Cavs' CB taking on role of coach
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
April 13, 2006

Marcus Hamilton is suddenly a man among boys.
When the cornerback looks around the practice field it sinks in - no one on Virginia's defense has been around as long as Hamilton.

"I am the old man on defense," Hamilton quipped, "and the only senior on the defense."

When Hamilton signed a National Letter of Intent in 2002, he was one of the lesser-known names in the Cavaliers' class.

Darryl Blackstock now plays linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals. Kai Parham and Kwakou Robinson are anxiously awaiting the NFL Draft. Willie Davis had his career cut short by an injury. Ahmad Brooks, Tony Franklin and Stefan Orange were unable to complete their eligibility.

Hamilton would be a former Cavalier himself, had it not been for an injury he suffered in the second game of the 2002 season.

After returning two punts for 11 yards at Florida State, Hamilton was injured on kickoff coverage. The injury led to a redshirt season for Hamilton.

Four years and 10 interceptions later, Hamilton finds himself acting the part of an unpaid secondary coach.

"I'm just trying to help some of the young guys grow," Hamilton said, "and do whatever I can to help them improve."

The preseason All-American has some help.

Mike London, UVa's defensive coordinator, is back after a one-year stint as an assistant with the Houston Texans, and the secondary has a new position coach - 37-year veteran Steve Bernstein joined the program in the offseason.

The new additions, Hamilton said, gives every player on the young defense a fresh start.

"We have a new secondary coach, we have a new defensive coordinator and you have a clean slate," Hamilton said. "Everybody just needs to come out and show what they have every practice and compete every day, and the defense will be pretty good I think."

London, in particular, has caught Hamilton's eye. And his ear.

"He knows the defense and he knows what we're like, but he also brings an NFL edge to it and his enthusiasm is incredible," the cornerback said. "He has so much energy out there. That's what has been fun, having him running around, jumping around and laughing with us."

While Hamilton is considered a lock for the starting lineup, he admits that he can and will get better. He did it last year - Hamilton was one of the recipients of the Rock Weir Award, given annually to the most improved player in spring practice.

He has spent the spring working on his "jams," among other things.

"I want to try to improve on my lateral quickness, moving side-to-side," Hamilton said. "There are just little things, and if I can improve on those things it will help my game tremendously."

Olsen on point

Christian Olsen, a rising senior, remains the No. 1 quarterback in spring practice. Groh confirmed that on Wednesday during a teleconference.

"[Christian] is doing a nice job," Groh said. "We have seen good development out of everybody who has been involved, but it is pretty much the way that I had said in the beginning - Chris is going to go into that first huddle until somebody shows that there should be a change."

Rising junior Kevin McCabe, rising sophomore Scott Deke and redshirt freshman Jameel Sewell have worked in practice behind Olsen.

Hamilton, who has worked on the field at cornerback against all four, said each one of the signal callers have looked good during the spring.

"They each do something differently," Hamilton said. "They're all doing well and I can't pick one who is doing anything better than the other, but they are all making strides in their game and that is what we need out there."

Extra points

Virginia's nonconference game at East Carolina on Oct. 7 is scheduled to start 6 p.m., according to ECU's official Web site, and will be televised live on College Sports Television (CSTV). Virginia's final open practice will begin Friday at 4 p.m. Groh declined on Wednesday to discuss the recent arrests of Eddie Pinigis and Zak Stair on misdemeanor charges stemming from an incident at a fraternity house. Groh is expected to meet with the players after the legal process has run its course. "I've learned over the years in this position that in most circumstances," Groh said, "it's not a question of the old saying that there are always two sides to every story, but that there's usually about 17 sides to every story."
 

UVa recruit Ogide backs out of letter of intent
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress staff writer
April 13, 2006

Andy Ogide won't be signing with Virginia after all. On Wednesday, sources confirmed that Ogide and UVa mutually agreed to part ways.
The 6-foot-8 Ogide, a senior forward at Paulding County (Dallas, Ga.), had given his verbal commitment in November.

The decommitment of Ogide on the first day of the spring signing period didn't come as a total shock. Virginia had six players on board for next season and only five scholarships at its disposal.

Ogide, according to those in the know, has plenty of raw ability but is the most unpolished of the six.

The loss of Ogide frees up a scholarship for Ryan Pettinella, a rugged 6-8 transfer from the University of Pennsylvania. Pettinella, who will be a junior next season, committed to Virginia in January.

Previous speculation had the New York native - who was briefly at the University of Cincinnati before Bob Huggins was forced out - joining UVa as a walk-on if a scholarship didn't become available.

