#6 Seed Virginia To Face #3 Seed N.C. State In 2003 ACC Baseball Tournament

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May 19, 2003

VIRGINIA TO FACE N.C. STATE FOR THE 20TH TIME IN THE ACC TOURNAMENT: The Cavaliers will face a familiar opponent in the first game they play in the ACC Tournament. Virginia (seeded #6) will face the #3 seeded N.C. State Wolfpack on May 21st at 8:30 PM. The meeting will mark the 20th time UVa and NCSU will tangle in the event. Virginia has faced N.C. State more than any other ACC opponent in the tournament. The Cavaliers are 7-12 all-time against the Wolfpack in the tournament heading into the 2003 event.

UVA IN THE ACC TOURNAMENT: Virginia stands 30-52 (.366) all-time in the ACC Tournament heading into the 2003 event. UVa won the 1996 ACC Tournament title and has advanced to the finals twice (1996 & 1982).

VIRGINIA VS. THE ACC IN THE ACC TOURNAMENT: Virginia holds a winning record against only one team (Maryland) in the ACC Tournament and is only .500 or better against two teams (Maryland and Wake Forest) heading into the 2003 ACC Tournament. The Cavaliers have recorded more wins against N.C. State (seven) than any other team in the conference in the tournament, but have also lost more times to the Wolfpack (12) than any other opponent as well. Here is a look at how UVa’s 30-52 mark breaks down against its opponents in the ACC Tournament:

UVa's Opponent		UVa's Record	Meetingsvs. Clemson		4-10		14vs. Duke			1-4		5vs. Florida State		2-4		6vs. Georgia Tech		2-5		7vs. Maryland		5-4		9vs. North Carolina		4-8		12vs. N.C. State		7-12		19vs. Wake Forest		5-5		10

VIRGINIA SECURES #6 SEED IN ACC TOURNAMENT: Virginia secured the #6 seed in the 2003 ACC Tournament after putting together a record of 11-12 in the ACC regular standings. The #6 seeded Cavaliers will face the #3 seeded N.C. State Wolfpack in UVa’s first game of the tournament. If Virginia wins, it will face the winner of the #2 Georgia Tech vs. #7 Wake Forest game on Thursday, May 22nd at 8:30 PM. If UVa loses to NCSU, it will play the loser of the GT vs. WFU contest on Thursday at 1:30 PM.

VIRGINIA RECORDS ITS BEST ACC RECORD SINCE THE 1988 SEASON: With its 11-12 mark in the ACC, Virginia recorded its best record in the conference standings since the 1988 season when UVa finished 11-10 in the ACC. The Cavaliers’ 11 victories were the most in the conference standings since UVa posted 11 (11-13 overall) in 1996.

VIRGINIA WINS MOST GAMES SINCE 1998 SEASON: Following its 7-5 regular season closing game against North Carolina on May 17, Virginia put the wraps on a 28-23 regular season in 2003. UVa’s 28 wins are the most overall wins the Cavaliers have had since going 28-26-1 in 1998.

UVA FINISHES ONE SPOT HIGHER IN ACC STANDINGS THAN PREDICTED: Virginia finished sixth in the ACC regular season standings for the four consecutive year after being predicted to finish seventh in the 2003 ACC Preseason Coaches Poll.

UVA’S PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION FOR ACC TOURNAMENT: Virginia is expected to pitch Joe Koshansky (LHP) in its opening round game against the N.C. State Wolfpack on May 21st in the 2003 ACC Tournament. The rest of UVa’s rotation is TBA, however, Virginia’s duo of Andrew Dobies (LHP) and Chris Gale (RHP) will most likely see action on Thursday and Friday if UVa advances that far. Here is a closer look at Virginia’s top three starting pitchers heading into the ACC Tournament:

Pitcher (throws)		Record	ERA	SO	Opp. BAJoe Koshansky (LHP)	7-1	1.52 	48	.187Andrew Dobies (LHP)	6-2	3.95	69	.290Chris Gale (RHP)		3-4	4.05	34	.276

UVA DEFEATS UNC FOR FIRST TIME IN AN ACC SERIES IN CHAPEL HILL: Virginia recorded what is expected to be the Cavaliers’ first ever three-game ACC series victory (UVa won 2-1) over the North Carolina Tar Heels in Chapel Hill. Virginia defeated North Carolina 6-4 in game one and lost 4-3 in game two before bouncing back to win the rubber-match contest 7-5 in 10 innings.

VIRGINIA SNAPS ITS SEASON-HIGH FIVE-GAME LOSING STREAK BY WINNING TWO OUT OF THREE VS. UNC: Virginia snapped its season-high five-game losing streak by winning two out of three games against the North Carolina Tar Heels in an ACC series. UVa snapped out of its five-game slump by winning its first ever ACC series in Chapel Hill.

