Virginia Baseball Wraps Up First Full Weekend of Practice

Story Links

Jan. 22, 2006

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – – The Virginia Baseball Team wrapped up its first full weekend of team practices Sunday afternoon with a nine-inning intersquad game. The 2006 Cavaliers held their first full team practice on Friday before hosting the fourth annual Step Up to the Plate Saturday night.

“We were just excited to get out there and start off the season,” UVa baseball head coach Brian O’Connor said. “We had beautiful 60 degree weather on Friday and had a great weekend of weather, which enabled us to play a lot of intersquad games. We were able to get a lot done on the field in our opening days, which hasn’t been the case the past couple of years. The guys are excited and ready to work as we prepare to open up in three weeks in a very challenging environment down at Coastal Carolina.”

Virginia returns 18 letterwinners from the 2005 team which advanced to the 2005 Corvallis Regional. The Cavaliers welcome 15 newcomers in a recruiting class that was ranked No. 8 in Baseball America’s Dandy Dozen. Virginia finished the 2005 season, 41-20, 14-14 (ACC) and advanced to the championship game at the ACC Tournament before earning its second consecutive NCAA Regional berth.

The Cavaliers welcomed former Baltimore Oriole Brooks Robinson to Charlottesville for its fourth annual Step Up to the Plate Saturday night in front of a sellout crowd, before wrapping up the weekend with a noon practice.

Virginia will have Monday off before returning to practice Tuesday afternoon at Davenport Field at the UVa Baseball Stadium. The Cavaliers open their season the weekend of Feb. 10-12 when UVa travels to Myrtle Beach, S.C. to face The Citadel and 2005 NCAA Regional participant Coastal Carolina in the Springmaid Beach Resort Tournament.

Farrell, Adams Named to Baseball America’s Fab 50 Top Freshmen
Virginia newcomers Jeremy Farrell (Westlake, Ohio) and David Adams (Margate, Fla.) have been named to Baseball America’s Fab 50 list for the top freshmen in 2006.

Farrell is rated No. 15 and Adams is five places behind at No. 20 on the list. Farrell, the son of former major league pitcher and current Indians farm director John Farrell, earned all-star honors in the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate League, where he was one of few high school players in a predominantly college league. He will be looked upon to replace former Cavalier Ryan Zimmerman at third base. Adams was one of the nation’s top high school prospects a year ago, at second base.