Story Links
LAST TIME THEY MET: Virginia dropped a 6-5 decision to the N.C. State Wolfpack in the 2002 ACC Tournament the last time the two teams met back on May 23, 2002 at Florida Power Park in St. Petersburg, Fla. The loss ended UVa’s 2002 season. The Cavaliers were 0-4 against the Wolfpack last year after NCSU also swept UVa three games to none in the ACC regular-season series on May 17-18, 2002 in Raleigh, N.C. The Wolfpack defeated the Cavaliers 10-2, 12-7 and 10-8 in that series. The last time N.C. State was in Charlottesville, Va. for a three-game series (March 23-25, 2001), Virginia defeated NCSU two game to one. The Cavaliers won the first game 8-7 on March 23rd and defeated the Wolfpack 10-2 in the second contest on March 24th before falling 10-3 in the final match of the three-game series on March 25th. UVa ended up 2-2 that season against NCSU after falling to N.C. State by the score of 6-2 on May 18, 2001 in the ACC Tournament. Again, that loss ended UVa’s season.
N.C. STATE HAS ENDED VIRGINIA’S LAST TWO SEASONS IN SIMILAR FASHION: Virginia’s last two seasons (2001 & 2002) have ended in nearly identical fashion. In 2001, N.C. State defeated UVa in the ACC Tournament by scoring six runs in a 6-2 NCSU victory that ended Virginia’s season with 25 wins (25-31 overall). In 2002, N.C. State again defeated UVa in the ACC Tournament by scoring six runs in a 6-5 NCSU victory that again ended Virginia’s season with 25 wins (25-32 overall).
CAVALIERS’ PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION FOR N.C. STATE: Virginia is expected to pitch Andrew Dobies (LHP) on Friday, Chris Gale (RHP) on Saturday and Joe Koshansky (LHP) on Sunday when UVa faces the #14 ranked N.C. State Wolfpack on April 18-20. Here is a closer look at UVa’s probable pitching rotation:
Date Pitcher (throws) Record ERA SOApril 18 Andrew Dobies (LHP) 6-0 3.26 51April 19 Chris Gale (RHP) 2-3 5.03 21April 20 Joe Koshansky (LHP) 5-0 1.64 28
CAVALIERS TO PLAY NINE GAMES IN TEN DAYS STARTING WITH N.C. STATE SERIES: Beginning with its three-game series with N.C. State on April 18-20, Virginia will play nine games in ten consecutive days. The only day UVa is not playing a game, it will be on the road traveling to Winston-Salem, N.C. for an ACC series against Wake Forest. After Virginia’s three contests with NCSU, the Cavaliers will host Virginia Tech on April 21 and George Mason on April 22 before traveling to Salem, Va. to face Virginia Tech again on April 23 on a neutral field. UVa will then travel to Winston-Salem on its only off day of the week and a half span (April 24th) before playing three games against the Demon Deacons on April 25, 26 and 27.
VIRGINIA LOSES FIRST GAME OF THE YEAR TO A NON-RANKED OPPONENT: When Virginia lost a 5-3 decision to the Virginia Tech Hokies on April 16th in Blacksburg, Va., it marked the first time all season that UVa lost a game to an opponent that was not ranked in the Top-25. Prior to the UVa/VT contest, all 12 of Virginia’s losses were in games against ranked opponents, including 10 games that were on the road against ranked teams.
BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME: On April 12, 2003 in a game against the #12 Miami Hurricanes, Virginia set a new facility single game attendance record at Davenport Field at the UVa Baseball Stadium when 1,955 spectators turned out to watch the contest. The previous facility record was 1,665 for a game with #5 Wake Forest on April 13, 2002.
DENNIS WOMACK APPROACHING #600: On March 11th, 2000, Dennis Womack coached in his 1,000th career game as a head baseball coach when Virginia faced Eastern Michigan. Four days later (March 15th), Womack recorded his 500th career victory as a head coach when UVa defeated Princeton by the score of 5-2. Just over three years later, Womack is now closing in on 600 career wins. Heading into UVa’s three game-series with N.C. State on April 18-20, Womack needs just 14 victories to reach 600 wins for his career. Womack’s overall coaching record now stands at 586-593-7 through 1186 games.
