Coming into the season, the expectations surrounding No. 2 Virginia baseball were incredibly high. Yet, the Cavaliers (0-1, 0-0 ACC) failed to match up with them after losing to Michigan 5-4 when an extra innings error spoiled the season opener.
A key reason why extra innings were even necessary is that it took Virginia time to get rolling. While junior infielder Henry Godbout singled to centerfield, the Cavaliers went runless in the first inning. However, Michigan wasted no time getting active.
A single from graduate infielder Benny Casillas followed by a walk for graduate infielder Junior Ybarra meant the pressure was on for senior pitcher Jay Woolfolk. Casillas scored promptly following a double off the right field wall from junior infielder Mitch Voit. Ybarra would also score in the first from a sacrifice groundout off the bat of sophomore infielder Colby Turner. Just one inning in, Virginia was losing by multiple runs.
Sophomore pitcher Dylan Vigue was stellar for the Wolverines (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten), inducing weak contact and being efficient. Through three innings, the Cavaliers only had three hits and were not the power-hitting juggernauts they have been made out to be. It also did not help that Michigan was very disciplined at the plate, making Woolfolk work hard for every out in the field.
Poor situational hitting also cost Virginia key opportunities. In the third inning, sophomore infielder Eric Becker was stranded on third after he opened an inning with a double. Just the next inning, junior infielder Luke Hanson grounded into a double play that took out the two runners the Cavaliers got on base that inning.
Junior outfielder Aidan Teel was a highlight for Virginia at the plate though, as he went 2-5 with two singles. Teel also used a delayed steal in the fourth inning to score Hanson, cutting the Cavalier deficit down to one run. Becker was also a star for Virginia, hitting two doubles and a single to open up innings on the right foot.
The Cavaliers finally tied the game back up in the fifth inning when junior infielder Chris Arroyo, who was born in Puerto Rico, hit a single up the middle to score Becker. While Virginia stranded another two runners that inning, it was a sign that the offense was due for a breakthrough.
Woolfolk would exit the game in the fifth inning after throwing just 77 pitches, allowing six hits and two runs. The Cavaliers would turn to lefty graduate pitcher Matt Lanzendorfer after Woolfolk left the game. Lanzendorfer would immediately shut down a budding Michigan big inning. On the other side, Vigue would go into the sixth inning before being pulled. He also allowed six hits and two runs. The Wolverines would go to sophomore lefty pitcher Wyatt Novara after Vigue was done. Like Lanzendorfer, Novara came in and immediately got to work by striking out the first two batters he faced.
Despite Lanzendorfer’s solid effort, the Virginia bullpen was an overall disappointment. Junior pitcher Joe Colucci came in for the sixth inning and promptly let up a two-run home run to graduate catcher Matt Spear. This set back all the progress the Cavaliers made, and put a dent in Virginia’s victory hopes. Colucci would continue to struggle his entire outing, and only made it 1.2 innings before being replaced by senior lefty Blake Barker on the mound.
Fortunately, Arroyo was ready to make an impression for his home crowd. He torched a pitch over the fence in right field to tie the score back up 4-4 going into the bottom of the seventh inning. The Cavalier lineup was proving resilient, but it would have to finish strong to defeat Michigan.
The Wolverine bullpen was strong in the final innings. Freshman pitcher Grant Bradley produced quality outs before being replaced by graduate southpaw Cade Connolly, who did the same. A throw from Spear caught a Virginia runner stealing, which killed all eighth inning momentum. Fortunately, junior pitcher Ryan Osinski was able to slam the door on Michigan in the penultimate inning as well, leaving the game all up to the ninth inning.
With the game on the line, the Cavaliers did not show up. The first three batters went down with little resistance, giving the Wolverines a chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth. While Michigan got a runner on third, they failed to score which sent the game to extra innings.
In the 10th inning, both teams again failed to produce a hit or a run. While Virginia went scoreless in the 11th inning, the same could not be said for the Wolverines, who won the game off of an error from sophomore infielder Antonio Perrotta.
The defeat to an unranked opponent is a terrible way for the Cavaliers to open their 2025 campaign. Michigan is not supposed to be a quality opponent by any means, yet Virginia failed to score runs when necessary and wasted a solid outing from Woolfolk. For a team with national championship aspirations, this was an utter disaster of a game. While there is a long time left in the season, building momentum in the non-conference slate is critical to a successful season.
The Cavaliers will be back in action Saturday when they will look for redemption against Villanova. The game starts at 7 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.
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