Coming off of consecutive invitational tournaments in which No. 10 Virginia baseball struggled to establish an offensive identity and execute in timely situations, the Cavaliers (4-3, 0-0 ACC) returned to Disharoon Park Tuesday to take on Virginia Military Institute. Virginia won a close fight over the Keydets (7-1, 0-0 SoCon), and handed them their first loss of the season — with a final score of 6-4.
A key reason for victory was a solid offensive performance. The Cavalier offense totaled 11 hits, with seven of nine starters collecting a hit and junior utilityman Chris Arroyo leading the way with three hits of his own — including a go-ahead grand slam in the second inning.
Returning from an arm injury suffered in preseason, junior pitcher Evan Blanco made his season debut for Virginia. Unfortunately, Blanco failed to establish a rhythm, as junior outfielder Owen Prince led off the game with a single before stealing second and eventually scoring on an RBI single to left from sophomore designated hitter Cole Raile.
Blanco only went one inning as he was on a strict pitch count following his ramp-up from injury — exiting the game after the first after allowing three hits and one earned run on 25 pitches.
Although his appearance was brief, Blanco’s appearance was a welcome sight as the Cavaliers will lean on him to be the anchor of this rotation as the season progresses.
In the bottom half of the first, Virginia put the pressure on its opponent with three consecutive singles. Sophomore infielder Eric Becker, junior infielder Henry Godbout, and Arroyo loaded the bases for Virginia before freshman pitcher Peyton Dhein ultimately retired the side in consecutive fashion to escape the inning.
Graduate pitcher Wes Arrington took over in the second for the Cavaliers, giving up a walk and a hit before the Keydets showcased tremendous situational hitting and baserunning. A sacrifice bunt from freshman infielder Max Perry moved runners over before junior infielder Kazuya Jordan manufactured a run-down in the infield that allowed freshman infielder Ayden Schnarrs to score and give VMI a 2-0 lead.
Similarly to Blanco, Dhein struggled to go the distance. After escaping the jam in the first, Dhein worked around traffic to retire two batters in the second before exiting for senior pitcher Roberto Velasquez.
Down 2-0 and looking for a spark, the Cavaliers loaded the bases again in the second, this time capitalizing on the situation. Arroyo, in his first game at Disharoon Park, launched a pitch into the Virginia bullpen through a go-ahead grand slam to put the Cavaliers ahead 4-2. The swing seemingly lifted a weight off of the backs of a Cavalier squad that has been put to the test early in 2025.
“Just putting my team out in front and helping them win, I felt really good when I hit it,” Arroyo said. “I was just happy from there.”
Following his heroic efforts at the plate, Arroyo looked to make a continued impact for the Cavaliers as he took the mound for the third inning. However, he struggled to locate his pitches. Arroyo walked two batters and hit Raile with a pitch before an RBI groundout from senior catcher Ryan Peterson pulled the Keydets within two.
The Cavaliers then turned to their fourth pitcher of the game in just the third inning, looking for some semblance of length and consistency in junior right-hander Kevin Jaxel.
Jaxel delivered and then some for Virginia — going over three innings and allowing zero earned runs. He gave up only one hit and struck out four Keydets in the process. Jaxel lowered his season earned run average to 1.80.
“I thought Jaxel was outstanding in the middle of the game,” Coach Brian O’Connor said. “He held the game for us and gave us a little bit of length.”
Looking to extend their lead, the Cavaliers took an aggressive offensive approach in the home side of the fifth. Junior catcher Trey Wells led off the inning with a single before advancing to second on a bunt single from junior outfielder Harrison Didawick. A sacrifice bunt from junior infielder Luke Hanson then moved both runners over and put Virginia in a prime position to score.
Fortunately for the Cavaliers, an errant throw allowed both Wells and Didawick to come around and score. Suddenly, Virginia held a 6-3 lead and firm control over the game.
At the same time, VMI’s offense slowed down in the middle innings after initially showcasing a successful small-ball approach. Jaxel and senior arm Blake Barker shut down the Keydets offense through the seventh inning.
Junior right-hander Joe Colucci entered in the eighth for Virginia with a not-so-warm welcome from the VMI bats. Junior infielder Grayson Fitzwater led off the inning with a triple off of the center field fence before scoring on a deep flyout from sophomore utilityman Bradley Garner.
Colucci continued to give up loud contact as Peterson roped a single through the right side — before Didawick made the best defensive play of the game for Virginia. Didawick utilized the entirety of his 6-foot-4 frame to reach over the left field fence and take away a potential game-tying two-run home run from sophomore infielder Seth Buchanan, preserving the Cavaliers’ 6-4 lead.
Following a successful home opener in what Virginia hopes to be the spark of continued success, the Cavaliers will welcome Dartmouth to Disharoon Park this weekend in their first home series of the 2025 season. Game one is Friday, with the first pitch at 3 p.m. — and will be streamed on ACCNX. For added motivation, sophomore pitcher Drew Koenen, who has allowed zero runs in six innings out of the bullpen, transferred from Dartmouth this offseason.
Heading into the weekend series, Virginia has yet to display its usual dominance — but defeating a previously unbeaten VMI squad could fuel a surge of momentum.
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