What a difference a year makes. Entering last season, the Virginia baseball team was mired in mediocrity. But a final record of 44-15 and an NCAA tournament birth changed that appearance to the Cavaliers and their opponents.
When the Cavaliers (2-1) travel to Old Dominion (2-1) this afternoon, they will have a bull's eye on their backs and a chip on their shoulders.
Ever since last season's surprise performance, the Cavaliers have garnered more respect and received the best efforts from their opponents. ODU will be no different as they try to defeat No. 33 Virginia for the second straight season.
"They're always a tough team, and they'll be ready to play," junior third baseman Ryan Zimmerman said. "Every team we play is going to want to beat us, just from what we did last year."
Last year, the Cavaliers traveled to Norfolk to face the Monarchs and left with a 5-4 loss. At that point in the season, Virginia was ranked No. 19 and had amassed a 13-1 record.
ODU's Evan Chipman was instrumental in the win last season over Virginia. His two hits and two RBI keyed a four-run inning for the Monarchs and propelled them to victory.
Chipman, the Monarch's leadoff batter, is off to another good start this season with a .333 batting average and three RBI in three games.
Virginia, however, has made a number of additions to last year's pleasant surprise. The returns of pitchers Mike Ballard and Jeff Kamrath from surgery could be enough to send Virginia on an early three-game winning streak.
Ballard made an impressive return last Saturday, pitching seven scoreless innings and allowing only two hits while striking out six batters. His start against UNC Wilmington was his first since the 2003 season, and his efforts earned him ACC Pitcher of the Week honors.
Kamrath followed Ballard's performance with a victory Sunday. He went five and a third innings, allowing three runs while striking out six.
Both pitchers were returning from a season off for Tommy John shoulder surgery. Their starts eliminated any worries about how they would perform after coming back from the once risky, now commonplace procedure.
Another player absent from last year's roster is freshman Sean Doolittle. In his first series as a Cavalier, Doolittle went five for six at the plate and notched the team's only homerun of the young season. Not just a designated hitter, Doolittle also pitched four innings over the weekend, striking out six batters while allowing just two runs.
For the Cavaliers to defeat their instate rival, the returnees and newcomers will need to continue to play a large role.
Last season's loss to ODU was the first of a three-game losing streak that put an end to Virginia's early hot start. After winning the last two games against UNC Wilmington to take the series, the Cavaliers will have to win on the road again to keep up their early success.
"It'll be another road game for us and an important in-state game for us," coach Brian O'Connor said. "So we'll need to play our best baseball to win. You know the old cliché: we take them one at a time."
For a team not content with last season's improvements, matches against opponents such as ODU will be key to their continued success this season.
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