It's always nice to win a series against a quality opponent. However, as Virginia baseball coach Brian O'Connor knows, Sunday's win against Wake Forest might prove to be even more crucial down the line.
"It was a critical series win for us because Wake Forest is a team that could be in contention for an at-large bid too at the end of the year," O'Connor said. "It's important to try to win every series that you have a chance to [win] because who knows at the end of the year how it's going to shake out and who you are going to be in contention with for the spots in the conference tournament."
With a newly expanded 12-team Atlantic Coast Conference, there have been some changes in the formatting of the ACC tournament. Unlike in past years, when every team played in the tournament, only eight teams will get a chance to participate in Jacksonville this year. The two top teams in the Atlantic and Coastal Divisions -- Virginia is a member of the Coastal Division -- automatically qualify for the tournament while the other four teams are determined only on the basis of winning percentage in the ACC, regardless of divisional affiliation.
It doesn't help Virginia's cause that three ACC heavyweights -- Georgia Tech, Miami and North Carolina -- are in their division. Virginia has already lost two out of three games to Georgia Tech, and they still have to travel to Coral Gables to take on Miami with its notoriously rowdy fans. North Carolina's lethal one-two starting pitching combination of Andrew Miller and Daniel Bard is also still on tap. Obviously, sweeping previously second-ranked Clemson is huge for Virginia, but Virginia can take some things from this game that could prove to be very crucial for the rest of the season.
First, they showed that they can mash even at Davenport Field, a field that is arguably the best pitcher's park in the ACC even with the left-field fence moved in 17 feet from last year. Freshman second baseman David Adams's three-run home run in the bottom of the first was a product of the new left-field fence, but outfielder Brandon Guyer's home run was a no-doubter as it hit off the scoreboard in left field. When North Carolina's quality arms come to town, even with Virginia's ability to manufacture runs, that might come in handy.
Second, senior starting pitcher Mike Ballard showed that he has rebounded from some shaky starts that he had recently against Clemson and Georgia Tech. His complete game effort in which he allowed eight hits while only allowing one earned run and striking out eight was an excellent performance. To win games in the ACC, three quality starters are absolutely crucial. With Sean Doolittle, freshman Jacob Thompson and Ballard, Virginia has that element to win big.
Third, even though they jumped out to a 5-0 lead, Virginia did not let up, allowing only two more runs and scoring five more after that. With the heavy hitters that teams in the ACC possess, keeping focus for all nine innings is necessary for success. With the coaches and leadership this team has, they look to have that under control.
Along with its critical Coastal Division affairs, Virginia also has series against N.C. State, Boston College and a Maryland team that has improved from last year. Not playing Florida State is a big break, but Virginia will still have their work cut out for them against the Atlantic Division.
Right now, I think Georgia Tech and North Carolina will finish at the top of the Coastal, with Florida State and Clemson ending up one-two in the Atlantic. The final four teams in my opinion will be -- in no particular order -- N.C. State, Wake Forest, Virginia and Miami. With eight teams that likely will have been ranked at one point in the season, the ACC tournament will be a toss-up. But, with the elements that Virginia possesses, not only can they get into the tournament; they can hoist the ACC trophy for the first time since 1996.
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