The Virginia baseball team looks to continue its run as the only undefeated team in Division I at least one more week as it welcomes Marshall and Canisius to Davenport Field this week.
The Cavaliers have been nothing short of dominant this season, as Virginia (15-0, 4-0 ACC) opened its season with an average margin of victory of more than nine runs. This figure suggests the well-rounded excellence, both on defense and offense, that the Cavaliers have demonstrated thus far. As a team, the Cavaliers are hitting .400 and slugging an astronomical .604. Though Virginia’s numbers will likely decrease as the bulk of ACC play begins, the current marks are almost staggering. Were the season to end right now, the Cavaliers would surpass last year’s NCAA-best team total batting average by .045 and would have the nation’s second-best slugging percentage.
Attempting to cool off Virginia bats first this week is Marshall. The Thundering Herd (7-8) has struggled to find consistent results so far. Marshall has yet to win more than two games in a row but just won a series against Youngstown State. Despite its inconsistency, Marshall has a few key players who could spell trouble for the Cavaliers’ win streak. Two underclassmen, freshman infielder Thor Meeks and sophomore outfielder Ben Jurevicius, lead the way for Marshall. Meeks is leading the squad in home runs with four and slugging percentage with an excellent .690. Jurevicius, a speedy outfielder with three steals this season, is leading the Herd with a .400 average.
After hosting Marshall, the Cavaliers will greet the Golden Griffins of Canisius College. The Griffins (6-7), despite struggling through the early portion of their schedule, have shown improvement during the past several days and enter their matchup with the Cavaliers riding a three-game winning streak. Canisius has the benefit of strong senior leader outfielder Connor Burke, who holds the Griffins’ second-best batting average and on base percentage. The Griffins also have several emerging players who are growing in skill and confidence as the season progresses — and may give the Cavaliers some problems. At bat, sophomore infielder Steven McQuail is near the top of all major categories for the Griffins with a .364 batting average and a .614 slugging percentage, while fellow sophomore Josh Marshall leads the pitching staff with two of the team’s six wins.
The Cavaliers, therefore, despite the impressive start to their season, cannot disregard their latest opponents. An overall improvement in batting power has been the key to the Cavaliers’ success, as they have already slugged 17 home runs in comparison to the 25 totaled last year. Even after losing their two top home run hitters from last season — Jeremy Farrell and David Adams — the Cavaliers are on track to easily surpass last year’s power output.
Virginia coach Brian O’Connor is well aware of the hard work his players put in to produce such impressive statistics.
“[The 17 home run mark] is pretty amazing,” O’Connor said. “Losing a couple of guys who were supposed to be our power hitters last year, that shows off-season, last summer, how guys like Jarrett Parker, and Franco Valdes and Danny Grovatt worked really hard. That’s what it takes to improve as a player, and it’s showing for those guys.”
Although Virginia has batted with power, it has shown balance at the plate as well. If the Cavaliers continue this level of play, they will surpass last season’s totals in doubles, triples and hits. In addition, every starter has an on base percentage of more than .400. Sophomore utility player Dan Grovatt, who is leading the team’s starters in batting average, said he is similarly impressed with the current level of play.
“It’s awesome, “ Grovatt said. “It’s a lot of fun to be a part of. Up and down the order, I can’t really tell you what’s going on.”
The Cavaliers must not overlook their midweek opponents as they strive to keep up their torrid pace. They will, however, take this final midweek tune-up to enjoy their historic start before powerhouse Miami comes to town and the heavy portion of their ACC schedule begins.
“Right now, it’s rolling for everybody,” Grovatt said. “It’s a lot of fun.”
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