VIRGINIA’S HOME WINNING STREAK STOPPED AT 16 GAMES: Following its 6-1 loss to #12 Miami on April 11th at Davenport Field at the UVa Baseball Stadium, Virginia’s school-record 16 game home winning streak came to an end. Here is a look at all of Virginia’s home game results:
Opponent Date Result ScoreJames Madison 3/4 W 3-2Navy 3/5 W 12-1Charlotte 3/7 W 3-2Charlotte 3/8 W 3-2Charlotte 3/9 W 11-5#25 UNC-Greensboro 3/11 W 12-5#25 UNC-Greensboro 3/12 W 14-6William & Mary 3/19 W 6-0Duke 3/21 W 13-1Duke 3/22 W 9-2Duke 3/23 W 6-0James Madison 3/25 W 13-3Maryland 3/28 W 6-0Maryland 3/29 W 4-2#16 Richmond 4/1 W 11-4Liberty 4/2 W 3-0#12 Miami 4/11 L 6-1#12 Miami 4/12 L 10-4#12 Miami 4/13 W 17-2
VIRGINIA VS. TOP-25 TEAMS: Virginia stands 5-12 against Top-25 teams on the season. All 12 of UVa’s losses have been to ranked teams, with 10 of those 12 losses coming to Top-25 teams on the road. Here is a look at Virginia vs. the Top-25:
Opponent Ranking Date Result/Score@ Auburn #21 2/14 L, 14-13@ Auburn #21 2/15 L, 5-3@ Auburn #21 2/16 L, 7-5@ Richmond #12 3/3 L, 2-1@ Richmond #12 3/3 L, 2-1UNC-Greensboro #25 3/11 W, 12-5UNC-Greensboro #25 3/12 W, 14-6@ Florida State #4 3/14 L, 9-1@ Florida State #4 3/15 L, 4-0@ Florida State #4 3/16 L, 5-4 (12)Richmond #16 4/1 W, 11-4@ Clemson #20 4/4 L, 9-4@ Clemson #20 4/5 W, 4-1@ Clemson #20 4/6 L, 9-2Miami #12 4/11 L, 6-1Miami #12 4/12 L, 10-4Miami #12 4/13 W, 17-2
VIRGINIA VS. IN-STATE TEAMS: UVa stands 9-3 against teams from within the Commonwealth of Virginia. UVa was 8-8 against in-state opponents last season (2002). Here is a look at Virginia vs. in-state teams:
Opponent Date Result Score@ Liberty 2/24 W 15-5@ Radford 3/2 W 11-0@ #12 Richmond 3/3 L 2-1@ #12 Richmond 3/3 L 2-1James Madison 3/4 W 3-2William & Mary 3/19 W 6-0James Madison 3/25 W 13-3@ James Madison 3/26 W 5-4#16 Richmond 4/1 W 11-4Liberty 4/2 W 3-0Old Dominion 4/15 W 8-3@ Virginia Tech 4/16 L 5-3
CAVALIERS BLOWOUT HURRICANES IN GAME THREE: Despite having its 16-game home winning streak snapped by the #12 Miami Hurricanes after back-to-back losses (6-1 and 10-4) on April 11th and 12th, Virginia posted its largest margin of victory this season over one the best teams it has faced this year by blowing out Miami 17-2 in just seven innings in the final contest of a three-game series. UVa’s 17 runs in seven innings of play was just one run short of the total amount of runs Miami scored in three games combined (18 runs) through a total of 25 innings of play. Virginia outscored Miami 22-18 for the series despite losing two out of the three games.
VIRGINIA WAS THE ACC’S LAST LONE UNBEATEN TEAM AT HOME: Heading into its three-game non-conference series with the Miami Hurricanes (April 11-13), Virginia was the ACC’s lone unbeaten team at home with a perfect 16-0 record at Davenport Field at the UVa Baseball Stadium. However, Miami defeated Virginia for the first time all season in Charlottesville by the score of 6-1 on Friday, April 11.
