Cavs whiff in finale vs. Canes
UVa struggles to find its rhythm, fails in sweep attempt vs. Miami
By Jay Jenkins / jjenkins@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
March 25, 2007

Virginia beat the clock on a mandated curfew, playing nine full innings.

The Cavaliers also got their best start in a month from pitcher Sean Doolittle.

Neither, however, mattered.

Miami salvaged the final game of a three-game series with Virginia by winning, 4-2, at Davenport Field on Sunday.

Virginia, which had started the day tied for first place in the ACC’s Coastal Division, dropped to 22-5 overall and 5-4 in the conference. Miami (15-12, 3-6 ACC) snapped a three-game losing streak in league play.

“There’s no shame in going 2-1 [in the series],” said Virginia coach Brian O’Connor. “I am just disappointed in how we played, because I feel like we can play better.

“I told [the team] we didn’t deserve to win today because we didn’t play the right way.”

The setback spoiled a solid start from Doolittle, the defending ACC Player of the Year. Doolittle, who fanned seven batters in six innings, allowed only two hits, a walk and two earned runs. He was, however, tagged with his second loss of the season.

“Anytime you can sweep a team, especially a great program such as Miami, and you can come so close, losing a two-run ball game is tough,” said Doolittle, who had allowed 10 runs in 10.1 innings in his two previous starts. “On the other hand, I was pleased with how I was able to bounce back after the past couple of weeks. I felt like it was only a matter of time before I was going to be able to put it all together.”

The two hits allowed by Doolittle - Kevin Diego and Blake Tekotte each hit doubles in the third - led to Miami’s first run.

Virginia answered in its half of the inning when senior Mike Mitchell singled, stole second and later scored on a groundout to short by Tim Henry.

The game remained deadlocked until the sixth when Doolittle drilled Tekotte with a pitch to open the frame.

After Tekotte stole second and advanced to third on a sac bunt by Jemile Weeks, he scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Yonder Alonso, giving Miami a lead it would not relinquish.

The final runs in the game were scored in the eighth - Miami added a pair of insurance runs with two outs in the eighth off UVa sophomore Michael Schwimer, and Doolittle hit a solo homer for UVa.

For the game, the Cavaliers stranded eight.

“It happens at times,” O’Connor said. “You are not going to drive them all in. You are not going to play your best baseball every game, but if you want to win the league title, you have to take advantage of your opportunities, like we had today, to sweep a series at home.”

The contest was almost halted after the eighth.

A curfew that was in place to ensure Miami made its return flight home stated that an inning could not be started after 3 p.m.

The ninth, as it turned out, started at 2:55 p.m.

While O’Connor kept the time limit in mind, it was not an excuse his players could use.

“The players didn’t even know about it,” O’Connor said. “You just have to go out and play.”

Virginia, returns to action on Tuesday against George Mason at 5 p.m.

Extra bases

Virginia sophomore Greg Miclat extended his hitting streak to 18 games with a single in the first inning. Miclat, who played first base, finished 1 for 5. ... Virginia right fielder Brandon Marsh did not play on Sunday, snapping a lengthy streak of games played. Marsh had started 71 straight games. “Marsh fouled a ball off his foot on Saturday,” O’Connor said. “He couldn’t play. He could hardly run, but I am hoping that by Tuesday he will be ready to get back in there.” ... Tuesday’s starter is unclear, but Pat McAnaney will start Wednesday versus Longwood.

 

U.VA. NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch Mar 26, 2007

HIGHLY QUALIFIED: Football coach Al Groh has a new graduate assistant, and his credentials are impressive.

Former NFL linebacker Vincent Brown, 42, spent the 2006 season on Bill Parcells' staff with the Dallas Cowboys, coaching the inside linebackers.

After the coaching change in Dallas, Brown wasn't retained, though he'll be paid through the 2007 season. He contacted Groh, who'd been an assistant under Parcells in New England for part of Brown's career with the Patriots. Groh, who called Brown a "very bright guy," offered him a job as a G.A.

"I told him, 'You'll have to take some classes, but in terms of your profession, you can come here for a year and go to graduate school in football,' " Groh said.

Brown, who's from Atlanta, starred at Mississippi Valley State. He played for eight seasons in the NFL -- all with the Patriots -- and is familiar with the 3-4 defense that Groh favors.

"He was quite a good player," Groh said. "His nickname in the league was The Undertaker, because when he hit them, they were done."

INTERESTED OBSERVER: Former U.Va. linebacker Dennis Haley left his Roanoke home yesterday and headed for Baltimore, where the Ravens begin offseason conditioning today. Along the way, Haley stopped in Charlottesville to say hello to his former coaches.

