The Virginia baseball team is getting hot right when it needs to.
Early on, just like last year, the Cavaliers were struggling. UVa dropped two of three against East Carolina, split at home with Monmouth, lost out on a prime opportunity to sweep Wake Forest, dropped two of three at home to N.C. State, lost both matchups with VCU, lost at home to ODU, and dropped two of three at Boston College -- when Virginia very well should have swept the Eagles, but instead lost two one-run games. A month ago, there there was a distinct possibility that UVa might not make the NCAA tournament for the first time in coach Brian O'Connor's tenure, a streak of 12 years.
Since then, though, Virginia is 11-3 and has upped its record to 31-17, 14-10 in the ACC. The surge began at home against top-15-ranked North Carolina. Virginia took two of three from the Tar Heels. The next weekend, UVa had to go to Miami, ranked No. 1 in the country. Virginia was coming off a Wednesday home loss to VCU 11-5. Then on Friday in Miami, the team's longtime bus driver passed out while driving, the bus crashed, and the team had a heavy heart all weekend after learning the driver died after a heart attack. The players and coaches were OK, but their morale took a hit. It didn't matter. The Wahoos took two of three from the Hurricanes in their best series of the year. The momentum is still going strong. Virginia swept Pittsburgh on the road and then topped a solid Liberty team in Lynchburg. UVa went 7-1 on its trip. The rest of the regular season is filled with home games for the Cavaliers -- a weekend series starting today with Georgia Tech, one next weekend with Virginia Tech, and a game Tuesday vs. Richmond in between. A team that was struggling to stay in the NCAA tournament conversation now has a decent chance to host a regional as one of the 16 No. 1 seeds in the bracket. Depending on what happens in the ACC tournament, of course, a 5-2-type finish might just do the trick and let fans see playoff baseball at Davenport Field.
Catcher Matt Thaiss leads the team with a .366 average and seven home runs. First baseman Pavin Smith is first with 49 RBIs. Ernie Clement and Adam Haseley are also having strong years at the plate, while freshman Nate Eikhoff and sophomore Justin Novak are starting to turn the corner as strong freshmen. The injury bug bit the 'Hoos early on. Backup catcher Robbie Coman, a little better on defense than Thaiss, needed Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, while freshman outfielder Jake McCarthy -- yep, the brother of Joe, who declared for the draft in the offseason -- tore some ligament in his right big toe. He was hitting .368 in the first six games of his career. Both are out for the season.
Connor Jones has been spectacular on the mound at 9-1 with a 1.95 ERA. Haseley has been arguably even better, with a 7-2 record but 1.35 ERA. Alec Bettinger is now the team's other weekend starter. He is just 1-4 with a 5.45 ERA, but has improved as of late after switching roles with Tommy Doyle, who is now the team's closer and is enjoying that role, too.
Last year, UVa beat Georgia Tech in the play-in game to get into the ACC tournament. This year, it doesn't look like UVa will need to win a play-in game. After that victory last year, the Cavs lost all three of their tournament games. Despite those setbacks, I think we all remember what happened in the NCAA tournament. My point is, this team and O'Connor has earned the benefit of the doubt. Even if they hit another pothole here at the end of the regular season, let's see how the playoffs play out because we know the team is capable of a deep run to Omaha even when things are looking quite bleak.
Early on, just like last year, the Cavaliers were struggling. UVa dropped two of three against East Carolina, split at home with Monmouth, lost out on a prime opportunity to sweep Wake Forest, dropped two of three at home to N.C. State, lost both matchups with VCU, lost at home to ODU, and dropped two of three at Boston College -- when Virginia very well should have swept the Eagles, but instead lost two one-run games. A month ago, there there was a distinct possibility that UVa might not make the NCAA tournament for the first time in coach Brian O'Connor's tenure, a streak of 12 years.
Since then, though, Virginia is 11-3 and has upped its record to 31-17, 14-10 in the ACC. The surge began at home against top-15-ranked North Carolina. Virginia took two of three from the Tar Heels. The next weekend, UVa had to go to Miami, ranked No. 1 in the country. Virginia was coming off a Wednesday home loss to VCU 11-5. Then on Friday in Miami, the team's longtime bus driver passed out while driving, the bus crashed, and the team had a heavy heart all weekend after learning the driver died after a heart attack. The players and coaches were OK, but their morale took a hit. It didn't matter. The Wahoos took two of three from the Hurricanes in their best series of the year. The momentum is still going strong. Virginia swept Pittsburgh on the road and then topped a solid Liberty team in Lynchburg. UVa went 7-1 on its trip. The rest of the regular season is filled with home games for the Cavaliers -- a weekend series starting today with Georgia Tech, one next weekend with Virginia Tech, and a game Tuesday vs. Richmond in between. A team that was struggling to stay in the NCAA tournament conversation now has a decent chance to host a regional as one of the 16 No. 1 seeds in the bracket. Depending on what happens in the ACC tournament, of course, a 5-2-type finish might just do the trick and let fans see playoff baseball at Davenport Field.
Catcher Matt Thaiss leads the team with a .366 average and seven home runs. First baseman Pavin Smith is first with 49 RBIs. Ernie Clement and Adam Haseley are also having strong years at the plate, while freshman Nate Eikhoff and sophomore Justin Novak are starting to turn the corner as strong freshmen. The injury bug bit the 'Hoos early on. Backup catcher Robbie Coman, a little better on defense than Thaiss, needed Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, while freshman outfielder Jake McCarthy -- yep, the brother of Joe, who declared for the draft in the offseason -- tore some ligament in his right big toe. He was hitting .368 in the first six games of his career. Both are out for the season.
Connor Jones has been spectacular on the mound at 9-1 with a 1.95 ERA. Haseley has been arguably even better, with a 7-2 record but 1.35 ERA. Alec Bettinger is now the team's other weekend starter. He is just 1-4 with a 5.45 ERA, but has improved as of late after switching roles with Tommy Doyle, who is now the team's closer and is enjoying that role, too.
Last year, UVa beat Georgia Tech in the play-in game to get into the ACC tournament. This year, it doesn't look like UVa will need to win a play-in game. After that victory last year, the Cavs lost all three of their tournament games. Despite those setbacks, I think we all remember what happened in the NCAA tournament. My point is, this team and O'Connor has earned the benefit of the doubt. Even if they hit another pothole here at the end of the regular season, let's see how the playoffs play out because we know the team is capable of a deep run to Omaha even when things are looking quite bleak.
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