The Virginia baseball team is finally gearing up for a homestand, hosting its first ACC series at Davenport Field against Miami this weekend.
"Home is huge," sophomore starting pitcher Andrew Carraway said. "The atmosphere here is awesome. We've been at Wake and at UNC and those were tough places to play. The fans are awesome here and will really give us a lift."
Miami is coming off an excellent year during which it reached the College World Series. But this year has been trying for the Hurricanes, which graduated many players last year. The young team is having trouble competing in the competitive ACC: the Hurricanes currently stand at 14-10 (2-4 ACC) and fell out of the latest ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll.
Miami ranks a middling eighth in the conference with a .290 batting average and seventh in pitching with a 4.12 earned run average. Despite its struggles, Miami is still a dangerous team. Its leading hitter, sophomore first baseman Yonder Alonso, boasts a .373 batting average and a .500 on-base percentage with six home runs and 27 runs batted in. Other key contributors in the lineup include freshman third baseman Mark Sobolewski, who is hitting .343, and sophomore first baseman Dennis Raben, who has belted four home runs already this season.
Miami's pitching staff is led by redshirt sophomore starter Jason Santana, who boasts a 4-0 record and 1.42 ERA. The Hurricanes, however, also have a dependable relief pitcher in redshirt freshman David Gutierrez. The reliever is 1-0 this season with a 0.66 ERA in 10 appearances.
Beyond hitting and pitching, Miami is also capable of doing little things to win ballgames, such as base-running.
"They run the bases very well," Virginia coach Brian O'Connor said. "They've got a lot of stolen bases, so we've got to keep them off the bases as much as possible. If we come out and play like we did [last] weekend, we'll be in good shape and we'll have a chance to win each game."
One way for Virginia to keep Hurricane runners off the base paths is to continue its strong relief pitching. Cavalier relievers have been finding success of late, compiling an overall 1.34 ERA. The bullpen is led by senior closer Casey Lambert, who holds a 1.80 ERA and has notched four saves. Virginia is also swinging the bat well, with three regulars in the starting lineup with on-base percentages over .500, led by sophomore infielder Greg Miclat's .526.
Virginia, however, has been hampered by a few injuries. Miclat is battling a hurt shoulder and will share time with junior Sean Doolittle at first base, playing first only when Doolittle pitches and handling designated hitter duties when he doesn't. Sophomore infielder Jeremy Farrell, who has posted a .514 on-base percentage and twelve RBIs thus far this season, is still hampered by an arm injury. He is believed to still be weeks away from a return.
The showdown with the Hurricanes will be the perfect test for Virginia to demonstrate their resilience in spite of the injuries. The game will not only show how the Cavaliers fare against a solid opponent, but also how deep coach O'Connor's bench goes.
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