Boy, is it good to be back in Charlottesville. I saw the lights on at Scott Stadium a few nights ago and started thinking about how great it is to welcome back college football ...\nBut wait. This column is about baseball. Yes, that's right. In the midst of preseason football hype, with opening day in less than two weeks, a new spread offense, new coaches, and all that, I want to talk baseball.\nI am sure you have read - and will continue to read - dozens of articles about the Virginia football team as we head into the season, but I doubt you've recently read anything about the baseball program here at Virginia. Lest any of us forget, the Cavaliers advanced to Omaha this summer, marking Virginia's first appearance at the College World Series in school history. The Cavaliers finished No. 5 in the country after an impressive run to the eight-team World Series.\nThis is a very, very big deal. As an avid baseball fan, I wish that the College World Series received even a quarter of the national spotlight given to the Elite Eight round in the NCAA Basketball tournament. If it did, millions more people would know just how good Virginia baseball was last year and, what's more, how good it will be this coming season.\nThe reason I am so excited about this subject is because of an outrageous statistic: Virginia will return 26 of the 32 players from last season's roster that finished third in the nation in win-loss percentage. In fact, only four members of last season's roster were seniors, two of whom were drafted - pitchers Andrew Carraway and Robert Poutier, who combined for a 12-2 record with 125 strikeouts in 127.2 innings. Two Cavaliers, pitchers Matt Packer, who led the NCAA in ERA in 2008, and Jeff Lorick, who held a 2-1 record in seven starts in 2009, signed pro contracts after being drafted as juniors.\nOtherwise, the rest of the Virginia pitching staff returns along with an offense that finished second in the ACC with 507 runs in 65 games. Virginia also led the ACC with 119 stolen bases - good for the 11th highest total in the country
Read More
No. 24 women’s soccer not to be denied in late win over Clemson
By Sam Chun | 7 minutes agoThe Cavaliers topped Clemson 1-0 in front of a packed out Klöckner Stadium.
Men’s soccer, totally discombobulated, capitulates early to No. 5 Pittsburgh
By Michael Liebermann | 1 hours agoPittsburgh set a program record for the quickest cluster of three goals.
No. 4 field hockey shut out for first time of season in defeat at No. 2 North Carolina
By Eleanor Lynch | 14 hours agoThe Cavalier offense had its worst outing of the season as they were once again defeated by the rival Tar Heels.
