A rollercoaster of emotions already has begun for the Virginia baseball team. They were at the height of the coaster until Florida State shoved them down in a wicked plunge last weekend. Now, a banged up Virginia team must, like all good teams, regain their poise and start to climb again.
Virginia (10-8, 0-3 ACC) began their climb on Wednesday by extending their home win streak to eight games with a 6-0 shutout of William and Mary.
"We were 7-0 at home and had to keep the streak going," sophomore southpaw Andrew Dobies said.
Virginia has another opportunity to get back on a winning track, as they welcome the Duke Blue Devils (12-10, 0-0) to Davenport Field this weekend. Duke will be making their first appearance in ACC play.
This will prove to be an important three game series for the Cavaliers. Virginia currently is sulking at the depths of the ACC standings with a 0-3 record. A series win will likely boost the Cavaliers' confidence.
"We're 0-3 and at the bottom of the pack," Virginia coach Dennis Womack said. "We need to have a good home stand and play well."
The Cavaliers talk about winning, but it is more difficult to actually take the field and do it. This weekend's series won't be a cakewalk for the Cavaliers. Duke has a talented squad that matches up well with Virginia.
like Virginia, Duke barely thrives off of their small ball offense, and instead turns to its pitching to save the day. The Blue Devils have won nine of their 12 games by a one run margin.
Duke will bring an experienced and deep pitching staff to Davenport Field, led by senior Jeff Alleva and red-shirt junior Kevin Thompson. The Duke bullpen may give Virginia trouble this weekend, as the Cavaliers have at times struggled for hits against mediocre pitching. Virginia, however, has also shown that they are capable of producing some offensive firepower. They'll be able to earn a win if the Virginia bats show up this weekend, and their pitching stays strong.
"I think we need to win at home and get back to basics," Womack said.
Winning is even more of a challenge for the Cavaliers who are reeling from injuries. Virginia will have a tough time putting healthy guys on the field this weekend.
"We've got about 12 or 13 guys that are healthy," Womack said. "That's not good."
Virginia quickly went from a spirited ball club to an ailing mess. A series win against Duke or even better a sweep would move Virginia up the ACC standings and put them right back near the top of this sudden rollercoaster season.
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