Band of brothers: Family’s tenure at Virginia coming to an end
By Whitey Reid
Published: April 9, 2009

In the fall, Gary Gill nearly had to splash water on his face. There they were — his three sons playing on the same lacrosse field, on the same team.
Man, had time flown by quickly.
During Virginia’s annual game versus its alumni, the coaching staff had switched Gill’s youngest son, Gavin, to the alumni squad so that he could play with older brothers Conor (‘02) and Brendan (‘05). The net result was an all-Gill attack.
Because of their age gaps, it was the first time that the Gills had ever played on the same field or on the same team, let alone on the same offensive unit.
When the game was over, the three brothers posed for a picture.
Talk about a Kodak moment.
This season represents the end of an era. Gavin is a senior and that means this will be the 11th and final year that a Gill will be starring on the Virginia attack.
Unfortunately for UVa coach Dom Starsia, Gary and Laurie Gill are out of sons.
“I tell [them] as often as I see them that, ‘What is it that makes them so lucky?’” said Starsia, whose No. 1-ranked team travels to Duke Saturday. “These are probably three of the most handsome, most respectful, thoughtful young guys that I’ve been around in all my years of coaching.
“Off the field in particular, you just couldn’t ask for a better lineage of young men to come to the University of Virginia and play lacrosse here. It’s a family that I have enjoyed every minute of getting to know.”
Gary Gill said this season has felt like a “Farewell Tour” for Laurie and him. They’ve been regulars at games since 1999. He wonders how they will occupy their newfound spare time next spring.
“I’ll be a little disappointed if my handicap in golf hasn’t gone down a little bit,” he joked. “I’ve always excused my average golf game for being so involved with lacrosse in the spring.”
Neither Gary nor Laurie Gill played sports in college, although Laurie excelled in swimming and lacrosse as a high-schooler.
It was Conor, the oldest of their sons, who first caught the lacrosse bug. Gary Gill could tell almost right away that Conor — even though he was only 6 when he first picked up a stick — had a knack for the sport.
“The one thing that he seemed like he had a special talent or special gift in was that he was a great feeder,” Gary Gill said. “He had a knack for getting the ball to people…he could hit the open man.”
Conor played baseball too before deciding to focus solely on lacrosse as he entered high school.
“As I got older, that’s what all my friends were playing and that was what was most fun to me,” said Conor, who currently works in product management and development for Under Armour in Baltimore, “and it just kind of progressed from there.”
Conor went on to become a two-time first-team All-American at Virginia. He was part of the 1999 NCAA championship team and finished his career tied for second in assists (146) and seventh in career points (223) in ACC history. In 2003, he was named to the league’s 50th Anniversary Team.
“Conor had an uncommon ability to see the open man and had a snap in his wrists,” Starsia said. “I’m not sure I’ve ever been around a better passer than Conor Gill … he just had that supple wrist snap that those kinds of athletes have. He just had some gifts.”
Brendan Gill, currently working in commercial real estate in Baltimore, didn’t blossom on the field until his senior season. While not as athletic as his older brother, his skills enabled Starsia to have a multi-pronged offensive attack that was centered around former All-American John Christmas.
Brendan was a member of the 2003 National Championship squad. As a senior, he tied for third on the team with 16 assists. His numbers weren’t as gaudy as Conor’s, but that wasn’t what his game was all about.
In 2006, Gavin arrived on grounds. On the championship-winning team, he finished fourth among ACC rookies with 10 assists. As a sophomore, he battled injuries but still managed some highlights, including a goal and two assists in the ACC Tournament finals against Duke.
Gavin says that over the years he has incorporated pieces of both Conor and Brendan’s game into his.
Last season was Gavin’s best to date. He set career-highs in goals (10) and assists (11).
This season, Gill has seven goals and six assists.
Gill’s success has hardly come as a surprise. In high school, he was a two-time first-team Baltimore Sun All-Met selection. He was also the recipient of the Martin D. Tullai Head Coaches Award for character and integrity.
While Gill has enjoyed some nice individual success the last couple of years, he says being a part of the 2006 championship squad is still his fondest memory.
“I didn’t get as much playing time my freshman year — I’ve had more of a significant role in the three years following,” Gill said, “but that was definitely the best thing that has happened in my athletic career — sitting on the field in Philadelphia and just knowing what we had accomplished with all of those guys.”
The Gill brothers have always pulled for each other over the years and have helped each other develop on and off the field.
The three remain in constant contact, sharing stories and doing their best impressions of Starsia.
“We talk about the little things in the program — joking about the coaches and that sort of thing,” Gavin said. “We don’t really talk about the X’s and O’s but more of the stuff outside of that.”
Starsia, like he has with many of his former players, has stayed in close touch with Conor and Brendan, even attending Brendan’s wedding.
“It’s a family that I know as well as any that I’ve been involved with in my 35 years of coaching college lacrosse,” Starsia said. “It’s just been a joy to get to know them all.
“You could just never imagine that 11 years could just go away and pass so quickly. It’s hard to imagine a Virginia lacrosse game without Gary and Laurie Gill on the sidelines and one of the Gill boys in uniform.”
One of the great things about the whole experience for Gary and Laurie, who also have a daughter, Meghan, has been the friendships they’ve made with parents through their kids over the years.
“It’s been truly amazing,” Gary said. “I feel very spoiled from it all — to have three kids attend the University of Virginia and have them all play on separate national championship teams … I think if someone told me that when Conor was 6 years old, I would not have believed it.”
Gary says it will be an emotional moment for him and Laurie when the final horn goes off at the end of this season. “It will be sad,” he said. “I’ve got some Irish in me, so I expect I’ll have a tear in my eye.”
This season, Gavin can do something that neither of his two older brothers were able to accomplish — win his second NCAA championship.
“I think we’ve all been really blessed to have won one [championship],” Conor Gill said. “Nothing would make [us] more happy than to see him get another one this season.”