VIRGINIA HANDS CLEMSON ITS FIRST HOME LOSS OF 2003: Virginia became the ACC’s lone unbeaten team at home on April 5th following UVa’s 4-1 victory over the Clemson Tigers in Clemson, S.C. Prior to the game, Clemson entered the contest with a perfect 16-0 at home and had just defeated Virginia by the score of 9-4 on day early on its home field. UVa, which also held a 16-0 record at home before the start of the contest, put an end to the Tigers’ home-winning streak by pulling out a three-run road victory.
VIRGINIA’S 10-GAME WINNING STREAK COMES TO A HALT: With its 9-4 loss to the Clemson Tigers in Clemson, S.C. on April 4th, Virginia had its 10-game win streak come to and end. The winning streak was UVa’s longest since the Cavaliers posted 10 consecutive wins all the way back in the 1947 season.
VIRGINIA’S RECORD IN SERIES COMPETITIONS: UVa is 5-5 in series competitions (two or three-game series) against its opponents this season. UVa has defeated Duke (3-0), Charlotte (3-0), James Madison (3-0), Maryland (2-0) and UNC-Greensboro (2-0), and has lost to Auburn (3-0), Florida State (3-0), Miami (2-1) Richmond (2-1) and Clemson (2-1).
VIRGINIA RECORDS FIFTH SHUTOUT VICTORY OF THE SEASON: With its 3-0 shutout victory over Liberty on April 2nd, Virginia recorded its fifth shutout victory of the season. Here is a look at all of UVa’s wins and losses by shutout:
Opponent Date Result ScoreLiberty 4/2 W 3-0Maryland 3/28 W 6-0Duke 3/23 W 6-0William & Mary 3/19 W 6-0@ Florida State 3/15 L 4-0@Radford 3/2 W 11-0
MARCH MADNESS: Virginia was red-hot in the month of March. The Cavaliers posted a record of 16-5 overall, including a perfect 14-0 record at Davenport Field at the UVa Baseball Stadium.
JEFF KAMRATH NAMED ACC PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Virginia’s Jeff Kamrath was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Pitcher of the Week. Kamrath, a junior right-hander, pitched the third complete game of his career and his second complete game shutout against Maryland when he went 9.0 scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts in UVa’s 6-0 victory on March 28, 2003. Kamrath also pitched a complete game shutout against Maryland last year on April 5, 2002 in College Park, Md., in a game Virginia won 5-0. Kamrath was joined on the conference honor list by N.C. State’s Jeremy Dutton who was named ACC Player of the Week. For Kamrath, it was the second time in his career he was named the ACC Pitcher of the Week after also being selected on April 29, 2002.
UVA EXCEEDS ITS ENTIRE HOME WIN TOTALS FROM LAST YEAR A THIRD OF THE WAY THROUGH THE SEASON IN 2003: Last year (2002), Virginia finished 11-14 overall at Davenport Field at the UVa Baseball Stadium for the entire season. Just a third of the way through its 2003 season, UVa already eclipsed its entire home win total from last season. With its 13-3 victory over James Madison on March 25th, the win gave the Cavaliers their 12th home win before the month of March even ended.
VIRGINIA IS A PERFECT 8-0 AGAINST TEAMS FROM NORTH CAROLINA: Virginia is a perfect 8-0 against teams from the state of North Carolina following UVa’s three-game sweep over Duke on March 21-23 (13-1, 9-2, 6-0). Virginia also swept Charlotte on March 7-9 (3-2, 3-2, 11-5) and UNC-Greensboro on March 11-12 (12-5, 14-6). Virginia hopes its fortunes can continue against teams from North Carolina when the Cavaliers face remaining conference opponents Wake Forest, North Carolina and N.C. State later this year.
GILLISPIE’S FIRST HOME RUN WAS GRAND!: Entering Virginia’s game with James Madison on March 25, UVa left fielder Paul Gillispie had never hit a collegiate home run at Virginia. But in the bottom of the sixth inning, all of that changed. With the bases loaded, Gillispie sent a ball screaming over the left field wall at Davenport Field at the UVa Baseball Stadium for a grand slam. Gillispie’s grand slam, his first ever home run as a Cavalier, was the first hit by a Virginia player since Mark Reynolds on April 22, 2002 in Fairfax, Va. in UVa’s 14-5 victory over George Mason.