UVA VS. THE ACC: Virginia finished 4-4 in its Atlantic Coast Conference series against conference opponents this year. UVa defeated Duke (3-0), Maryland (2-0), North Carolina (2-1) and Wake Forest (2-1) and lost to Florida State (3-0), Georgia Tech (3-0), Clemson (2-1) and N.C. State (2-1). Here is a closer look at UVa vs. the ACC:

Opponent	Results		Date		UVa-ACC@ Florida State	L, 9-1		3/14		0-1@ Florida State	L, 4-0		3/15		0-2@ Florida State	L, 5-4		3/16		0-3Duke 		W, 13-1		3/21		1-3Duke		W, 9-2		3/22		2-3Duke		W, 6-0		3/23		3-3Maryland	W, 6-0		3/28		4-3Maryland	W, 4-2		3/29		5-3@ Clemson	L, 9-4		4/4		5-4@ Clemson	W, 4-1		4/5		6-4@ Clemson	L, 9-2		4/6		6-5N.C. State	L, 7-1		4/19		6-6N.C. State	L, 3-2		4/19		6-7N.C. State	W, 8-3		4/20		7-7@ Wake Forest	L, 2-1		4/25		7-8@ Wake Forest	W, 13-2		4/26		8-8@ Wake Forest	W, 6-4		4/27		9-8Georgia Tech	L, 7-0		5/9		9-9Georgia Tech	L, 5-2		5/10		9-10Georgia Tech	L, 1-0		5/11		9-11@ North Carolina	W, 6-4		5/16		10-11@ North Carolina	L, 4-3		5/16		10-12@ North Carolina	W, 7-5		5/17		11-12

‘HOOS BY THE MONTH: Virginia was 1-3 in February, went 16-5 in March and finished 9-10 in the month of April. Heading into the 2003 ACC Tournament, Virginia is 2-5 in the month of May. Here is a breakdown of UVa’s record by the month:

Month		UVa's Record	Total GamesFebruary		1-3		4March		16-5		21April 		9-10		19May		2-5		7

VIRGINIA’S HOME WINNING STREAK STOPPED AT 16 GAMES, CAVALIERS FINISH 19-9 AT HOME IN 2003: 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. Virginia played a total of 28 home games and finished 19-9 in Charlottesville, good for a .679 winning percentage. Here is a look at all of UVa’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#14 N.C. State		4/19		L	7-1#14 N.C. State		4/19		L	3-2#14 N.C. State		4/20		W	8-3George Mason 		4/22		L	4-3Georgia Tech		5/9		L	7-0Georgia Tech		5/10		L	5-2Georgia Tech		5/11		L	1-0#25 VCU			5/12		L	7-1

VIRGINIA VS. TOP-25 TEAMS: Virginia stands 6-18 against Top-25 teams ranked in the Baseball America poll this season. UVa has had 18 of its 23 losses come at the hands of a ranked opponent, with 10 of those 18 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, 17-2N.C. State		#14		4/19	L, 7-1N.C. State		#14		4/19	L, 3-2N.C. State		#14		4/20	W, 8-3Georgia Tech		#17		5/9	L, 7-0Georgia Tech		#17		5/10	L, 5-2Georgia Tech		#17		5/11	L, 1-0VCU			#25		5/12	L, 7-1

VIRGINIA VS. IN-STATE TEAMS: UVa stands 10-6 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 this year:

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	5-3George Mason		4/22		L	4-3Virginia Tech		4/23		W	10-7@ VCU			4/29		L	5-3#25 VCU			5/12		L	7-1

DENNIS WOMACK REACHES 1,200 GAMES FOR HIS CAREER, APPROACHING 600 WINS: 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 coached his 1,200th game following UVa’s 7-1 loss to #25 VCU on May 12, 2003 in Charlottesville. Womack is also closing in on 600 career wins. Womack needs just nine victories to reach 600 wins for his career. Heading into the ACC Tournament (May 20-25), Womack’s overall coaching record now stands at 593-603-7 through 1,203 games.

VIRGINIA STANDS 13-4 AGAINST TEAMS FROM NORTH CAROLINA: Virginia stands 13-4 overall against teams from the state of North Carolina. UVa posted a three-game sweep over Duke on March 21-23 (13-1, 9-2, 6-0) and 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 also won two of three against North Carolina (6-4, 3-4, 7-5) and Wake Forest (1-2, 13-2, 6-4). Two of the Cavaliers’ four losses to a team from the state of North Carolina came when N.C. State won two of three games against Virginia on April 19-20.

