Murderer's Row

My Dad and Brother were in town this weekend so I took them to the UVA-Maryland baseball game on Sunday afternoon where they were treated to an offensive explosion the likes of which I have never seen before. The Cavaliers won 17-2 in a contest that was never close. UVA jumped out to a 9-0 lead after the second inning and never looked back.  Every Cavalier starter except Jared King had a hit and Phil Gosselin and Franco Valdez both homered. Gosselin was named player of the game going 3-4 with 5 RBI. The Hoos also played well defensively turning 2 double plays and Dan Grovatt made an incredible throw from right field to cut down a runner trying to advance to third. The Cavaliers won the series 2-1 improving their record to 26-5 and 8-5 in the ACC.

                The point of today’s article is to sing the praises of the lineup that Virginia brings up to the plate every game. As most of you know I went to Miami last year where the Hurricanes boasted probably the strongest lineup I’ve ever seen, with most of the lineup drafted in the first 3 rounds. The lineup that the Hoos bring to the table, to me at least, draws comparisons to this lineup. There is no easy out in the Hoos lineup whatsoever and facing them must be a pitchers nightmare. Jared King is the only starter not hitting close to or over .300 for the season and Jarret Parker and Dan Grovatt are both hitting over .400. This lineup has power and speed and a good mix of left and right handed hitters and is the strength of the UVA team. Most importantly however is the age of this team. Tyler Cannon is the only starter that is older than a sophomore and is the only starter that is draft eligible. This team is very young and extremely talented and should become a mainstay atop the ACC for years to come. Especially when Steve Kouril  starts to get more playing time.

A Rare Second Post

I'd like to take this oppurtunity to commend my friend Steve Kouril of the Virginia baseball team on a fine showing in the Hoos 13-4 victory over Towson on tuesday night. Steve started at DH and went 2 for 3 with a walk and 3 runs scored. The 2 hit performance raised Kouril's average to .500 this year with 4 runs scored and one stolen base in his only attempt.

I personally think it's really cool that a kid I grew up playing with and against is now playing at a major division one program and it could not have happened to a nice or more deserving person. Steve also coaches my younger brother's summer league team and is a perfect example of how hard work can pay off for them. I wish Steve continued success and if UTS ever gives me a weekend off i'll be out there heckling him with the rest of the fans. 

UVA Baseball on Fire

The UVA Baseball team improved their record to 16-0 with a 5-4 victory over Marshall last night. The Cavaliers remarkable start has them ranked number 23 in the latest Baseball America Top 25 poll. The key to the Hoos impressive start has been the offensive production. Virginia’s average margin of victory this season is 8.5 and they score an average of 11.4 runs per game. UVA has the highest team batting average at an even .400 and has the lowest number of strikeouts. UVA also has one or more players in the top 3 of almost every major offensive statistical category, including 4 of the top 6 in RBI and 3 of the top 7 in hits. Led by right fielder Dan Grovatt, center fielder Jarret Parker, and third baseman Steven Porscia, the Cavaliers have a potent offensive attack.

               But the offense isn’t the only strength of the team. Freshman starter Danny Hultzen leads the ACC in wins, with 4, and strikeouts, with 39. Andrew Carraway and Will Roberts are also strong top of the rotation guys. The UVA pitching staff is 3^rd in the ACC with 160 total strike outs, 1^st with a miniscule 1.87 staff ERA, and 1^st with only 89 hits allowed. The only weakness of this team seems to be the fielding. UVA is only in the middle of the pack of the ACC with a .964 fielding percentage, committing 21 errors in their 16 games.

                The Virginia baseball team looks very strong this season. Their offense is not only potent but it also puts pressure on the opposing team’s defense. The pitching staff is also good at getting the defense off the field and back to bat. This aggressive style will bode well for the Cavs as they move forward this season. UVA lost a lot of players from last year’s team but the new players are slowly proving themselves and their success is starting to be reflected in the polls. I wouldn’t put it past this team to make significant noise in the ACC this season. UNC is great this season but after them there is no team that I can see that is substantially better than anyone else. If the bats can stay hot and the pitching continues to improve, along with the fielding, look out for the Hoos on the diamond this year.

 

To update the coaching search it appears that Tubby Smith is the front runner for the job with Sean Miller and Jeff Capel as other prominent alternatives. More on Smith tomorrow.