VIRGINIA DEFEATS DUKE 28-3 FOR THE SERIES!: After seeing the combined score for Virginia’s three-game series sweep against the Duke Blue Devils in baseball, one might have thought it was a football score. UVa outscored Duke 28-3 en route to sweeping the Blue Devils three games to none in a three-game ACC series at Davenport Field at the UVa Baseball Stadium on March 21-23. The Cavaliers defeated the Blue Devils 13-1 on Friday March 21st, 9-2 on Saturday March 22nd and shut out Duke 6-0 on Sunday, March 23rd. The three-game ACC series sweep was Virginia’s first since March 22-24, 2002 when UVa swept Duke 3-0 in Durham, N.C. Despite being shutout in the final game of the series, Duke’s 6-0 loss was the closest the Blue Devils finished to Virginia out of all three games in the series.
DOBIES PITCHES UVA’S FIRST COMPLETE GAME SHUTOUT OF 2003: Virginia LHP Andrew Dobies pitched UVa’s first complete game shutout of the 2003 season on March 19th when he guided Virginia to a 6-0 shutout victory over William & Mary at Davenport Field at the UVa Baseball Field. Dobies picked up his fourth win of the year after going 9.0 innings and scattered six hits with a game-high eight strikeouts. Dobies’ accomplishment marked the first time a UVa pitcher had pitched a complete game shutout since Jeff Kamrath on April 5, 2002 in College Park, Md.
REYNOLDS’ HOME RUN CLEARS “BLUE MONSTER” IN CENTER FIELD: Stepping onto the playing field and looking straight ahead to deep center field at the UVa Baseball Stadium, you can’t help but to see the towering wall nicknamed the “Blue Monster” at Davenport Field. The wall itself stands 408 feet away from home plate, but it also projects itself about 35 feet into the sky as well. The thought of a home run ever clearing the wall was thought to be a “long shot,” and that’s exactly what Mark Reynolds’ hit could be describe as after he blasted a solo shot clean over the “Blue Monster.” Reynolds’ home run was the first HR to ever clear the center field wall in the short history of the new ballpark. It may be a while until that achievement is ever accomplished again.
KAMRATH & KOSHANSKY HELP CAVALIERS SWEEP PAST TERRAPINS: Virginia received a pair of top-notch performances out of RHP Jeff Kamrath and 1B Joe Koshansky in UVa’s two wins over Maryland on March 28-29. In Virginia’s 6-0 over Maryland on March 28, Jeff Kamrath pitched a complete game shutout and struck out 11 batters to lift the Cavaliers to victory. In UVa’s 4-2 win over Maryland on March 29, Koshansky went 3-for-4 at the plate including hitting his game-winning, two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning that broke open a 2-2 tie ballgame. Both players were pivotal in Virginia’s 2-0 sweep.
#4 FLORIDA STATE SWEEPS VIRGINIA IN CAVALIERS’ ACC-OPENING SERIES: Virginia lost all three games of its ACC-opening series to the #4 ranked Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee, Fla. on March 14-16. UVa fell 9-1 on March 14th, 4-0 on March 15th and 5-4 in 12 innings on March 16th. All three games were played at FSU’s Dick Howser Stadium.
CAVALIERS SWEEP #25 SPARTANS IN TWO-GAME SERIES: Virginia picked up two wins over the #25 ranked UNC Greensboro Spartans on March 11th (12-5) and 12th (14-6) at the UVa Baseball Stadium. The two victories helped Virginia improve its win streak to seven games and kept the Cavaliers a perfect 7-0 at home.
VIRGINIA RECORDS FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON OVER A TOP 25 TEAM: With its 12-5 victory over #25 UNC-Greensboro on March 11th, Virginia recorded its first win over a ranked opponent this season. Prior to UVa’s win over UNCG, the Cavaliers were 0-5 against ranked teams (three games vs. #20 Auburn and two contests vs. #12 Richmond) and lost all five games by a combined seven runs. All five contests were decided by two runs or less.
VIRGINIA/VIRGINIA TECH GAME RESCHEDULED: Virginia’s game against the Virginia Tech Hokies scheduled for Wednesday, April 9th was rescheduled due to inclement weather in the Charlottesville area. The contest is now scheduled to be played on Monday, April 21st at 7:00 PM at Davenport Field at the UVa Baseball Stadium.
