No. 12 seed Virginia baseball saw its season come to an end Sunday afternoon at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb. in a 7-3 loss to No. 8 seed Florida State. The Cavaliers (46-17, 18-12 ACC) faced elimination from the College World Series after a 3-2 walkoff loss to No. 4 seed North Carolina placed them in the loser’s bracket of their group Friday. In a must-win situation, Virginia saw similar results to its exit from the ACC Tournament, also at the hands of the Seminoles (48-16, 17-12 ACC), in which it was overpowered on both sides of the ball. With the loss, the Cavaliers have now been swept out of two consecutive College World Series and have won just one game in their last three trips to Omaha since 2021.
Florida State junior pitcher Carson Dorsey successfully navigated the top of Virginia’s lineup in the top of the first despite relenting two early singles. The Cavaliers’ uncharacteristic failure to convert offensive opportunities carried over from Friday’s loss into Sunday’s contest as the inning ended in part due to a successful Seminole pickoff.
Meanwhile, Virginia turned to junior pitcher Jay Woolfolk on the mound after consecutive heroic outings in the Regional and Super Regional rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Woolfolk’s performance was crisp in the bottom of the first, striking out two batters in a quick frame.
The top of the second brought more spoiled offensive potential for the Cavaliers as a one-out double from sophomore outfielder Harrison Didawick failed to translate into runs. Woolfolk was perfect through two, aided by a phenomenal catch by Didawick which kept the game gridlocked at 0-0.
However, momentum began to tilt in Florida State’s favor in the third inning. After Dorsey retired the side in the top of the inning with ease, Woolfolk’s control wavered. With two outs and two runners on base, Woolfolk allowed back-to-back walks, bringing around the first run for the Seminoles before he could induce a fielder’s choice to mitigate the damage.
Dorsey again cruised through the heart of Virginia’s batting order in the top of the fourth, retiring his eighth straight batter to conclude the inning. Woolfolk returned for the bottom of the fourth but missed his spot badly pitching to junior outfielder Jaime Ferrer, who launched a long drive to left field to bring the score to 2-0. Woolfolk showed discomfort on the mound after the missed pitch, likely still feeling lingering effects from a knee issue which showed itself in the Super Regional as well. Though he attempted to work through the pain, Woolfolk exited the game after walking the next batter. Graduate pitcher Joe Savino entered to relieve him and induced a double play to keep the game close.
Dorsey put a few runners on base for the Cavaliers in the top of the fifth, but once more the bats stayed quiet with runners in scoring position. Meanwhile, the game broke open in the bottom half of the inning for the Seminoles, who recorded four runs, all of which were scored with two outs. A crucial misplay in right field kept the inning alive, and it was capped off by an emphatic three-run home run — again by Ferrer — to extend the Seminole lead to 6-0.
Virginia again stranded runners in scoring position to begin the sixth inning, while Savino allowed another solo home run for the Seminoles before he was relieved by graduate pitcher Angelo Tonas. Tonas cleanly finished the inning, but the Cavaliers now trailed 7-0.
While it came too little and too late, Virginia finally capitalized on offensive opportunities in the top of the seventh inning as Dorsey’s pitch count climbed higher. Back-to-back RBI singles from sophomore infielder Henry Godbout and junior outfielder Casey Saucke made the score 7-2, though both batters were left stranded themselves. On the other side of the ball, Tonas quickly ended the bottom of the seventh.
Graduate catcher Jacob Ference started off the eighth with a base hit to finally end Dorsey’s dominant day. After advancing on a wild pitch, Ference scored on an RBI double from junior outfielder Anthony Stephan to bring Virginia a step closer at 7-3. Freshman relief pitcher Matt Augustin took the mound in the bottom of the eighth, working efficiently to give the Cavaliers one last chance to make a comeback, though they were still down four runs.
Though Godbout walked with one out in the top of the ninth, a subsequent line drive by Saucke to shortstop induced a double play, and Virginia’s season came to a close.
Several factors can be pointed to while evaluating Virginia’s disappointing exit from Omaha — Woolfolk’s untimely injury and departure, Ferrer’s impressive day at the plate and Friday’s decision to pitch to North Carolina’s junior outfielder Vance Honeycutt in the ninth inning. However, the Cavaliers’ greatest strength this season has been timely and consistent hitting — usually by program stalwarts such as junior infielder Griff O’Ferrall and Didawick. Timely hitting with runners in scoring position was something they sorely lacked when it mattered most, as Virginia stranded 19 total runners in Omaha.
“Sometimes the game can be tough and cruel to you like it was this weekend,” Coach Brian O’Connor said. “[That] doesn’t take away from the season that Virginia baseball had and who we will be moving forward.”
Looking ahead, though a few exceptional talents like O’Ferrall will likely explore their opportunities at the professional level, young stars like freshman infielder Henry Ford have a bright future in Charlottesville. O’Connor — who recently signed a contract extension through 2031 — has the program in exceptional condition. Three trips to Omaha in the past four seasons is a luxury that few college baseball fans are able to experience. However, next year will mark a decade since the Cavaliers won the 2015 National Championship. The 2025 squad will be burdened, fairly or not, with the weight of past seasons’ shortcomings come next June.
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