While the University students take one week off from classes, the 10-1 Virginia baseball team will look to continue their hot start. The team plays host to Central Connecticut State in a three-game series this weekend and Quinnipiac University on Monday. The squad then hits the road with a matchup at UNC-Greensboro on Wednesday before traveling to Atlanta to open ACC play against No. 13 Georgia Tech in another three-game weekend series.
The Cavaliers open this weekend's homestand Friday at Davenport Field, where they are 6-1, to face a Blue Devils team which begins their season Thursday with Maryland Eastern Shore. Central Connecticut State is coming off a 31-17-2 season, in which they were Northeast Conference champions.
The Cavaliers face Quinnipiac next, which went 17-24 last year. They are also in the Northeast Conference and have yet to start their season. Virginia will then depart for Greensboro with their 4-0 road record, half as many road wins as the team won all of last season. The Spartans have started 4-1 with their only loss coming in 13 innings, 1-0 to UNC-Wilmington.
"Those are games we have to take one at a time," Virginia coach Brian O'Connor said. "We're in a good position right now, we're 10-1, and we just need to continue to have that positive momentum in the next four games going into that tough road trip."
One key to Virginia's torrid start has been its success on the base paths. The team has gone 27-28 in stolen base attempts, while their opponents have been safe in just three of five, leading to an average of nine stolen bases for the Cavaliers for every one of their opponents'.
The 6-4 Yellow Jackets should be Virginia's toughest test of the season. Although the team has slipped to No. 13 in the rankings, it was ranked No. 5 earlier this year and is the returning ACC champion.
"It's going to be tough," said senior captain and first baseman Joe Koshansky, who leads the team with four homeruns and 15 RBI. "It's going to be a good test for us. We're going to have to come out and throw the ball well, and the hitters are going have to help pitchers out. I think we'll do okay, but it's a test for us."
Along with Koshansky's strong play, the team has witnessed senior pitcher Chris Gale's struggles. Gale, who has an 8.49 ERA on the year, pitched only three innings while allowing seven hits and five runs at Richmond. He also allowed six runs and seven hits in 1.1 innings of work in Virginia's only loss versus Penn State earlier this season.
"Chris has very good stuff and he knows it," O'Connor said. "He's pitched against two pretty good offensive ball clubs in Penn State and Richmond. [Pitt Field in Richmond] is very hitter friendly. He had a tough outing, but Chris is a veteran kid and a leader. He'll get things figured out and going in the right direction."
At 10-1, the Cavaliers have tied their best start ever from 1998 and sit in second place in the ACC standings behind N.C. State. But the schedule is about to heat up when conference play begins, as three ACC teams are ranked in the top 25 -- Georgia Tech at No. 13, Clemson at No. 18 and N.C. State ranked 24th.
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