Lo and behold, Haley found a spring practice under way. So he stuck around and caught up with old friends.

Haley, a Salem High product who lettered at U.Va. in 2003 and '04, is a reserve linebacker and special-teams player for the Ravens.

Other visitors yesterday included John Shuman, postgraduate coach at Fork Union Military Academy, and St. Anne's-Belfield junior Kyle Long, whose brother Chris stars at defensive end for U.Va. Kyle Long, an offensive tackle, is perhaps the Cavaliers' No. 1 recruiting target in the Class of 2008.

RUNAWAY TRAIN: Yesterday's 2½-hour practice was conducted under cloudless skies. For spectators not to mention members of U.Va.'s offense -- highlights included the run by Keith Payne on which the 6-3, 235-pound freshman tailback flattened 6-2, 280-pound nose tackle Nate Collins.

Judging from his workload at the three open practices over the past week, Payne is a strong candidate to start this season. The former Oakton High star redshirted in 2006.

OUT OF SEASON: For much of John Bivens' life, spring has found him on the baseball diamond. Not this year.

"It's odd not playing, but right now my focus is on football," Bivens said. "I've got spring practice, so I'm really not thinking about [baseball] too much."

Bivens, who redshirted last season, is one of the freshmen about whom Groh is most excited. Bivens and classmate Darnell Carter are the second-team inside linebackers, and both figure to work into the rotation this season.

A graduate of Prince George High, where he starred in football and baseball, Bivens said his redshirt season at U.Va. "was just an opportunity for me to get stronger and faster. Spring ball is where we really learn the defense."

Bivens may get early playing time in U.Va.'s nickel defense. He played safety as a Prince George senior and has excellent coverage skills.

Still, he said, "I always felt I was a natural linebacker because I flow to the ball pretty quickly," he said.

CHANCE TO SHINE: If a visitor to U.Va.'s practices over the weekend hadn't known better, he might have thought Scott Deke was the team's No. 1 quarterback.

With returning starter Jameel Sewell recovering from wrist surgery, the Cavaliers' other scholarship quarterbacks, Deke and Marc Verica, have gotten more repetitions than usual. Deke, a rising junior who has yet to play in a college game, took more snaps with the first-team offense this weekend than did Verica, a freshman who redshirted last season.

Sewell's reps are being closely monitored.

"It's like doing a pitch count on him," Groh said. "We count the pitches every day and decide how much more is advisable for him to take. And we're obviously taking some input from him, too."

NO SHOW: Outside linebacker Olu Hall, who sat out last season to concentrate on his schoolwork, has been conspicuously absent since the Cavaliers began spring drills last week. Hall has some issues that must be resolved, said Groh, who didn't elaborate. But Groh said Hall may well start practicing this season.

Hall, a former Robinson High star, will be a redshirt sophomore this season. -- Jeff White
 

Virginia takes two of three from 'Canes
After winning Friday and Saturday, Cavs unable to complete series sweep against Miami as they drop yesterday's game 4-2
JP Stroman, Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

The Virginia baseball team had a productive weekend, taking two of three games from Miami, last year's runner-up in the College Baseball World Series. This comes on the heels of a series win against then-No. 1 UNC and an 11-1 victory against Richmond.

In Friday's game, sophomore starter Jacob Thompson went 8innings, throwing 114 pitches that helped achieve an impressive 4-1 victory. He gave up only one run and struck out 10.

"This is how we've been playing as of late," Virginia coach Brian O'Connor said, "I hope that this is the kind of team that we are. Our players are playing very aggressively in all facets of the game -- pitching, defense, base-running, swinging the bats offensively -- it's a great overall win."

O'Connor was also pleased with Thompson's outing, as he helped lead the Cavaliers to a win in the first of a three-game set against the Hurricanes.

"Jacob Thompson pitched as good tonight as I've seen him pitch in his career," O'Connor said Friday. "That's what a Friday-night starter needs to do against a good opponent is pitch deep in to the ballgame and give his team a chance to win."

Sophomore centerfielder Blake Tekotte went two for four and scored Miami's only run in the game.

In Saturday's game, freshman pitcher Matt Packer contributed another solid outing for Virginia, going 5 1/3 innings. Sophomore Andrew Carraway and senior Casey Lambert went the rest of the way to combine on a five-hit shutout. The win marked the first time in 168 games that Miami has been shut out.