 

Stanwick fills shoes of graduated Rubeor
Freshman notches 25 scores this season, starts in same jersey as graduate Rubeor
Jack Bird, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Published: Wednesday, April 8 2009

Freshman attackman Steele Stanwick is second on Virginia in goals (25) and third in assists (three) this year. Virginia freshman attackman Steele Stanwick joined the starting lineup of the Virginia men’s lacrosse team this year with big shoes to fill — those of former attackman Ben Rubeor.

Rubeor, a 2008 Virginia graduate, accrued 136 goals and 76 assists during his four-year collegiate career. As a senior, Rubeor was the go-to player on offense. In critical moments, Virginia coach Dom Starsia wanted Rubeor to be the man with the ball and to dictate how the game would proceed.

When Rubeor left the team last season, seniors Danny Glading and Garrett Billings remained as starting attackmen and Stanwick joined the three-man squad from Rubeor’s own high school, Loyola.

“I kind of looked up to Ben coming from Loyola,” Stanwick said. “He was always talked about [at our high school].”

Though they never played for Loyola at the same time, the two athletes were familiar with each other through reputation. Each gave accolades to the other’s lacrosse accomplishments before college, disputing who had a more successful high school career.

“More points — the kid was definitely better than I was,” Rubeor said.

“No,” Stanwick tried to correct. “I didn’t get the Kelly Award; he got the Kelly Award, which is the best high school player in the country.”

“That was out of mercy,” Rubeor said. “I hurt my arm senior year so they were like, ‘Oh wow, comeback kid — let’s give him an award.’”

The comparison between the two continued to the collegiate level, when Stanwick replaced Rubeor as the third wheel on attack and also inherited Rubeor’s No. 6 jersey.

“The number thing was kind of a coincidence,” Stanwick said. “I was actually 28 my freshman year at Loyola and then 6 was the only single left.”

