There was a major upset that took place this weekend that I am sure no one had in their brackets and I am not talking about Northwestern State defeating Iowa. This upset did, however, involve a native of Iowa. Led by Virginia coach Brian O'Connor, whose hometown of Council Bluffs is located in the southwestern corner of the Hawkeye State, Virginia's baseball team completed a three-game sweep of the No. 2 Clemson Tigers. Including last weekend's series at Georgia Tech, Virginia has now accumulated a 4-2 record over the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the nation.
With a 19-4 overall record, it is beginning to look as if this year's Virginia squad might be able to further improve upon the successes of the initial two years of O'Connor's reign in Charlottesville. It is hard to exaggerate the incredible job that O'Connor and his coaching staff -- pitching coach Karl Kuhn and hitting coach/recruiting coordinator Kevin McMullan -- have done in turning around Virginia's baseball program since O'Connor was hired during the summer of 2003 to replace Dennis Womack. O'Connor's record at Virginia currently stands at 104-39. If Virginia was to make the NCAA Tournament this year, it would mark the first time in the program's history that the Cavaliers would go to the Tournament for three consecutive seasons.
The early accomplishments of this season are even more heartening and noteworthy due to the fact that many of the players who are performing well are those who were recruited by O'Connor and his staff. During the past two seasons, Virginia's success was fueled by stars such as Ryan Zimmerman, Jeff Kamrath, Matt Avery, Joe Koshansky and Andrew Dobies who were all brought to Charlottesville by Womack. This year, however, the number of remaining Womack recruits can be counted on one hand and the Cavaliers have not missed a beat. Recruiting is the key to long-term viability in any college sport and O'Connor has proven his acumen on the recruiting trail.
Sophomores Sean Doolittle and Brandon Guyer along with freshmen David Adams and Jeremy Farrell compose a formidable heart of the order for a Virginia team that has averaged nine runs per contest thus far this season. Adams, who has taken over the starting role at second base, was highly recruited out of Grandview Prep in Florida and has lived up to the hype. He is batting in the cleanup position for the Cavaliers and leads the team with three home runs. Farrell has posted a blistering .472 batting average and has solidly filled the void left at third base by the early departure of Zimmerman to the MLB draft.
Another newcomer who has flourished for Virginia is junior college transfer Brandon Marsh. Marsh spent his first two years of collegiate eligibility at Young Harris Junior College in Georgia before being plucked away by O'Connor. The right fielder leads Virginia with a .517 batting average and provided several key offensive contributions during the Clemson series, most notably Friday evening's game-winning sacrifice fly as well as four hits in Sunday's finale.
O'Connor was also able to add speed to his lineup in the form of shortstop Greg Miclat. Miclat seems to have inherited the role of diminutive middle infielder from the departed Kyle Werman. Yet, what separates Miclat from Werman is Miclat's blazing speed on the base path. He is tied for the team lead with nine stolen bases.
After coaching for two years primarily with players that he inherited, O'Connor has brilliantly molded a program in a fashion that conforms to his strategic philosophy -- emphasizing pitching and defense as well as a small-ball offensive approach.
The mark of a great coach is his ability to recruit in addition to winning ball games. O'Connor has done both so far and that is something for Virginia fans to be enthusiastic about.
Read More
With 10 games left in the regular season, Virginia baseball must be near-perfect
By Emory Huffman , Xander Tilock and Ryan Weiner | 12 hours agoVirginia has reached the witching hour.
Live tracker: the men’s basketball offseason
By Michael Liebermann , Emory Huffman and Xander Tilock | 21 hours agoA frenetic offseason likely awaits.
For Virginia softball, the map to victory is clear — it’s also on the wall
By Cierra Lyles | YesterdayA team tradition inspires a culture of success.
