While the Virginia offense finally appears to have broken out of its midseason cocoon, it will need to be clicking on all cylinders when No. 5 Wake Forest comes to town tonight to open a three-game series.
The Cavaliers (18-15, 7-5 ACC) knocked off in-state rival Virginia Tech, 16-10, on Wednesday and have won three of their last four. They have scored 26 runs their last two games including five homeruns. Against the Hokies, senior third baseman Dan Street, junior first baseman Robert Word and sophomore outfielder Matt Street combined to bat 10-for-14 with three homers and 11 RBIs.
However, Virginia coach Dennis Womack cautioned not to look too much into the offensive output.
Virginia Tech "has a couple good arms, but they have to save them for the weekend series," he said. "We'd love to be able to score that many runs though" against Wake Forest.
Sophomore Joe Koshansky will start today against Demon Deacon sophomore ace Kyle Sleeth, a freshman All-American last season, in the premier pitching matchup of the series.
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Virginia will throw the ACC's top-rated starting pitcher, sophomore Jeff Kamrath, on Saturday against Wake Forest junior Seth Hill. Hitters have hit a meager .190 against Hill all season, but he has been on top of his game recently. In his last 19 innings, he has surrendered only nine hits and two earned runs while fanning 27.
Virginia ace Street will get the nod on Sunday, though Wake Forest has yet to announce his counterpart.
The offensive output "should continue, but it's going to be pretty tough," senior infielder Rob Newton said. Wake "supposedly has some pretty good pitchers in Bush and Sleeth. We need to play sound defense. It's important that we keep it close."
Wake Forest (25-6, 8-3) is off to its best start in school history and has won eight straight ACC series dating back to last March. The Deacons swept Virginia in four meetings last season and will be well rested after their game scheduled for Tuesday was rained out.
They are led by sophomore third baseman Jamie D'Antona, last season's Collegiate Baseball Freshman of the Year that led the ACC with 77 RBIs. D'Antona is starting to heat up again, being named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Hitter of the Week last week. In his last four games, he has hit 7-for-15 with four homers and nine RBIs.
If the Deacons build a lead, it will be tough for the Cavaliers to mount a comeback. Baseball America tabbed All-ACC pitcher Bush the top senior and best closer in the country, and he has collected seven saves this year.
Bush "is pretty good," Womack said. "You'd like to be ahead and be able to keep him out of the game."
The Deacons are the third of five top-25 teams that Virginia has faced, and the Cavaliers won one of three against both then-top-ranked Florida State and No. 25 UNC. Facing off against another top-five opponent, one win would not be a bad result.
"To win the series, we have to match them pitch for pitch," Womack said. "We can't give them any extra outs because they're hitting .300 as a team. It's a matter of us throwing the ball well and hitting the ball well"
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