earned an associate of science degree at VPCC and plans to attend Virginia Commonwealth University. He is studying exercise science and wants to be a trainer or coach. He has two years of playing eligibility remaining and will try out for VCU’s baseball team. However, if that doesn’t work out, he’s OK ending his competitive career with the season he had.
“This is the best year I’ve had in my life when it comes to baseball,” he said. “I just want to say thank you to Shane and Coach Mastro (assistant coach Nick Mastrogianakis). Those are the guys. I’ve never had a coaching staff that was actually trying to get me somewhere.”
He also thanked his parents, Kevin and Kali, for his success and the award.
“None of this would have been possible without the support of my parents, who’ve always pushed me to give my best both on and off the field,” he said.
He remembers being at Chowan, where his older teammates helped him out. Now, at 22 and one of the oldest players on the VPCC team, he was able to return the favor.
“All I wanted to do was be one of those guys that people looked up to,” he said. “It really did come a lot quicker than I thought. At Chowan, even at VPCC, I thought I was just another one of the guys. I didn’t really think that I was going to be the leader.”
But he was, and he looks at that as one of his most memorable moments.
“I think being able to grow and give the younger guys some wisdom, become better people overall. That’s my biggest accomplishment,” he said.
For more information on the VPCC, visit vpcc.edu. For more information on VPCC sports, go to vpccgators.com.