Though Stanwick is surrounded by two of the best attackmen in the game right now, as a freshman he already has surpassed the 18 goals Rubeor scored his freshman year, notching 25 scores this season.

“When you have guys like Danny and Garrett on attack, teams are going to key to them more, so my hands are more open to shoot and feed,” Stanwick said.

Rubeor showed Stanwick around the University during his unofficial visit Stanwick’s junior year of high school, Stanwick said. Still today, Rubeor is able to offer advice to the younger athlete when he attends the games of his alma mater.

“He grabs me — tells me little things here and there that he sees,” Stanwick said.

As an attack unit, Billings, Glading and Stanwick have seemingly meshed together this season, with the three combining for 71 goals total.

“There are certain kids that when they come here they have an uncommon poise,” Starsia said. “From the first day that they are here they have a presence about them that tells you they are not going to be intimidated — they are going to be a little bit unflappable. Steele certainly has those qualities.”

As Stanwick comes into his own next to Billings and Glading, though, he will need to prepare for their departure next year where he will be the only returning starter on attack.

“It’s definitely going to be a reality shock losing those guys,” Stanwick said. “It’s going to be a different game without those two.”
Starsia, however, has confidence in Stanwick’s prospects.

“With Danny and Garrett getting ready to graduate this spring, it gives you some comfort as a coach to know that we’ll be able to turn things over to someone like Steele Stanwick,” Starsia said. “You can certainly see him in that mold of a U.Va attackman as a sort of quarterback of the offense.”

As a freshman, Stanwick benefits from being surrounded by Glading and Billings, Starsia said. But being surrounded by more experienced players gives Stanwick time enough to learn from miscues.

“Now he’s still a freshman, he still makes freshman mistakes,” Starsia said. “For him, a lot of these things are happening for the first time ... So this is a time of a lot of growth for him.”

One thing that Stanwick has yet to experience is a team loss, as Virginia is still undefeated this season. As the Cavaliers draw nearer to the playoffs and Stanwick toward his first NCAA Tournament, it might be that Stanwick is benefitting the team in more ways than just his scoring prowess; in the last three National Championships Starsia has won at Virginia, he had a freshman starter at attack.

“Maybe it’s a good luck charm,” Starsia said.

Although Rubeor may not share Starsia’s outlook about the role of chance or good luck in the tournament, he looks forward to Virginia’s chances.

“He’s as superstitious as they come,” Rubeor said about Starsia. “We’ll see if that one works out.”

 

Graduating duo hopes to leave lasting impression on program
Weymouth, McCulloch anchor Cavalier midfield; tandem aims to return Virginia to title game
Ben Gomez, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Published: Thursday, April 9 2009

Senior midfielder Blair Weymouth ranks in the top-five all-time at Virginia in goals, assists and points. Weymouth and fellow senior midfielder Ashley McCulloch are on track to graduate as two of the most decorated players in Cavalier lacrosse history.
Blair Weymouth and Ashley McCulloch.

Although these names may not be as familiar to Virginia lacrosse fans as Shamel Bratton and Danny Glading, the two deserve just as much recognition for their accomplishments. The All-American senior midfielders have not only led the Virginia women’s lacrosse team during their four years, but the two have etched their names in the record books while doing so. Arguably one of the best lacrosse duos ever to play at Virginia, Weymouth and McCulloch have led the Cavaliers to a 57-21 record during their time at Virginia, including a second-place finish in the 2007 NCAA Tournament.

“Not only are they great lacrosse players, they are really solid kids,” Virginia coach Julie Myers said. “They work hard when nobody is looking and they bring a great level of intensity and competitiveness to the team.”