Sophomore leftfielder Brandon Guyer went 2 for 3 and drove in a run for the Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers, however, were unable to complete the series sweep Sunday, falling to the Hurricanes 4-2. Miami's deadly 3-4-5 hitters did the most damage, with sophomore Yonder Alonso, freshman Mark Sobolewski and senior Roger Tomas each driving in a run.

"You got to know that, especially after you take two games from anybody in the conference, the Sunday game they're going to come ready to play," junior pitcher Sean Doolittle said Sunday after the game. "You got to be able to have your best day, even if you've won the past two games."

Despite the loss, Doolittle pitched well for Virginia, allowing two runs and two hits in six innings of work. He also led off the eighth inning with a solo home run. Senior right fielder Tim Henry went 1 for 4 and drove in the other run for the Cavaliers.

Virginia also made a few crucial mental mistakes that, in a close game, cost them the chance to score runs that might have won them the game. Sophomore David Adams was thrown out at third in the fourth inning by Miami senior catcher Richard O'Brien when he hesitated to return to the base after taking a large lead before the pitch.

"I just told them that we didn't deserve to win today because we didn't play the game the right way," O'Connor said. "I spoke about those kind of things, those little things, getting picked off bases and not executing when you have opportunities to drive runs in."

Virginia's next game will be against George Mason at Davenport Field Tuesday. O'Connor has not yet decided who will start.

 

Cavaliers get big win on road
Cavs down Johns Hopkins to improve to 7-1, get another big game from Rubeor
Megan McDonald, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

The Virginia men's lacrosse team not only went head-to-head with Johns Hopkins Saturday on the Blue Jays' home turf, but defeated them 7-5.

"I am really proud of our team," Virginia coach Dom Starsia said. "It's been a defining characteristic so far that we have played hard in every instance. This is one of those wins that holds up when you are looking at teams at the end of the season."

Hopkins' only lead of the game came early in the first quarter when senior Jake Byrne scored in the fourth minute. It was short-lived, however, because less than 30 seconds later, sophomore Danny Glading answered to even the game at 1-1. That goal marked the beginning of a 4-1 run that allowed Virginia (7-1) to pull ahead early on.

After a slashing call on Hopkins (4-2), Glading took advantage of the extra man opportunity and scored once again. Shortly thereafter, a pass junior Ben Rubeor intended for sophomore Steve Giannone found the back of the net, and the Cavaliers were up by two. Rubeor then tallied his second goal of the game, and 28th of the season, with the over-the-shoulder shot any Virginia fan would recognize.

"We were lucky enough to get out to an early lead," Rubeor said. "Once we got that lead, we worked for the quality shot and I thought that [Hopkins senior goalie Jesse] Schwartzman made some very good saves that prevented us from extending the lead."

Both offenses were held at bay for most of the second quarter. Hopkins junior Paul Rabil managed to score and bring the Blue Jays within two, but big plays from Virginia's defense and midfield quickly swung the momentum back in the Cavaliers' favor. With only 1:25 left in the half, Virginia senior goalkeeper Kip Turner came up with a huge save that the midfielders then turned into a fast break opportunity. With four Cavaliers pitted against three Blue Jays, junior Will Barrow had what was arguably the most dramatic goal of the game.

"Will Barrow may have been our MVP," Starsia said after the game. "He was terrific today. He has just gotten back, he's just gotten healthy again and just back to our team."

Also back in the midfield for Virginia Saturday was redshirt freshman Max Pomper, who saw his first real minutes since suffering an Achilles heel injury during the first part of the 2006 season.

"As we get guys back we have been trying to mix and match the pieces," Starsia said. "With guys like Will and Max starting to get healthy, that's one of the ways we are going to continue to improve over the course of the season."

Despite these players' return, the team demonstrated there is still room for improvement. The second half was characterized by sloppy play at both ends of the field with poor passes and balls thrown too far or too high. Yet Virginia continued to dominate possession. Freshman Brian Carroll scored for the first time in five games and Rubeor tallied his third goal of the afternoon to make it 7-2.

In the fourth, Hopkins made a run at the Cavaliers but ultimately could not surmount the five-goal deficit. Virginia's defense held the Blue Jays -- who had scored 17 goals in the week before against Syracuse -- to only five.

"The key to this game was that we were able to control the individual match-ups on defense," Starsia said. "Also, Kip [Turner] never gets quite enough credit for how good he has been for us. I certainly thought you were looking at two of the best goalies in the country out there today."

The win at Homewood Field marks Virginia's seventh in a row. It is currently the longest winning streak in the nation and one the Cavaliers will look to extend when they face their first ACC opponent, Maryland, this weekend.