Virginia's Brian O'Connor And Joe Koshansky Named ACC Coach And Player Of The Year, Respectively

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May 24, 2004

SALEM, Va. – The University of Virginia baseball team saw four players and its head coach honored at the 2004 ACC Baseball Tournament Media/Player Banquet at the Salem Civic Center. Virginia head coach Brian O’Connor was named the ACC Coach of the Year and Joe Koshansky was named the ACC Player of the Year. O’Connor is only the second UVa head baseball coach to ever receive the award (Dennis Womack was tabbed the ACC COTY in 1985) and Koshansky became the first Cavalier to be named the conference’s POTY. Koshansky was also recognized as a member of the All-ACC First Team.

O’Connor has guided UVa to a record of 42-11 overall, 18-6 in the ACC this season The Cavaliers are enjoying one of their finest years ever and have established several milestones achievements including the school-record for the most conference wins in a single season (18) and the most overall wins in a single season (42). The mark of 42 wins is just two wins shy of the school-record of most win in a complete season at 44 (UVa went 44-21 in 1996) and the Cavaliers swept five ACC series (against Georgia Tech, Clemson, Wake Forest, Maryland and Duke) for the first time ever.

Koshansky is one of the most versatile players in the country on the mound, in the field and at the plate. He is 7-2 with a 2.78 ERA with 74 strikeouts as a starting pitcher and is batting .296 with 59 hits (including 16 doubles, 15 home runs, one triple), 63 RBI and 45 runs scored. Koshansky was named to the 2003 All-ACC First Team and to the 2003 ACC All-Tournament team last season.

Virginia’s Ryan Zimmerman joined Koshansky on the First Team All-ACC squad. Zimmerman’s outstanding playmaking ability at third base to go along with his team-leading .371 batting average with a team-high 83 hits (including 15 doubles, two triples and one double), 44 RBI and 44 runs scored cemented himself on the All-ACC First Team.

UVa’s Andrew Dobies and Mark Reynolds were named to the All-ACC Second Team. Dobies has posted a record of 6-2 with a 3.24 ERA with a team-high 97 strikeouts this season as a starting pitcher. Reynolds has solidified UVa’s shortstop duties and is batting .288 with 60 hits (including 11 doubles, 10 home runs and four triples), 56 runs and 43 RBI.

It was the first time UVa’s trio of Zimmerman, Dobies and Reynolds were named to an All-ACC team.

Virginia (#2 seed) will face the #7 seeded Duke Blue Devils in the first round of the 2004 ACC Baseball Tournament on Wednesday, May 26th at 5:00 PM at the Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium.

— UVa —