A native of New Hampshire where she was a three-time high school All-American at The Holderness School, Weymouth has started in 53 of 55 games as a Cavalier and has earned All-American honors three times. If she is named an All-American after the 2009 season, she will become only the second Cavalier ever to have achieved the honor all four years of her career, the other being Amy Appelt. Weymouth boasts a multi-faceted game; she is currently ranked in the top-five all-time at Virginia in goals (182), assists (72) and points (254) — only the third Virginia player to be in the top-five in all three categories. She regards her time at Virginia as a “fun experience”, enjoying the opportunity to play with so many talented teammates in one of the toughest conferences in the country.

“It has just been a great four years,” Weymouth said. “I have enjoyed working with all of the different people who have come through here.”

This includes McCulloch. Their partnership has been a deadly one for opponents during the past four years, and together, they have helped push each other.

“The combination of Blair’s speed and athleticism with Ashley’s playmaking and field-sense makes them really hard to stop,” Myers said.
McCulloch has picked apart defenses throughout her career, dishing out 99 assists in 69 games, 56 of which she started — good for fourth all-time at Virginia. She also is arguably one of the team’s most valuable players, as she is charged with playing the role of the squad’s “quarterback,” Myers said.

“Playing with her has always been fun because she is such a smart player and has the skill to feed in balls that most other players aren’t necessarily going to get in to their attackers,” Weymouth said.

The duo has earned many individual accolades throughout their careers, but they have yet to achieve the ultimate team goal of a national championship. The Cavaliers came close in 2007, when they were runners-up to Northwestern. Virginia used a 10-0 run in the NCAA semifinals against Duke to complete the largest comeback ever in NCAA Championship history and to advance to the title game.

“It has been a great four years,” McCulloch said. “Hopefully, we will finish the season out strong and get back to that national championship game.”

Weymouth and McCulloch still have plenty of time to make a run at a national championship, but it is already clear that they will finish as two of the most decorated Cavalier players of all time — regardless of the season’s outcome.

“If I had to pick a team of attackers out of all of the players that have ever played, Blair and Ashley would be on that list,” Myers said.

Q&A with Molly McClintic
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 04/08/2009

Molly McClintic is a sophomore on the women’s lacrosse team who hails from Charlottesville. Following a win at Boston College last Saturday, McClintic stepped up as a defender against Harvard on Sunday to help the Cavaliers defeat the Crimson, 13-9.

Virginia has this week off before heading to George Mason next Tuesday for a 7 p.m. contest.

Question: With only a couple of games left, what is the team looking to accomplish in the remainder of the season?
McClintic: The wins over Boston College and Harvard this past weekend definitely got us back on track. With only two weeks left in the regular season, I think that our main goals are to use all of our hard work in practice to win every game from here on out so that we can be successful in both the ACC and NCAA tournament.

Question: What was the best part of the trip to Boston? Had you ever been there prior to this weekend?
McClintic: The best part of the trip to Boston was definitely winning both games, but also getting to spend time with the team in such a great city. My cousins live in Andover, so I have been into the city of Boston a couple of times to eat, shop and visit schools with them.

Question: Being from Charlottesville, what made you stay in the area to go to school?
McClintic: Having the opportunity to be a student-athlete at Virginia was and is one of the best things that will happen to me for a while. On top of that, Charlottesville is a great place to be and I couldn't think of a better city to spend four years of college.

Question: Now that you’ve almost completed your second year – what have been some of the perks to being so close to home? Are you able to go home a lot?
McClintic: I have a car this year, so I have definitely been able to go home more this year than last. It is really nice being able to swing by my house every now and then to eat lunch or dinner and see my family, but I try to limit my visits so that I learn to do things on my own.

Question: What is the most difficult part of the sport of lacrosse?
McClintic: Keeping up with all of the great players that you see today.

Question: Why do you like being defender?
McClintic: I like to be a defender because defense wins championships, and because you get to steal the ball rather than lose it.

