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Virginia Travels To Tallahassee To Face Florida State In ACC Series On April 29 - May 1
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April 27, 2005
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`HOOS UP NEXT?: The Virginia Cavaliers (30-13, 9-10 ACC) will travel to Tallahassee, Fla. on April 29-May 1 to face the Florida State Seminoles (35-13, 10-8 ACC) in a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series at Dick Howser Stadium. The Seminoles are currently ranked in four different polls (#15, #16, #19, #24). Virginia and Florida State are schedule to play on Friday, April 29th at 7:00 PM; Saturday, April 30th at 7:00 PM and Sunday, May 1st at 1:00 PM.
VIRGINIA’S CURRENT RECORD & RANKINGS: Virginia stands 30-13 overall, 9-10 in the ACC. UVa is ranked #35 in the NCBWA Top-35 poll and is receiving votes (16) in the Sports Weekly/ESPN Top-25 poll. Virginia is not ranked by Baseball America or Collegiate Baseball this week. Virginia was ranked as high as #27 by Collegiate Baseball and #32 by the NCBWA earlier this season.
LAST TIME THEY MET: Last year (2004), Virginia defeated Florida State for only the ninth time ever by posting a 15-2 victory on May 8th, 2004. But the Seminoles won the three-game ACC series two games to one on May 7-9, 2004 in Charlottesville, Va. FSU won game one 8-0 and UVa won game two 15-2 before the Seminoles won the series by posting a 4-1 win in game three.
THE VIRGINIA/FLORIDA STATE ALL-TIME SERIES: The Cavaliers trail the all-time series with the Seminoles in baseball 9-37 in a series that began in 1972. FSU has won 21 of the last 24 games it has played against UVa. Virginia is just 2-17 all-time against Florida State in Tallahassee. The Cavaliers’ two wins over the Seminoles in Tallahassee came on March 14, 1995 (2-1) and March 8, 1997 (6-4). UVa has never won more than one game against FSU in a regular season series. However, in 1996, the Cavaliers went 1-2 against the Seminoles in the regular season series before beating Florida State two out of three times in the ACC Tournament en route to Virginia winning the 1996 ACC Championship title.
PROBABLE PITCHING FOR CAVALIERS VS. FLORIDA STATE: Virginia is expected to go with the trio of Matt Avery (RHP), Mike Ballard (LHP) and Jeff Kamrath (RHP) against Florida State. Avery (4-3, 3.95 ERA, 54.2 IP, 51 K) is expected to start on Friday, Ballard (6-3, 3.50 ERA, 69.1 IP, 39 K) is slated to start on Saturday and Kamrath (7-3, 2.44 ERA, 66.1 IP, 51 K) is scheduled to start on Sunday.
SENDING OUT AN S.O.S. – LAMBERT SAVING VIRGINIA IN RECORD FASHION: Virginia’s Casey Lambert, in just his second year as a Cavalier, established the new Virginia school record for most saves in a career with 19 when he posted his 11th save of the year in UVa’s 9-4 victory over William & Mary on April 27th. What’s more, Lambert’s 11th save this season is also a Virginia single season record for most saves in a season. Lambert broke the UVa single season record when he posted his ninth save following Virginia’s 4-2 victory over Georgia Tech on April 22nd. Lambert’s ninth save on April 22nd actually broke the former UVa single season saves record of eight – a record he tied himself one year ago as a first-year.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!: UVa will be appearing on television for the third time this season when Virginia and Florida State meet on Friday, April 29th at 7:00 PM on Sun Sports TV. The Cavaliers have already appeared in two televised games earlier this season when Virginia played N.C. State on April 9th and North Carolina on April 2nd on Fox Sports Net (FSN).
VIRGINIA JUST FOUR GAMES OFF RECORD PACE FROM 2004 SEASON: Virginia’s record of 30-13 overall through 43 games this season is just four games behind the Cavaliers’ mark of 34-9 through their first 43 games last year during UVa’s record-tying season for most wins (44) in 2004.
30-WIN CLUB: Virginia recorded its 30th win this season on April 27, 2005 to become just the sixth UVa team to win at least 30 games or more in a single season. Virginia also posted 30 or more wins in 2004, 1997, 1996, 1988 and 1985.
O’CONNOR-METER: Virginia head baseball coach Brian O’Connor is in his second year as UVa’s head coach. His career coaching record at Virginia stands at 74-28 overall, 27-16 in the ACC. Last season (2004), O’Connor was named just the second Virginia baseball coach ever to be selected the ACC Coach of the Year. In his first season as head coach at UVa, O’Connor guided Virginia to a school-record tying mark of 44 single season wins and it its fourth NCAA Regional appearance – including its first ever NCAA Regional appearance as a host site.
SEBASEBALL.COM & COLLEGE BASEBALL INSIDER.COM TABS VIRGINIA THE TEAM OF THE WEEK: Virginia was named SEBaseball.com and CollegeBaseballInsider.com’s “Team of the Week” after UVa went 4-0 for the week, including a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series sweep over the #4 ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on April 22-24. Virginia was also named the Team of the Week by CollegeBaseballInsider.com last season during UVa’s 2004 campaign.
