Virginia Heads to Charleston for 2006 Charleston Challenge

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Feb. 23, 2006

Games 8-10
VIRGINIA (6-1)
At the 2006 Charleston Challenge
Feb. 24-26, 2006
Patriots Point Field
Charleston, S.C.

George Mason (3-4), Fri. Feb. 24, 1 p.m.
LHP Mike Ballard (UVa) vs. LHP Eric Gibbons (GMU)
Gametracker 1

Gardner-Webb (5-1), Sat. Feb. 25, 12 p.m.
RHP Jacob Thompson (UVa) vs. RHP Tim Thomas (GWU)
Gametracker 2

College of Charleston (5-2), Sun. Feb. 26, 2 p.m.
TBA (UVa) vs. TBA (CofC)
Gametracker 3

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VIRGINIA HEADS TO CHARLESTON FOR 2006 CHARLESTON CHALLENGE
Virginia takes part in its second tournament of the season when the Cavaliers play in the 2006 Charleston Challenge this weekend. The Cavaliers will play George Mason, Gardner-Webb and College of Charleston this weekend at College of Charleston’s Patriots Point Field. Charleston Southern and Hofstra are the other two teams taking part in the challenge, but the Cavs will not face either.

LAST TIME OUT FOR THE CAVALIERS
Sean Doolittle struck out seven in five innings and finished 2-for-4 at the plate with one RBI as Virginia knocked off VCU, 7-1, Tuesday afternoon at Davenport Field at the UVa Baseball Stadium. Tim Henry went 3-for5 with two runs scored for the Cavaliers who ran their record to 6-1 on the season. It was the first meeting between the Cavaliers and Rams (3-2) since 2003 and first under UVa head coach Brian O’Connor. Doolittle (1-0) made only his second career start and his first of the season for the Cavaliers. He two-hit the Rams in five innings and allowed one earned run. Michael Schwimer and Casey Lambert each tossed two scoreless innings with Lambert recording three strikeouts as UVa pitchers combined to strike out 11 batters. Mike Mitchell and Jeremy Farrell each added two hits for the Hoos, who finished with 13 hits on the day.

SCOUTING GEORGE MASON
George Mason brings a 3-4 record into this weekend after going 3-1 last weekend down at the IMIChotels.com INN-vitational at Coastal Carolina. The Patriots took two games from Pittsburgh, 9-2, and 3-1. GMU split with Coastal Carolina, winning the first meeting, 5-3, before falling 22-6 in the sec-ond meeting. The Patriots are hitting .227 as a team led by catcher Robby Jacobsen, who is hitting .345(10-for-29) with one home run and six RBI. LHP Eric Gibbons will start against the Cavaliers Friday.Gibbons is 1-1 on the season and has posted a 1.38 ERA with 12 strikeouts in 13 innings. He led the Patriots to a 9-2 win over Pittsburgh in his last outing. He tossed seven scoreless innings and recorded eight strikeouts. GMU’s pitching staff has a 5.81 ERA.

SERIES VS. GEORGE MASON
Virginia is 22-10 all-time against George Mason. Virginia and George Mason last meet in 2004 when the Cavaliers defeated the Patriots, 7-2, in the 2004 Charlottesville Regional. UVa head coach Brian O’Connor is 2-0 all-time against George Mason.

ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
Gardner-Webb enters the weekend, 5-1, after losing its first game of the season to No. 26 Winthrop, 11-4, in its last outing. The Bulldogs’ game with Appalachian State was halted earlier in the week due to darkness with the team tied, 4-4, in the 12th inning. The Bulldogs have posted wins over Delaware State, Maryland and Evansville. Freshman Josh Drewery leads the team at the plate while hitting .444 in five games that he has appeared in. Drewery also has four RBI. Third baseman Blake Lalli and catcher Jay McConnell were both named to the Atlantic Sun Preseason All-Conference Team. Lalli was a 2005 All A-Sun First Team selection afterleading the nation with 30 doubles last season. GWU is expected to sent RHP Tim Thomas to the mound. Thomas is a junior college transfer from Daytona Beach CC, who is 2-0 on the season with a 0.82 ERA. He has wins over Evansville and Delaware State having allowed one earned run in 11 innings.

SERIES VS. GARDNER-WEBB
This will be the first ever meeting between the Cavaliers and the Bulldogs on the diamond.

ABOUT COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON
College of Charleston is 5-2 on the season after defeating Savannah State, 14-1, on Wednesday. The Cougars’ only two losses of the season came last weekend when they dropped two games in a three-game series at East Carolina. CofC has won its last two games, 11-8 over ECU and 14-1 over Savannah State. The Cougars are hitting .358, having already scored 64 runs in seven games. On the mound, CofC has posted a 2.80 ERA and opponents are hitting .223 against the Cougars. College of Charleston is the two-time defending Southern Conference champions and advanced to the 2005 Clemson Regional. Charleston led the SoCon and set school records forruns scored (553) and team batting average (.355) in 2005.

SERIES VS. COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON
This will be the first ever meeting between Virginia and the College of Charleston.

HOOS’ HOT
– Senior left-hander pitcher Mike Ballard has allowed two earned runs in 13 innings and recorded 10 strikeouts. His ERA stands at 1.38.
n Freshman right-hander Jacob Thompson has started two games. His first career win came against Coastal Carolina on Feb. 12. Thompson allowed one earned run in seven innings and recorded five strikeouts against in a 7-2 win over Towson. He now has a 1.50 ERA and opponents are hitting .182 against him.
– Freshman third baseman Jeremy Farrell had a good last weekend for the Cavaliers as he had eight hits and four RBI in going 8-for-11 in the Towson series. Farrell is 10-for-15 in the last four games for the Hoos.
– LF Brandon Guyer went 5-for-11 with three RBI in the Towson series while freshman David Adams went 5-for-12 with three RBI in the series. Guyer is riding a four-game hitting streak while Adams is tied for the team lead with seven RBI. He also is tied for the team lead with fivewalks.
– Senior catcher Matt Bernstine made his first start of the season and collected his first career hit as he finished 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBI in helping UVa rally for the 13-3 win over Towson.

HOOS BULLPEN
Cavalier relief pitchers have not allowed an earned run in their last 22.1 innings pitched. The last time an opponent scored a run on a UVa non-starting pitcher was in the ninth inning of the 8-3 win at Coastal Carolina. All 15 earned runs by opponents have come off UVa starting pitchers. Michael Schwimer, Sean Doolittle, Casey Lambert, Alex Smith, Josh Myers, Shooter Hunt,Robert Poutier and Pat McAnaney have all made relief appearances. Schwimer, Lambert, Smith and Myers all have 0.00 ERAs. During that stretch of 22.1 scoreless innings UVa has struck out24 and allowed 13 hits.

THE CAA AGAIN
Virginia will play its sixth straight member of the Colonial Athletic Association when the Cavaliers play George Mason. UVa has already played Old Dominion, Towson and VCU. The Cavaliers are already 4-1 against the CAA with a 5-1 loss to Old Dominion, which UVa will play again on May 16.