Question: You were on a cup stacking team in high school. Tell me about that. What is it? Did you win anything? Who did you compete against?
McClintic: Cup stacking was a huge hit at St. Anne’s-Belfield School. It is basically a timed race between two teams of four or five people to see who can stack a set of 12 cups up in three set patterns the fastest. We had tryouts and practice during lunch everyday for about a month until our competition against the lower and middle school teams, which we lost. It sounds weird because I probably didn't explain it right, but it’s actually really fun.



 

Williford in Charlottesville - Doug Doughty/Roanoke Times

I don't know where else this is being reported and don't have the time to check, but a person in the know advises me that American University assistant Jason Williford has been in Charlottesville today to discuss a position on Tony Bennett's new Virginia basketball staff.

Williford, a former UVa player from the Richmond area, has more of a school and in-state connection than anybody on the Bennett staff, which will include associate head coach and former Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay and Bennett's former Washington State aide, Ron Sanchez.

As of 7:30 p.m., my source had not heard if an offer had been made to Williford.

 

Ex-Cav St. Clair lands big contract
Doug Doughty's College Notebook

In a profession where the average term of employment is 312 years, Roanoke's John St. Clair keeps defying the odds.

St. Clair, a graduate of William Fleming High School and the University of Virginia, recently signed with the Cleveland Browns for three years and a reported $9.1 million ($1.25 million guaranteed).

"You get to this point and you want to set yourself up for retirement," said St. Clair, an offensive lineman who has played in 107 games, including 55 starts, in his nine-year career.

St. Clair, 31, started all 16 games for the Chicago Bears last year at left tackle.

"My desire was to return to Chicago," St. Clair said, "but it didn't work out that way. They did make an initial offer, but it wasn't what I wanted, but they didn't make a counter offer. I wouldn't say it was a slap, but I was hoping they would step forward more than they did."

For Cleveland, St. Clair will move into the right tackle spot filled last year by Kevin Shaffer. Shaffer has since signed a free-agent contract with the Bears.

"That was ironic," St. Clair said, "Some people thought it was a trade, but, it wasn't like that."

St. Clair (6-6, 320 pounds) was an All-American center at Virginia but has played only one game at center in the NFL, when he was in his fourth season with St. Louis in 2003. St. Clair, originally a third-round pick of the Rams, spent one season in Miami before going to Chicago in 2005.

He had no prior contacts in Cleveland, which will be in its first season under previous New York Jets' head coach Eric Mangini.

"That's the good part," St. Clair said. "I'm not the only one learning the system. It's another transition. Nobody wants to move but you've got to do what you've got to do."

Besides, St. Clair has all the cold-weather gear he needs.

"They said it's about the same weather," he said. "Both stadiums are on the lake, with those cold breezes coming off the water. After my experience in Chicago, I don't know how it could be much colder."

Morgan on lookout

The dismissal of Appalachian State men's basketball coach Houston Fancher after nine seasons has put former Virginia basketball standout and Salem native Richard Morgan back on the job market.

Morgan, previously a Division I assistant at East Carolina and Hampton, spent three seasons as a Mountaineers assistant. He also was introduced as UVa's representative in the 2009 ACC Legends Class introduced at the ACC Tournament in Atlanta.

App. State fell to 13-18 this season after winning a combined 43 games in the previous two seasons, including a 25-8 mark in 2006-2007, when the Mountaineers beat Virginia in the San Juan Shootout.

Morgan, 42, was interviewed by North Carolina Central for its head-coaching position, which went to alumnus LeVelle Moton, who most recently had coached at several Raleigh, N.C.-area high schools.

"I'm a little wounded right now," said Morgan, who will keep a base in Boone, N.C., until his son finishes school. "If you know me, you know I'll bounce back some kind of way. We had one more year on our contract; we had the whole team coming back. I was very surprised by the outcome."

Morgan has inquired about staff vacancies at Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth and was interested in developments Wednesday at Liberty, where former aide Dale Layer was named coach.