`HOOS BY THE MONTH: Virginia won eight of its 11 games in the month of February (8-3) and won 11 of 14 games in March (11-3). The Cavaliers are 11-7 in the month of April. Here is a look at UVa’s record broken down by the month:
Month Virginia's RecordFebruary 8-3, 0-0 ACCMarch 11-3, 4-3 ACCApril 11-7, 5-7 ACC
VIRGINIA VS. RANKED TEAMS: Virginia has played nine games this season against teams ranked in the national polls (Baseball America Top-25, Collegiate Baseball Top-30, ESPN/Sports Weekly Top-25, NCBWA Top-35) and the Cavaliers are 4-5 against nationally ranked teams this season. Here is a closer look at those contests:
Date Ranked Opponent UVa Result4/1 @ #11 North Carolina L, 8-74/2 @ #11 North Carolina L, 10-54/3 @ #11 North Carolina L, 3-24/8 #33 N.C. State W, 2-04/9 #33 N.C. State L, 6-04/10 #33 N.C. State L, 1-04/22 #4 Georgia Tech W, 4-24/23 #4 Georgia Tech W, 9-24/24 #4 Georgia Tech W, 2-1
VIRGINIA IN WEEKEND SERIES ACTION: Virginia has played in 11 weekend series matchups in 2005 and is 7-4 in weekend series outcomes. All of UVa’s weekend series went three-games except Virginia’s series with Virginia Tech on March 25-27. The series was shortened to just one game on March 27th at Radford University after playing conditions at VT’s English Field forced the cancelations of two games of the series and moved the series to a neutral site location. Virginia stands 19-12 overall in weekend series contests this season. Here is a look at the Cavaliers’ results for weekend series games:
Date Virginia's Opponent Results2/11 @ UNC Wilmington L, 5-22/12 @ UNC Wilmington W, 2-02/13 @ UNC Wilmington W, 7-42/18 Bucknell W, 7-22/19 Bucknell (DH 1) W, 2-02/19 Bucknell (DH 2) W, 13-32/26 Fordham (DH 1) W, 5-02/26 Fordham (DH 2) W, 13-32/27 Fordham L, 3-23/4 @ Wake Forest L, 11-83/5 @ Wake Forest L, 15-83/6 @ Wake Forest L, 7-63/11 Marist W, 3-03/12 Marist W, 10-53/13 Marist W, 6-03/18 Maryland W, 4-13/19 Maryland W, 6-53/20 Maryland W, 5-23/27 vs. Virginia Tech W, 8-54/1 @ #11 North Carolina L , 8-7 (14)4/2 @ #11 North Carolina L, 10-54/3 @ #11 North Carolina L, 3-2 (11)4/8 #33 N.C. State W, 2-04/9 #33 N.C. State L, 6-04/10 #33 N.C. State L, 1-04/15 @ Clemson L, 13-44/16 @ Clemson L, 3-24/17 @ Clemson W, 9-24/22 #4 Georgia Tech W, 4-24/23 #4 Georgia Tech W, 9-24/24 #4 Georgia Tech W, 2-1
MCANANEY’S PERFECT ON THE MOUND: Virginia first-year LHP Pat McAnaney improved his record to a perfect 6-0 this season after picking up the win in UVa’s 9-4 win over William & Mary. McAnaney has been tremendous on the mound as a mid-week starter as the lefty has turned in a 1.93 ERA and has struck out 27 batters in 42.0 innings pitched.
DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN: Virginia’s sweep over Georgia Tech marked the second consecutive season the Cavaliers swept the Yellow Jackets. Last year (2004), UVa swept Tech three games to none on March 12-14, 2004 in Atlanta, Ga. which marked the first time in Virginia baseball history that the Cavaliers swept the Yellow Jackets in a three-game series. UVa, which had never won more than four consecutive games against Georgia Tech in baseball prior to this weekend’s series, has now won six consecutive games against the Yellow Jackets.
VIRGINIA’S PITCHING SHUTS DOWN GEORGIA TECH’S BATS: Against #4 Georgia Tech’s powerful and potent offense, Virginia’s pitching staff limited the Yellow Jackets to just five runs for the series as the Cavaliers’ staff struck out a combined 28 Georgia Tech batters for the weekend – including 25 in the first two games of the series.
VIRGINIA’S Ryan Zimmerman & Casey Lambert ON AWARD WATCH LISTS: Virginia’s Ryan Zimmerman and Casey Lambert are two individuals who rank in the top-tier of players in the country. Zimmerman, a third-year third baseman/shortstop, is on the 2005 Brooks Wallace Award Watch List which goes to the top collegiate baseball player. Zimmerman is also on the Golden Spikes Award Watch List. Lambert is on the NCBWA’s Stopper of the Year Watch List which goes to the top relief pitcher in Division I.