Virginia will most likely sign just one player during the spring period - 6-5 swingman Solomon Tat from Community Christian (Stockbridge, Ga.). Many believe the native of Nigeria is the most talented member of coach Dave Leitao's first recruiting class. However, Tat has been battling a visa problem that is threatening his stay in the country.

The other members of the 2006 class are Will Harris, Jamil Tucker and Johnnie Lett. The trio inked their letters during the early signing period.

The incoming class also includes recruited walk-on Andy Burns, a 6-8 forward from Bishop Ireton High in Alexandria.

Sam Zeglinski, a point guard from William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia, has verbally committed to Virginia for Leitao's 2007 class.

 

Cavs barely miss Lancers' stab
After trading runs all game, Virginia finally secures win in bottom of eighth
Tom Kress, Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

The No. 17 Virginia baseball team outlasted the Longwood Lancers Wednesday, 6-4. The Cavaliers scored two runs in the eighth inning to win a game in which both starting pitchers lasted six innings and reach a record of 28-9.

Virginia's lineup ran Longwood starter Brian McCullough's pitch total up to 118 over six and two-thirds innings. Still, in the seventh inning after McCullough hit Virginia third baseman Patrick Wingfield with a pitch, the Longwood junior showed quick reflexes by gloving a line drive back to the pitcher's mound to make the final out of the inning.

The dogfight of a game was not unexpected.

"We knew [sophomore Pat McAnaney] would have to pitch a low run game," Virginia coach Brian O'Connor said. "Pat did a great job being matched up with Longwood's number one [pitcher]."

Still, the Cavaliers were unable to capitalize on key scoring opportunities. In total, Virginia stranded 10 runners on base, including being unable to bring junior Tim Henry home after a lead-off triple in the fifth. The game began as a pitching duel, going scoreless into the fifth.

The Cavaliers finally took advantage of their persistence late in the game, first knocking the submariner McCullough out in the seventh, and then pounding reliever Aaron Berg for two runs in the eighth.

The Cavaliers started off the game with Henry earning a lead-off walk, but Virginia didn't break into the scoring column until the fourth inning.

"We were getting guys in position to score," Henry said. "We knew that if we used the same approach, runs would come across. It'd be more frustrating if we weren't getting guys in scoring position."

The difficulty faced by Virginia's offense to close in some innings was shared by starter Pat McAnaney. In many at-bats, McAnaney could not get a third strike on the Longwood batters. McAnaney started off strong and finished with seven strike-outs, but most of the Lancers' five hits off of Virginia's starter came after the count had gone full. Reliever Michael Schwimer pitched the seventh and eighth innings and took the win in his set up role for junior Casey Lambert. Lambert only gave up a single hit in the top of the ninth to seal the win for the Cavaliers.

Smart base running was another key to the win for Virginia. After Ryan Hudson hit a pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth inning, junior Mike Mitchell came in to pinch-run for Hudson, and Mitchell eventually scored.

"It was an important run, the go-ahead run," O'Connor said. "With team speed you can put pressure on people every ball game."

Even though many of the runners were stranded, the Cavaliers still had no problem getting runners into scoring position, and designated hitter Sean Doolittle added a stolen base to Virginia's success on the base paths.

On paper, the Cavaliers were expected to win this game against the in-state opponent, yet Longwood, especially behind McCullough, their ace, played a lot better than their 18-19 record suggests. The Lancers kept the game close, but, eventually, their three errors came back to haunt them, as Virginia's final run came on a passed ball.

"Every team has to come in here ready to play," outfielder Brandon Marsh said.

The Cavaliers now look forward to a weekend series at home against ACC rival Boston College.

 

Virginia needs to reconect with America's pastime
Barney Breen-Portnoy, Virginia Needs To Get Interested In America's Pastime

Virginia baseball coach Brian O'Connor has a special request for Virginia's student body: Show up and be rowdy this weekend at Davenport Field when the Cavaliers take on Boston College in a critically important three-game series. These three games could make or break Virginia's positioning in the ACC's Coastal Division, and O'Connor wants to encourage Virginia's students to come out in full force to help send the Eagles back to Boston licking grievous wounds.

Students no longer have an excuse for not showing up at baseball games. O'Connor brought a winning brand of baseball with him when he arrived in Charlottesville three years ago, and Davenport Field itself has been upgraded into one of the premier baseball facilities in the ACC. The fan experience at Davenport will only improve in 2007 when a video scoreboard is installed. Future plans for expanded seating along the baselines as well as outfield grandstand seating are also in the works. Virginia has made the commitment to building a top-tier baseball program, and it is time for the student body to respond.

