The Virginia baseball team travels to Richmond today to take on VCU at The Diamond. Virginia (29-7, 10-5 ACC) is coming off a two out of three series victory against Duke (22-13, 3-12 ACC) last weekend, Virginia's fourth consecutive ACC win. Duke managed to bag Saturday's game with four runs in the fourth inning, adding five in the fifth alone."I was disappointed in [Saturday] night's loss just because of the way that we played," Virginia coach Brian O'Connor said. "I felt like we played soft, and we can't play the game that way. That's not what got us to this point in this program. They put us on our heels a little bit [Saturday] and I thought we didn't handle it real well, but I thought we came back [Sunday] and played the game the right way."Junior left-handed pitcher Sean Doolittle pitched well Sunday. The southpaw allowed just one unearned run, four hits and a walk during six innings. O'Connor went to the bullpen for the final three innings, tapping junior Michael Schwimer for two scoreless innings. Senior Casey Lambert came in for the final inning to secure the victory. The two allowed only three hits in their three innings of work.
"Even though you're in the ACC and you're playing against tough teams, they did surprise us a little bit with the way they kept after it, their intensity level, their fight," Doolittle said. "They weren't giving up all weekend long; they played very hard. Their ACC record does not reflect how good of a team they are."Doolittle said Duke's recent record made the win that much sweeter."It's a little bit more of a sense of accomplishment to see the teams that they've beaten the past two weeks -- Georgia Tech and Florida State -- knowing that they have that caliber a ball club that can beat teams like that," he said. "They're a very good ball club. For us to bounce back today like we did is something that I'm really excited about."Junior Brandon Guyer, the most dominant offensive force in Virginia's lineup, went two for four with a two-run homerun. Guyer also managed two runs and three RBIs. The home run was his third in the last four games."I'm just trying to put the ball in play -- just trying to simplify things," Guyer said. "[I'm] not trying to do too much, just whatever I can to help the team. That's what I've been doing, and it worked out so far, and the team's been winning."Guyer's hitting streak is now to 21 games, the longest of his career. The streak passes sophomore Greg Miclat's previous team high of 20."[Guyer] has really stepped up for us all year; he's our leading hitter," O'Connor said. "He hit two big home runs this weekend. He's a tough player, he's going to make the diving catches and he's turned himself into a really good outfielder."Freshman left-handed pitcher Jeff Lorick is set to pitch today's game on the Virginia side while VCU has not yet formally announced its starting pitcher. Freshman Phillip Deane, who led the Rams on the mounds for its last two mid-week games versus Richmond and VMI, remains a probable starting candidate.VCU stands 19-13 overall and 17-6 on their home field. First baseman Jared Bolden has performed well offensively for the Rams, hitting .437 with a .627 slugging percentage.
Bolden has also served as pitcher for two innings this season. The game is set to begin at 7 p.m.
Read More
Virginia baseball has an ace up its sleeve and in its bullpen — Dean Kampschror
By Xander Tilock | 20 hours agoThe senior pitcher is exactly what the Cavaliers need to succeed in 2025.
Wrestling gets blown out 34-9 on long road trip to Stanford
By Ryan Weiner | 2 days agoSolid performances from its most reliable trio were not enough for Virginia.
Freshman excellence powers No. 5 men’s tennis past Boise State, No. 19 Alabama
By Thomas Baxter | 2 days agoVirginia, unlike many other regional hosts, held serve as its quartet's top seed.