VIRGINIA ADDS GAME WITH JMU TO ITS SCHEDULE: Virginia has announced another change to its 2003 baseball schedule. The Cavaliers have added a non-conference game with the James Madison Dukes on Tuesday, March 25th at 4:00 PM. The contest will be played on Davenport Field at the UVa Baseball Stadium in Charlottesville, Va. Virginia’s original schedule had the Cavaliers playing at Radford on March 25th, but that contest was rescheduled for March 2nd in a game Virginia won 11-0 in Radford, Va.
CHRIS SWEET & JOE KOSHANSKY LEAD VIRGINIA PAST NAVY, 12-1: Virginia’s Chris Sweet went 4-for-5 at the plate with three RBI’s and scored two runs and starting LHP Joe Koshansky pitched 6.0 innings and allowed only one unearned run with just three hits to go along with three strikeouts as UVa defeated Navy 12-1.
VIRGINIA DEFEATS JAMES MADISON IN UVA’S HOME-OPENER: Virginia snapped a six-game losing streak to the James Madison Dukes when UVa recorded a 3-2 decision in the Cavaliers’ home-opener over the Dukes. Virginia turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead in the fourth inning and held on for the win. The victory marked the 21st time UVa has posted a win in its last 24 home openers.
VIRGINIA LOST FIVE GAMES BY A COMBINED SEVEN RUNS TO THE FIRST FIVE RANKED OPPONENTS IT PLAYED: Virginia lost the first five games it played against ranked opponents this year by a combined seven runs. Virginia lost 14-13, 5-3 and 7-5 to #20 Auburn and dropped a pair of 2-1 decisions to #12 Richmond. All five contests were played on the road.
VIRGINIA DROPS A PAIR OF 2-1 DECISIONS TO #12 RICHMOND IN DOUBLEHEADER: Close, but no cigar. That was the case in Virginia’s doubleheader with #12 Richmond on March 3rd. The Cavaliers dropped a pair of 2-1 decisions to the Spiders on the road at UR’s Pitt Field.
UVA RECORDS FIRST SHUTOUT OF 2003 SEASON WITH 11-0 WIN OVER RADFORD: Virginia recorded its first shutout of the 2003 season when the Cavaliers posted an 11-0 shutout victory over the Radford Highlanders. The win marked the first time UVa recorded back-to-back wins this season. The victory was also Virginia’s second on the road this year.
UVA IN HOME OPENERS: Over the past 24 seasons, Virginia stands 21-1-2 (.916) all-time in home-openers, including a 20-1-2 (.913) mark all-time under current UVa head coach Dennis Womack. The Cavaliers have not lost a home-opener since a 6-2 setback to VCU back on March 1, 1989. Virginia has either won or tied its home opener the past 14 consecutive seasons. Here is a look at UVa’s home openers since 1980:
Year Opponent Date Result/Score2003 James Madison 3/4 W, 3-22002 Bucknell 2/16 W, 10-32001 Navy 2/17 W, 9-12000 Old Dominion 2/16 T, 14-141999 Penn State 2/20 W, 6-31998 Penn State 2/21 W, 5-21997 Seton Hall 2/22 W, 11-101996 Old Dominion 2/19 W, 3-21995 Marshall 2/18 W, 5-01994 Georgetown 2/25 W, 14-01993 Marshall 2/20 W, 4-21992 VMI 2/22 W, 14-51991 Liberty 2/25 T, 5-51990 William & Mary 2/23 W, 6-31989 VCU 3/1 L, 6-21988 West Chester 2/28 W, 13-81987 VCU 3/4 W, 6-11986 Seton Hall 3/1 W, 3-21985 Seton Hall 3/1 W, 3-01984 George Mason 3/4 W, 12-11983 VCU 3/5 W, 11-81982 Norfolk State 3/22 W, 15-81981 Westfield State 3/12 W, 21-81980 Longwood 3/17 W, 10-8
VIRGINIA DEFEATS LIBERTY FOR FIRST VICTORY OF THE SEASON/FIRST ROAD WIN: With its 15-5 victory over Liberty, Virginia chalked-up its first win of the 2003 season. The victory also marked UVa’s first road win of the year. The Cavaliers’ starting pitcher Andrew Dobies got the win and led the way on the mound for Virginia while pitching 7.0 innings with two strikeouts and allowed only two earned runs. UVa’s Matt Street paced the offense by going 3-for-4 at the plate with three runs and an RBI.
