Six Cavaliers Named to 2017 All-ACC Team

May 22, 2017

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. ÃÆ’Æ‘¢ÃƒÆ’¢’¬” Six members of the Virginia baseball team earned spots on the 2017 All-ACC Team, released Monday by the conference and voted upon by the league’s 14 head coaches. UVA’s Adam Haseley (Jr., Winderemere, Fla.) and Pavin Smith (Jr., Jupiter, Fla.) were first-team honorees at outfield and first base, respectively.

Outfielder Cameron Simmons (So., Royersford, Pa.) was selected to the second team, while Ernie Clement (Jr., Rochester, N.Y.), Robbie Coman (Gr., Lake Worth, Fla.) and Tommy Doyle (Jr., Vienna, Va.) earned third-team honors at shortstop, catcher and relief pitcher, respectively.

Clement and Smith each were named All-ACC for the second straight year. Clement was a second-team pick last year at second base, while Smith earned second-team honors at first base in 2016.

In addition, Noah Murdock (Fr., Colonial Heights, Va.) was named to the 2017 All-Freshman Team.

Haseley led the ACC in batting in the regular season with a .400 average and has had one of the top offensive seasons in program history. He also leads the ACC in runs (64) and on base percentage (.498) and ranks second in slugging (.688) third in hits (82), fourth in walks (40) seventh in home runs (14) and RBI (53). He owns the fourth-most runs and sixth-most home runs in a season in program history. In addition, he is 7-1 with a 3.58 ERA in 65 1/3 innings on the mound.

Smith batted .348 with 12 homers and a program-record 70 RBI while playing all 54 games in the regular season. He ranks second in the league in RBI and 12th in batting. Despite his big power numbers, he has recorded just eight strikeouts and ranks as the second toughest to strike out of any player in the country.

Simmons has had a breakout season, batting .373 (fourth in the ACC) with eight home runs and 53 RBI while serving as UVA’s right fielder. He batted a team-leading .374 in ACC games, with is third-best among all ACC players.

Clement hit .315 with 31 RBI and 12 stolen bases in 53 games while making the move from second base to shortstop during the season and serving as UVA’s leadoff hitter. He ranks as the toughest player in the nation to strike out, with just seven strikeouts this year, an average of one per 33.6 at bats.

In his fifth year at UVA, Coman has recorded his best season, batting .354 (ninth in the ACC) in 47 games. He owns career highs in hits (63), doubles (9), home runs (5) and RBI (36).

Doyle is 3-1 with a 1.95 ERA and 13 saves in 32 1/3 innings over the course of 21 relief outings this year. Eight of his saves came during conference play.

Murdock is 3-1 with a 3.32 ERA in 38 innings this year. He came on strong during ACC play, recording a 2.06 ERA in league games, which was third in conference play. He also limited opponents to a .195 batting average inside league play, which was eighth lowest among all league pitchers. He had a streak of 19 1/3 straight scoreless innings his ACC starts in April.

Virginia opens play in the 2017 ACC Baseball Championship at Thursday (May 25) against Duke at Louisville Slugger Field in Louisville, Ky. After winning their last six conference series, the Cavaliers (41-13) earned the No. 4 seed in the tournament.

Virginia plays the ninth-seeded Blue Devils at 11 a.m. Thursday and also takes on No. 5 seed Clemson at 11 a.m. Friday as part of Pool D. The Blue Devils and Tigers play at 7 p.m. Tuesday.