Virginia vs. Florida in Omaha, Neb., 3 p.m. today ESPN2
Brandon Waddell again pitched a gem in the College World Series on Monday, giving up just two hits over seven innings, to lead the Cavaliers to a 1-0 win over Florida. Last year, Waddell pitched a five-hit complete game and beat Vanderbilt in a must-win game in the finals. This performance was probably even better.
In the eighth inning, though, things got hairy. After walking the leadoff batter, I think Brian O'Connor should have put in Josh Sborz. It has been hard to question O'Connor down the stretch of this season, though. He's obviously pulled all the right strings. But the next Gator got a base hit, putting runners on the corner. Sborz came in and all that could be hoped for was a 1-1 tie (Virginia had already scored its run). Then, a hit was blasted up the middle so hard that it knocked Sborz's glove off his hand. He had the presence of mind to hold the runner on at third and get the runner going to second out. From there, Virginia amazingly got out of the inning without damage and got the victory.
Florida's offense got back on track Wednesday as it beat Miami, 10-3. So now the Gators get another shot at the Cavs. UF must win today and Saturday to move on to the finals against either TCU or Vanderbilt. Virginia needs to only win today or Saturday.
Toeing the rubber for the Wahoos will be Nathan Kirby. Who? Oh yeah, you forgot about him because he hasn't pitched since mid-April, when he left a game against Miami with a strained lat muscle. He has been cleared to play since the playoffs began, but O'Connor has been reluctant to use him, whether it be because he wasn't in shape or because he didn't want to jeopardize his future. Kirby was selected in the first round of the MLB draft June 8.
No one knows how he will pitch but he was UVa's best hurler before he got hurt. And O'Connor never seems to do anything based on a hunch. He knows, at least somewhat, what to expect.
The decision is a curious one, though. If UVa wins, it will be set up very nicely for the championship series. which starts Monday. Connor Jones will be rested and ready to go, as will Waddell. And should he be needed at all, Kirby will have had four days rest and a (presumably if we beat the Gators) good outing under his belt. However, if Florida wins, things will get tricky. You would have to think that O'Connor would then run Jones out there for the elimination game Saturday. If he goes anywhere close to a full game, then he would likely be unable to pitch in the championship series if UVa were to win. For that series, only Waddell will be rested and coming off a good performance (assuming Kirby's is sub-par if he loses Saturday). Pitching Kirby now is a calculated risk that could pay off in huge way if the Wahoos win, but will make things murky going forward if the Cavs lose.
On the other hand, it could be a good idea now to knock some rust off in a non-elimination game and get Kirby going a bit. If he doesn't pitch well, the season isn't over, there is still another chance. This is why O'Connor's getting paid the big bucks -- to make decisions like these.
Either way, I think UVa will have to score more than one run this time around to beat a great offensive team like Florida.
Brandon Waddell again pitched a gem in the College World Series on Monday, giving up just two hits over seven innings, to lead the Cavaliers to a 1-0 win over Florida. Last year, Waddell pitched a five-hit complete game and beat Vanderbilt in a must-win game in the finals. This performance was probably even better.
In the eighth inning, though, things got hairy. After walking the leadoff batter, I think Brian O'Connor should have put in Josh Sborz. It has been hard to question O'Connor down the stretch of this season, though. He's obviously pulled all the right strings. But the next Gator got a base hit, putting runners on the corner. Sborz came in and all that could be hoped for was a 1-1 tie (Virginia had already scored its run). Then, a hit was blasted up the middle so hard that it knocked Sborz's glove off his hand. He had the presence of mind to hold the runner on at third and get the runner going to second out. From there, Virginia amazingly got out of the inning without damage and got the victory.
Florida's offense got back on track Wednesday as it beat Miami, 10-3. So now the Gators get another shot at the Cavs. UF must win today and Saturday to move on to the finals against either TCU or Vanderbilt. Virginia needs to only win today or Saturday.
Toeing the rubber for the Wahoos will be Nathan Kirby. Who? Oh yeah, you forgot about him because he hasn't pitched since mid-April, when he left a game against Miami with a strained lat muscle. He has been cleared to play since the playoffs began, but O'Connor has been reluctant to use him, whether it be because he wasn't in shape or because he didn't want to jeopardize his future. Kirby was selected in the first round of the MLB draft June 8.
No one knows how he will pitch but he was UVa's best hurler before he got hurt. And O'Connor never seems to do anything based on a hunch. He knows, at least somewhat, what to expect.
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| Nathan Kirby will pitch for the first time |
On the other hand, it could be a good idea now to knock some rust off in a non-elimination game and get Kirby going a bit. If he doesn't pitch well, the season isn't over, there is still another chance. This is why O'Connor's getting paid the big bucks -- to make decisions like these.
Either way, I think UVa will have to score more than one run this time around to beat a great offensive team like Florida.
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