VIRGINIA’S SERIES WITH PENN STATE CANCELLED: Virginia’s three-game series with the Penn State Nittany Lions scheduled for February 22-23 was cancelled due to inclement weather in the Charlottesville area along with insufficient playing conditions at Davenport Field at the UVa Baseball Stadium. The series is not expected to be made up. The decision was made by Virginia officials who determined the playing surface of Davenport Field at the UVa Baseball Stadium was not suitable for competition and would not be able to be prepared appropriately to host the three-game series with Penn State. Davenport Field at the UVa Baseball Field had been covered with snow for the entire week prior to the series and the playing surface became saturated with moisture due to the melting snow and the heavy rain which had been falling two days prior to the series.
ZIMMERMAN COMES OUT SWINGING!: Virginia’s first-year starting third baseman Ryan Zimmerman started his career as a Cavaliers with a bang! Zimmerman went a perfect 3-for-3 in his first three trips to the plate against Auburn and recorded two doubles and a single in those at-bats. He recorded a single in his first at-bat, hit a double in his second at-bat, and then hit a RBI-double in his third at-bat. Zimmerman finished 3-for-5 at the plate with two runs and one RBI for the game.
UVA FRESHMEN, HAGAN & ZIMMERMAN, START ON OPENING DAY: The first-year duo of Tom Hagan and Ryan Zimmerman started for the Cavaliers in UVa’s season-opener at Auburn on February 14th. Hagan started in left field and finished 1-for-4 at the plate with two RBI and one run scored, and Zimmerman started at third base and went 3-for-5 at the plate with two runs and one RBI.
JORDAN GHRIST HITS VIRGINIA’S FIRST HOME RUN OF THE SEASON: UVa outfielder Jordan Ghrist made his first collegiate start count when he started in left field on February 15th at Auburn and finished 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI and one run. One of Ghrist’s two hits was a home run, the first by a Virginia player for the 2003 season.
MIKE BALLARD MAKES FIRST START ON THE MOUND: UVa first-year LHP Mike Ballard made his first collegiate start in just Virginia’s second game of the season when he took the mound against Auburn on February 15th as the Cavaliers starting pitcher. Ballard pitched five strong innings and allowed three runs (one earned) on six hits while recording a game-high four strikeouts.
VIRGINIA DROPS SEASON-OPENING SERIES AT AUBURN: The Virginia baseball lost three games by a combined five runs to the #20 Auburn Tigers in UVa’s season-opening weekend series at Auburn on February 14-16. Auburn defeated Virginia 14-13 in game one, 5-3 in the second game and 7-5 in the final contest of the three-game weekend series. UVa had a lead in two of the contests and was tied in another, but could not come away with a win. Virginia led Auburn 10-1 in the fourth inning of game one, was tied at 3-3 in the seventh inning of game two, and led 5-1 in the fifth inning of game three before the Tigers mounted a comeback in each contest.
UVA WAS THE SECOND TEAM FROM THE STATE OF VIRGINIA TO FACE AUBURN THIS SEASON: Following its three-game weekend series at Auburn (Feb. 14-16), UVa became the second school from the state if Virginia to face the Auburn Tigers in the opening weeks of the 2003 season. Auburn also hosted the Virginia Commonwealth Rams on February 7-9. Auburn won the series with VCU (2-1) and against Virginia (3-0).