While attendance has improved in recent years, there is still a palpable level of apathy towards the baseball program among the student body. At many schools, baseball games are must-see events. At Vanderbilt, for example, students camp out for prime positioning at Hawkins Field. To me, it seems puzzling that student support for Virginia baseball has not markedly increased as the program's success has skyrocketed in recent years. It seems to me as if Virginia baseball games could easily become prime tailgating and social events for Virginia students. There is nothing more relaxing than an afternoon at the ballpark.

Even among the students that do come to games, there is nowhere near the level of passionate rowdiness that is exhibited at football or basketball games and, to a lesser extent, soccer and lacrosse games. Students need to remember that this is baseball, not Sunday Mass. While Virginia may have one of the nicer stadiums in the conference, it is lacking the strong level of student fan support that would give the Cavaliers a true home field advantage.

Over the past two seasons, I have covered or attended baseball games at several other ACC schools, and I have seen the effect that a raucous student section can have on the action on the diamond. Of the schools I have visited, the fans at Clemson, Florida State and N.C. State create the most intimidating environments for opposing squads. Clemson is a scary place because of how intimidating its fans are, while Florida State's fans easily translate their ardor for football to the baseball diamond.

N.C. State provides a model that could be emulated by Virginia. N.C. State's students congregate down the third base line in a section designated as Avent's Army in honor of N.C. State coach Elliott Avent. The students use statistics and various other interesting informational tidbits to relentlessly get under the skin of the Cavaliers.

I have played in or witnessed hundreds of baseball games in my lifetime, and I can hardly remember heckling that was more effective than that which spewed forth from the mouths of Avent's Army. Virginia never appeared to be comfortable on the field during a weekend in which it was swept by the Wolfpack. I truly feel that Virginia would have won at least one of those games if the series was played in front of a placid crowd.

Virginia's students could easily create such an environment at Davenport Field. Virginia's players and coaches have exerted enormous efforts to bring a good name to Virginia baseball, and they deserve the steadfast support of the student body. So come out to Davenport Field this weekend and give those Eagles a rude welcoming to Davenport Field. O'Connor and his players will be most appreciative.

 

Virginia secures win for Seniors
Cavaliers soundly defeat George Mason in last regular season home game
Andrew Tracey, Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

The Virginia women's lacrosse team celebrated Senior Night Wednesday evening with a 13-9 victory over the George Mason Patriots (7-5) at Klöckner Stadium.

The night began with a commemoration of the team's seven seniors, and the excitement continued into the start of the game as the No. 3 Cavaliers stormed out to an early lead. Scoring five unanswered goals in the first five minutes of the game, their strong momentum lasted for the entire first half. They won 21 draw controls on the night, which was enough to tie a school record, while senior captain Tyler Leachman recorded her 100th career draw control.

Standout freshman Blair Weymouth scored two of her three goals in the first half and recorded an assist. Similarly, junior Jess Wasilewski put two of her three points on the board in the Cavalier's first-half barrage. Leachman and senior captain Nikki Lieb also made their presence known on what may have been their last game at Klöckner. Leachman tallied two goals and two assists, while Lieb scored one goal and assisted Leachman once.

"I was really excited with our first half," Virginia coach Julie Myers said. "I think people worked hard and connected on the field. There was great teamwork all over the place, and everyone was able to rotate in and really contribute to the overall performance."

However, in the locker room during halftime, the Patriots made some key changes to their gameplan that were immediately evident in the second half. George Mason's offense was determined to be a factor in the game, aggressively driving to score the first three goals of the half. They would go on to score a total of six second-half goals, while holding Virginia to only three.

"They made some adjustments; they switched their defense up on us and caught us a little off guard," Leachman said. "I think they started taking the ball to the goal a little more, being more aggressive, and we lost our focus."

Despite the poor second-half performance, Virginia's lead was large enough that they were able to come out with a win.

"The second half was definitely a little disappointing," Myers said. "But our highs were high and then our lows were enough to overcome."

George Mason has given Virginia trouble in the past, as the Cavaliers were only able to come away with a 12-7 victory in last year's match.

The Cavaliers received solid performances from all the seniors on their special night, with Leachman leading the team by recording two goals and four assists. Lieb had a tremendous game as well, scoring twice with one assist. Senior captain Meredith Lazarus, as well as Kim Connors and Julie Hauser, turned in a solid performance. Finally, senior Chelsea Metz, who has battled for time during her four seasons on the team, was able to contribute significantly during what may be her final home game.

