Coming off a weekend sweep of Duke, the Virginia baseball team (25-7) will look to build on this success in today's non-conference match-up at William & Mary (21-8) in the Cavaliers' only tilt against the Tribe this season.
Virginia, ranked No. 29 in the nation, acknowledged that it will be tiring to play a night game after a day of classes and travel.
"It's going to be a long day for us, but we're going to be alright,"senior Joe Koshansky said.
Koshansky pointed out that having only one day of practice between the weekend series and the game Tuesday could work to the Cavaliers' advantage.
"I think it's better probably to get right back out there," Koshansky said. "A couple days off, a couple days of practice, you kind of leave that momentum behind."
Coach Brian O'Connor stressed that the Cavaliers cannot afford to let up in Tuesday's contest.
"Tuesday's a big game for us," O'Connor said. "We're on the road again. I [have] respect for William & Mary... so we need to come out and play the game like we did this weekend and we'll be in good shape."
The Cavalier offense is led by Koshansky and sophomore Ryan Zimmerman. Zimmerman, an infielder, leads the team in batting average, hitting at a .353 clip and having started all 32 games. Koshansky has been the squad's best power threat this season, compiling a team-best 10 homeruns, 44 RBIs and a whopping .650 slugging percentage. Koshansky also was the winning pitcher in the Cavaliers' Sunday win over Duke, allowing only one run.
Late in the game, when the Virginia starters have grown tired, the Cavaliers have turned to left-handed closer Casey Lambert. Lambert, a true freshman, picked up his third save of the season at Duke this weekend. He leads the entire staff with his 13 appearances and has an impressive 1.82 ERA.
Unfortunately, the Cavaliers' arms are going to have to clash with a hot-hitting William & Mary squad. Coming into the tilt with Virginia, the Tribe boasts four sluggers who are hitting over .350 and nine hitters who are above the .300 mark. These hitters have raised the team batting average to a Colonial Athletic Association-best .337.
Freshman infielder Greg Sexton leads the CAA with 49 hits and 16 doubles while sophomore Chris Rahl tops the list with 42 RBIs and 90 total bases, holding a share of the home-run lead with 11 bombs.
The Tribe's pitching staff, however, has not had the consistency of its hitters. William & Mary's best starter, Jeff Dagenhart, only carries a 3.78 ERA, while the other three starters all hold ERAs over the 5.00 mark. The William & Mary bullpen has fared much better than its starters. Junior closer Bill Bray has proved capable of wrapping up Tribe wins with his 3-1 mark and 1.78 ERA.
Virginia will hope to keep its momentum from last weekend alive coming into today's game against William & Mary. Although Virginia knows that its busy schedule of games may leave the team fatigued, it hopes a road victory over an in-state rival will prove to be just the remedy the Cavaliers need.
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