VIRGINIA PICKED TO FINISH SEVENTH IN ACC COACHES POLL: The University of Virginia baseball team was picked to finish seventh in the 2003 Atlantic Coast Conference Preseason Baseball Coaches Poll. UVa received a total of 29 points in the poll to finish in front of both the Duke Blue Devils and the Maryland Terrapins. The ACC’s nine head coaches selected the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets as the top pick to win the conference championship in 2003 with six first place votes and a total of 77 points in the poll. Georgia Tech return 22 of the 28 letterwinner from its 2002 squad that finished the season with a 52-16 record, including a 14-9 league mark and a trip to the NCAA College World Series. Just behind the Yellow Jackets in the poll were the Florida State Seminoles who finished a close second place with 73 points and two first place votes after finishing the 2002 season as the regular season and ACC Tournament Champions. The Wake Forest Demon Deacons finished in third place with 65 points and one first place vote. Wake Forest finished last season with a 47-13-1 overall record and was the second seed at the ACC Tournament with a 17-6 ACC record. The Clemson Tigers were picked to finish in fourth place with 54 points, while the North Carolina Tar Heels placed fifth in the balloting with 41 points. North Carolina was followed by the N.C. State Wolfpack who finished with 30 points good for sixth place in the poll, just one more point than Virginia with 29 points in seventh. Duke was picked to finish in eighth place with 19 points and Maryland rounded out the poll in ninth place with 17 points.
2003 ACC Coaches Preseason Predicted Order of Finish: Place School Points 2002 Record/Finish1. Georgia Tech (6) 77 52-16, 14-9 ACC2. Florida State (2) 73 60-14, 18-6 ACC3. Wake Forest (1) 65 47-13-1, 17-6 ACC4. Clemson 54 54-17, 16-8 ACC5. North Carolina 41 43-21, 17-7 ACC6. N.C. State 30 33-26, 7-17 ACC7. VIRGINIA 29 25-32, 8-16 ACC8. Duke 19 24-34, 4-20 ACC9. Maryland 17 34-23, 6-18 ACC
HANSARD, STARR AND SWEET NAMED TRI-CAPTAINS: University of Virginia head baseball coach Dennis Womack has announced that three fourth-year players (Greg Hansard, Shooter Starr and Chris Sweet) have been selected as team captains and will serve as the tri-captains for the 2003 UVa baseball team. “The baseball captains at Virginia are chosen by their teammate, by their peers, and the coaching staff could not be happier with the three young men that were chosen,” said Womack. “These are three quality young men, terrific young men, who will proved the kind leadership that is needed for our program.”
RETURNING TRIO WITH HONORS: Virginia returns a trio of players who were honored or recognized for their stellar play from the 2002 season. Tri-captain CF Chris Sweet was a 2002 Major League Baseball Draft Pick, starting RHP Jeff Kamrath was a 2002 Second Team All-ACC selection, and SS Mark Reynolds was named a 2002 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American.
UVA MORE THAN TRIPLED ITS 2002 HOME ATTENDANCE FROM PREVIOUS SEASON: Thanks in part to the brand new UVa Baseball Stadium, Virginia more than tripled its home attendance in 2002 from its 2001 totals. In 2002, UVa averaged 632 spectators after averaging only 198 spectators in 2001. The Cavaliers averaged 434 more spectators per game in 2002 than they did in 2001.
VIRGINIA RECORDED FOUR WINS OVER RANKED OPPONENTS IN 2002: Last season (2002), Virginia recorded four victories over ranked opponents in baseball. UVa defeated #1 Florida State (11-10) on March 14th, #10 Georgia Tech (5-1) on April 26th, #19 Richmond (12-11) on April 17th and #24 North Carolina (8-3) on March 31st.
FEELS LIKE HOME: Virginia just moved into its new home, Davenport Field at the UVa Baseball Stadium, and will have plenty of opportunities to get used to the surroundings in 2003. The Cavaliers will play a total of 31 home games in 2003, including 30 contests at UVa Baseball Stadium. The Cavaliers will also play a “home game” on a neutral site this year when Virginia faces Virginia Tech on April 23, 2003 in Salem, Va. at the Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium. UVa and VT annually play a three-game series with one true home game, one true road game and one neutral site affair. The neutral site contest alternates between the two schools every other year as a home contest despite its neutral location. The Cavaliers are scheduled to play only 21 true road games in the 2003 regular season, with only nine contests being played at non-conference facilities.