"This senior class has really created so many successful games and stories. It's nice for them," Myers said.

The Cavaliers, who improved their record to 12-2, will now prepare to play their next game this Friday in Blacksburg against in-state rival Virginia Tech.

 

In John Paul Jones, lets give normal ticketing systems a SHOT
Sean McLernon, Cavalier Daily Columnist

One of the biggest perks of being a student fan at U.Va. is the free admission to all Virginia sporting events. Unlike other major institutions, Virginia students don't have to shell out a few bucks to get tickets to football and basketball games.

But beyond getting tickets free of charge, the aspect I like most about the student fan admissions policy is the on-demand aspect of it. There's no need to reserve tickets ahead of time -- if you feel like attending a game, all you have to do is show up with your student ID card. This gives student fans an incentive to broaden their horizons and check out some of the Olympic sports, like the perpetual top-ten men's and women's soccer and lacrosse programs.

Feel like catching a volleyball match? Just head over to Mem Gym and show your card. Tennis? Just stop by Snyder on your way to Clemons and take a look at the two-time defending ACC champion men's tennis team. The women's squad, which just cracked the top 25, is worth watching as well.

Even for football and basketball, fans didn't have to worry about planning ahead of time. Until 2004, that is.

That was the first year Virginia implemented its online ticket reservation system for men's basketball games. The program was dubbed SHOTS, which is an acronym for something like "Sorry, Here's Our Tedious System."

SHOTS required student fans to register for tickets five to six days in advance of the game. The tickets were still free but now had the added inconvenience of forcing a student to plan days ahead of time.

You would have thought that after two years of having the system in place, somebody in the athletic department would have taken a comprehensive look at some of the attendance numbers to see how the new system affected student turnout at men's basketball games. They didn't, of course. But thankfully, fourth-year economics student Shrayes Ramesh did in his distinguished major's thesis.

A former associate sports editor at the Cavalier Daily, Ramesh gathered data from the Virginia Athletics Ticketing Office and ran a series of regressions on the data. He discovered that attendance has neither improved nor declined under the system, but attendance has been redistributed.

Ramesh found that for games against top opponents, which usually draw the highest interest among student fans, student attendance was down. For contests against lower-quality teams, attendance increased.

"The lottery system rewards people for going to crappy games," Ramesh said. "People are opting to go to games against teams like Long Island and Liberty instead of better opponents."

Ramesh believes this is happening because students think that getting tickets for these games are a lot easier, while they don't even think it is worth trying for games against North Carolina and Duke. Students are rewarded with loyalty points for every game they go to and many seem to think that missing a few games will hurt their chances of obtaining tickets for critical ACC contests.

The numbers show otherwise, however. In the two years SHOTs has been in place, there has been only one game where demand has exceeded supply, and that was a Dec. 31 contest against Wake Forest during winter break. In almost two dozen contests during the last two years when classes were in session, every student that has requested a ticket through SHOTS was able to get one.

"They wanted to improve student attendance, and this system really isn't designed to do that," Ramesh said.

The system instead discourages students from attending the games that matter the most. The Athletics Ticketing Office and the Athletic Department in general has an incentive for shutting these students out, because the extra tickets that had historically been used by students could be sold to the public for profit.

But with the Cavaliers moving into the John Paul Jones Arena, this motive will no longer be there. The 15,000-plus seat arena will not fill to capacity for most games in at least the first few seasons. Additionally, there will be even more space for students in the new arena, giving the Athletic Department brass extra incentive to up student attendance.

Abolishing the SHOTS system will help make that happen. More students will be inclined to attend the more important games -- those aired on ESPN and seen by a national television audience. While poor attendance in an untelevised contest against Longwood may be slightly embarrassing, it's more important to open up the system and let every student know that he or she will have the chance to see the Cavaliers play the top teams in the ACC. All they have to do is show up with their student ID card.

There is clearly no need for this system here at Virginia. The first online distribution system for student tickets, the one which Virginia based its own system on, was developed at Maryland following a Feb. 2002 incident where several students were injured during a rush to get into Cole Field House for a game against Duke. No such danger exists here at Virginia.

There is no excuse to put up hurdles for students who want to attend men's basketball games; especially not with a massive new arena set to open next season. A return to the system used by every other Virginia sport is in order. Let U.Va. students know that they are welcome to attend any men's basketball game they want and make it as easy as possible for them to do so. With Virginia's JPJ debut on the horizon, now is a better time than ever to make the change.