Last year the Virginia baseball team took the University by storm. It finished 44-15 overall, 18-6 in the ACC and hosted a regional tournament for the first time ever. But while the University may have been surprised at the Cavaliers' performance, the team itself was not.
"The year before we had shown signs of being really, really good, and we had the same players," senior pitcher Jeff Kamrath said. "So I knew we had it in us."
This year, however, there is no denying the expectation that will be placed on the team to equal -- or even better -- last year's success.
"We have great pitching and great defense this year," senior catcher Kyle Werman said. "We really want to make another regional, and hopefully host [one]."
Unlike last year, when graduation changed Virginia's roster very little, this year's Cavalier squad features a number of new faces.
"We've lost a lot of key players from last year's team," Werman said.
Three key losses are pitcher Andrew Dobies, infielder Mark Reynolds and first basemen/pitcher Joe Koshansky. Dobies was selected in the third round of the MLB first-year player draft by the Boston Red Sox. Koshansky was selected in the sixth round to play for the Colorado Rockies, and Reynolds was chosen in the sixteenth round by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The influx of new players, however, could be an advantage this year for the Cavaliers.
"We had a great recruiting process," Werman said. "Pitching is the real strength of this team, unlike last year when we were relying on three or four guys."
Adding to the strength of the new pitching staff will be Kamrath and Matt Ballard. Kamrath and Ballard were Virginia's No. 1 and 2 ranked pitchers before sustaining elbow injuries that forced them to miss all of last season. Although unable to play because of their injuries, both players participated with the team as much as possible.
"I got to practice... I could throw - I was with the team," Kamrath said. "I traveled to all the games on my own because I wanted to see them. I can't tell you how good it is to be back. You just want to be out there, giving everything you have."
Although many have graduated, quite a few notable faces remain in the Cavalier lineup. Among them are junior third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, junior pitcher Matt Avery and sophomore pitcher Casey Lambert. Zimmerman was selected to play for Team USA in last summer's World University Games and set an all-time USA record for batting average. In addition, Avery finished second last year for Virginia with a 3.22 ERA.
Another returning asset for the Cavaliers is head coach Brian O'Conner. Last year, in his first season as Virginia's head coach, O'Conner led the Cavaliers through a season in which they tied the all-time school record for wins, broke the school record for ACC wins and made it to their fourth regional in Cavalier history. "Something in our coaches really inspired us," Kamrath said. "The desire to win and the hatred of losing was so incredible in them. It transferred to us and made us play so hard and never give up."
The Cavaliers will get their first chance to see just how far they've come when they play UNC Wilmington this Friday in Wilmington, N.C. The Seahawks have made the Regional championship game two years running.
"Wilmington's pretty strong from year to year -- they're definitely going to be a challenge," Werman said. "We're pumped up to get into the game and to get things started."
Whatever the outcome of Friday's game, the Cavaliers have huge potential this season. With a strong pitching staff, a new coach who has proven himself and an infusion of new talent, Virginia fans should look forward to a great season.
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