With the men's basketball successful season now complete and the focus shifting almost exclusively to spring sports, there is no clear answer as to which sport is king of the season. There doesn't necessarily need to be a single major sport at a particular time, but if we can be real for a second, there's no doubt that in each season one sport trumps the others. Football dominates the fall and men's basketball rules the winter, but without a true revenue sport in the spring, the decision comes down to baseball and men's lacrosse.
The previous sentence is written with apologies to the other spring sports, especially the No. 2 men's tennis team which stands at 13-4 and the defending ACC champion women's lacrosse team, which is 7-1 this season (as of yesterday) and ranked in the top five nationally. I am not trying to drive students away from these other spring sports, but it would be difficult to argue they receive as much fan attention as baseball and men's lacrosse.
Student (and overall) interest in Virginia baseball has been steadily rising since the completion of the new ballpark in 2002 and the team's three straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Men's lacrosse has built and maintained a great following thanks to its historically strong program and its recent success (three national championships in the past eight years).
Another major reason these two sports have the right to duke it out for supremacy is that unlike football in recent years and the mediocre winter sports.
Men's lacrosse is coming off of an incredible 17-0 national championship season. The team currently is ranked No. 6 in the country and has won six straight games, including ones against No. 11 Syracuse and No. 8 Princeton.
The baseball team (19-4) is currently ranked No. 5 after an impressive series win at North Carolina over the weekend. The 2006 campaign was a success that saw the Hoos take third place in the ACC regular season and receive the opportunity to host a regional in the NCAA Tournament. They also completed a three-game sweep against No. 2 Clemson and a 2-1 series win against No. 1 North Carolina last year. So far this season, Virginia has compiled a 20-4 record, knocked off No. 1 UNC twice and climbed to No. 5 in the national rankings.
So which sport holds the edge in terms of becoming the focus of the spring season? In addition to the success on the field, each sport definitely has star power. Baseball is led by pitcher/first baseman junior Sean Doolittle, the reigning ACC player of the year and an all-American, sophomore shortstop Greg Miclat (leading the team in hitting at .446) and senior closer Casey Lambert, the all-time Virginia leader in saves.
The lacrosse team sports junior attack-man Ben Rubeor (who leads the nation with 26 goals, 7 of which came in a game against Towson) and senior goalie Kip Turner (all-time U.Va. leader in goals allowed average).
Game play is one of the most important deciding factors in this discussion and is one of the only areas where the two sports differ from a fan's perspective. Lacrosse is fast-paced, with action moving up and down the field frantically and goals (usually) being scored frequently. Baseball, on the other hand, is played at a much slower pace. There is more starting and stopping between pitches and plays, and the action is much more deliberate.
The contrasting game paces directly correlate to the fan atmosphere of each sport. Because lacrosse games are so fast-paced, it's harder to take your eye off of the action even for a second without the risk of missing a goal or a great play. Many students prefer the frenetic rate, comparable to basketball or hockey, at which the majority of lacrosse games (a.k.a. those without Princeton involved) are played.
To the contrary, baseball games have a more laid-back feel in the stands. Much like soccer matches, and to some extent football games (with the downtime in between plays), taking in a game at Davenport Field can be a much more social event. Though fans can definitely get into the action, the slower pace of baseball can support a less attentive demeanor from spectators as well. Some argue that without as much action baseball games are boring, but one cannot overlook the sense of suspense that builds throughout the game when exciting plays occur and the game reaches its final innings.
The two sports are pretty even in terms of team success and star power. As such, there is no definitive way to distinguish the sports from a general sports fan's perspective. Rather, it really comes down to whether you like baseball or lacrosse more than the other or whether you prefer a more intense or laid-back atmosphere derived from game pace.
So whether you decide to spend most of your time at Davenport or Klöckner (or Boar's Head), the important thing is to keep up the support for the Hoos into the spring season.
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