VIRGINIA RECORDS FIFTH SHUTOUT VICTORY OF THE SEASON: Virginia is 5-3 in games its either won or lost by shutout. Here is a look at those contests:

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	11-0Georgia Tech		5/9		L	7-0Georgia Tech 		5/11		L	1-0

VIRGINIA’S RECORD IN SERIES COMPETITIONS: UVa is 7-8-1 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), UNC-Greensboro (2-0), North Carolina (2-1) and Wake Forest (2-1), and has lost to Auburn (3-0), Florida State (3-0), Georgia Tech (3-0), VCU (2-0), Miami (2-1), N.C. State (2-1), Richmond (2-1) and Clemson (2-1). The Cavaliers are 1-1 against Virginia Tech.

VIRGINIA EXCEEDS ITS FINAL SEASON WIN TOTALS FROM LAST TWO YEARS: Following its 6-4 victory over Wake Forest on April 27th, Virginia recorded its 26th victory of the year which exceeded its final season wins total of 25 from the last two years after the Cavaliers finished 25-32 in 2002 and 25-31 in 2001. The mark of 26 wins also tied Virginia’s final season win total of 26 from the 2000 season when the Cavaliers finished 26-31-1.

PERFECT JOE: Virginia’s Joe Koshansky recorded a perfect 7-0 mark in his first seven starts on the mound as a pitcher. He posted his seventh victory after he pitched UVa to a 6-4 victory over Wake Forest on April 27th in Winston-Salem, N.C.. Koshansky has faced some tough opponents this year en route to his 7-0 start after picking up wins over nationally ranked Miami, N.C. State and UNC-Greensboro.

CAVALIERS PLAYED NINE GAMES IN ELEVEN DAYS DURING PRE-FINALS STRETCH: Beginning with its three-game series with N.C. State on April 19-20, Virginia started a MLB-type schedule with a total of nine games in 11 days from April 19-29. The 11 games were schedule before the Cavaliers had a week off from competition for final examinations. On one of the two days UVa did not actually playing a game, it was on the road traveling to Winston-Salem, N.C. for an ACC-series against Wake Forest. After Virginia’s three contests with NCSU (April 19-20), the Cavaliers hosted George Mason on April 22 before they traveled to Salem, Va. to face Virginia Tech on April 23 on a neutral field. Following the VT contest, Virginia traveled to Winston-Salem on April 24th to begin its three-games series against the Demon Deacons on April 25-27. After playing in the WFU series, Virginia closed out the stretch with another road game today in Richmond, Va. on April 29th against VCU. The Cavaliers finished the stretch with a record of 4-5 record.

VIRGINIA DEFEATS WAKE FOREST IN ACC SERIES IN WINSTON-SALEM FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1993: For the first in a decade (since the 1993 season), Virginia defeated Wake Forest in an ACC series in Winston-Salem, N.C. Following UVa’s 2-1 series win over Wake Forest on April 25-27, 2003, the last time the Cavaliers had defeated the Demon Deacons in a three-games series at Gene Hooks Stadium was back on April 2-4, 1993, a span of ten years.

VIRGINIA LOSES AT HOME FOR THE FIRST TIME TO A NON-RANKED OPPONENT: Following its 4-3 loss at home to George Mason on April 22, Virginia lost for the first time this season in Charlottesville to a non-ranked opponent. Prior to the home loss to GMU, UVa had dropped a pair of home contests to the nationally ranked Miami Hurricanes and the N.C. State Wolfpack. Virginia’s loss to George Mason also marked the first time the Cavaliers had lost a home game in 2003 to an in-state opponent.

VIRGINIA TURNS TRIPLE-PLAY AGAINST N.C. STATE: On April 19, 2003 in a contest against the #14 ranked N.C. State Wolfpack, Virginia turned a triple play. After back-to-back hits by NCSU’s Justin Riley (single) and Colt Morton (double) to put baserunners on second and third base with no outs, the Wolfpack’s David Hicks hit a grounder to UVa pitcher Andrew Dobies. Dobies threw Hicks out at first base before Morton was tagged out at second base in an effort to return to the bag and then Riley was thrown out at home plate with a tag as he was trying to score a run.

VIRGINIA LOSES ITS FIRST GAME OF THE YEAR TO A NON-RANKED OPPONENT IN BASEBALL AMERICA, COLLEGIATE BASEBALL OR BASEBALL WEEKLY POLL: When Virginia lost a 5-3 decision to the Virginia Tech Hokies on April 16th, 2003 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 in either the Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball or Baseball Weekly polls. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 30 home games in 2003, including 29 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.