The last time Virginia …
Won 10 or more consecutive games: March 19 -- April 2, 2003 (10)Won 10 consecutive home games: March 4 -- March 22, 2003Was 10 games over .500: April 15, 2003 (22-12)Won 15 or more consecutive home games: March 4 -- April 2, 2003 (16)Lost 5 or more consecutive games: May 15 -- May 23, 2002 (6)Scored 20 or more runs in a game: 25 @ North Carolina A&T -- March 11, 2002Had 20 or more hits in a game: 23 vs. Duke -- March 21, 2003Hit consecutive home runs: Robert Word and Mark Reynolds@ James Madison -- April 2, 2002Hit three consecutive home runs: Jon Benick, Mark Rueffert andDan Street @ Virginia Tech -- April 18, 2001Shutout consecutive opponents: vs. Seton Hall (8-0 and 4-0) -- March 2, 1996 (DH)Was shut out: @ Florida State (4-0) -- March 15, 2003Was shut out in two consecutive games: @ ODU (1-0) -- Feb. 24, 1999and vs. Seton Hall (8-0) -- Feb. 27, 1999Swept an ACC doubleheader: vs. Maryland -- May 10, 1997Was swept in an ACC doubleheader: @ N.C. State -- May 18, 2002Swept an ACC series at home: vs. Maryland (2) -- March 28-29, 2003Was swept in an ACC series at home: vs. Clemson -- May 11-13, 2002Swept an ACC series on the road: @ Duke -- March 22-24, 2002Was swept in an ACC series on the road: @ Florida State -- March 14-16, 200
The last time a Cavalier …
Hit two home runs in a game: Mark Reynolds @ George Mason -- April 22, 2002Hit three home runs in a game: Dan Street vs. Old Dominion inCharleston, S.C. -- February 22, 2002Hit a grand slam: Paul Gillispie vs. James Madison -- March 25, 2003Hit an inside-the-park home run: N/AHit a pinch-hit home run: Joe Koshansky vs. Liberty -- April 2, 2003Hit a game-winning home run: Joe Koshansky vs. Maryland -- March 29, 2003Hit for the cycle: Hunter Wyant @ High Point -- March 12, 2001Had four or more hits in a game: Chris Sweet (4) vs. Navy -- March 6, 2003Had five or more hits in a game: Dan Street (5) vs. Virginia Tech -- April 30, 2002Had five or more RBI in a game: Paul Gillispie (5) vs. James Madison -- March 25, 2003Had six or more RBI in a game: Dan Street (6) @ Virginia Tech -- April 10, 2002Had seven or more RBI in a game: Dan Street (7) vs. Old Dominion inCharleston, S.C. -- February 22, 2002Stole three or more bases in a game: David Stone (3) vs. Radford -- March 6, 2002Had 10 or more strike outs in a game: Jeff Kamrath (11) vs. Maryland -- March 28, 2003Had 15 or more strike outs in a game: N/APitched a complete game: Jeff Kamrath (9.0) vs. Maryland -- March 28, 2003Pitched a nine-inning, complete-game shutout: Jeff Kamrath (9.0) vs.Maryland -- March 28, 2003Pitched a no-hitter: N/APitched a perfect game: N/A
ACC Series Sweeps
UVa in Charlottesville...Clemson: May 6-7, 1972Duke: March 21-23, 2003Florida State: NeverGeorgia Tech: March 28-29, 1987 (2)Maryland: March 28-29, 2003 (2)North Carolina: May 6, 1961 (2)N.C. State: May 15, 1970 (2)Wake Forest: April 19-21, 1996
UVa on the road ...Clemson: NeverDuke: March 22-24, 2002Florida State: NeverGeorgia Tech: April 15-16, 1980 (2)Maryland: April 27-28, 1990 (2)North Carolina: none on recordN.C. State: May 9, 1969 (2)Wake Forest: April 29, 1972 (2)
Opponent vs. UVain Charlottesville ...Clemson: May 11-13, 2002Duke: April 12, 1968 (2)Florida State: May 9-10, 1998Georgia Tech: March 11-13, 1994Maryland: April 18, 1979 (2)North Carolina: April 8-10, 1994N.C. State: April 17-18, 1993Wake Forest: April 12-14, 2002
Opponent vs. UVaon the road ...Clemson: May 12-13, 2001Duke: March 13-15, 1998Florida State: March 10-11, 2001Georgia Tech: April 14-16, 2000Maryland: April 29-May 1, 1994North Carolina: April 16-18, 1999N.C. State: March 17-18, 2002Wake Forest: April 6-8, 2001