 

Has UVa found an explosive combo?
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: April 9, 2009

Who knows what might have happened with Virginia football last fall if not for a change in plans last spring.
Cavaliers coach Al Groh revealed on Wednesday that plans were in place last spring to add Vic Hall to the offensive mix. Those plans were nixed, however, when two of the team’s cornerbacks (Chris Cook and Mike Brown) didn’t participate in spring drills, forcing the coaches to keep Hall at his corner spot.
Of course, we all saw what Hall did on one week’s worth of practice against Virginia Tech in the regular season finale when he took over at the improvised quarterback position in what he later termed the “Hoo-cat” version of the wildcat formation.
With a group of healthy corners this time around, Hall is getting plenty of exposure to Virginia’s new spread offense. He’s apparently getting looks at quarterback, but could it be that the Wahoos are going to use him in other ways as well?
Groh hinted Wednesday that was the case.
When asked if it was a possibility that both Jameel Sewell and Hall would be included in the offense at the same time, Groh’s reply was intriguing.
“Shall we say they are both versatile players?” the coach said.
A double dose?
With both those players involved in the Cavaliers’ no huddle, spread attack, things could be exciting at Scott Stadium this fall. Hall was explosive against the Hokies, who had trouble containing his bursts upfield. Sewell, who can also scramble with the best of ‘em, ranks ninth on the Virginia career passing list, not too shabby for a guy who has started for less than two full seasons.
When Gregg Brandon watched game film of UVa’s 2008 offense with Groh, he pointed out that the Cavaliers didn’t really have anyone on that side of the ball that scared people.
Well, now they do. Two of ‘em.
A new headache
Sewell put a lot of gray hairs on the heads of opposing defensive coordinators his sophomore season before academics cost him last year’s campaign. Hall may make those hairs fall out in 2009.
Can you imagine being a defensive coordinator trying to scheme against stopping both those guys lined up across from you all game long?
Groh has to be excited because the only two poor seasons he’s had of late, 2006 and 2008, one could trace the shortcomings to a couple of common denominators. Less production at quarterback than expected was the chief reason why those two teams suffered, along with inexperienced offensive lines and shaky kicking games.
Quarterback should not be a problem this fall. The offensive line should be much improved, and the kicking game should also improve under the direction of Ron Prince, although Groh said the actual place-kicking hasn’t blown him away so far this spring.
“Last year showed we could use some significant upgrade when the foot is on the ball,” Groh said. “I would like to say it has been better than spotty this spring, but thus far it has been pretty spotty.”
Sewell, who has passed for 3,518 yards and 17 touchdowns, is working hard in practice and obviously pleased to be back in his environment after missing last season.
“Jameel is showing that type of ‘happy-to-be-back’ mentality,” Groh said. “He is also showing some of the rust and some of the erratic play at a position that requires precision, after having been inactive for a considerable period of time.”
Playing quarterback is not like falling off a bicycle, although Sewell has experience at that as well (i.e. his freshman season). One can’t just pick up where one left off and look like Peyton Manning.
But that’s what spring practice is all about.

Virginia's o-line gives new offense stability
April 7, 2009 2:46 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

It's tough to find faces that aren't new on Virginia's offense this spring -- the Cavaliers have a new offensive coordinator in Gregg Brandon, they'll likely make a switch at quarterback, and they've got to find new leading receivers and rushers. The stability, though, can be found where college offenses usually need it the most -- up front.

With the exception of NFL-bound left tackle Eugene Monroe, Virginia returns four starters on the offensive line, including senior right tackle Will Barker. Barker enters his fourth season with 37 career starts. Next to him is junior B.J. Cabbell at right guard. Cabbell proved to be an effective blocker last season in his first year as the starter. Fellow junior Jack Shields was another first-time starter a year ago who improved throughout the season.

Sophomore Austin Pasztor moved into the starting line-up in the fifth week against Maryland and remained there the rest of the season.

"Everything seems to be going real smooth," Shields said. "We've been picking up the new offense really well, even into the two-and three deep, everyone has a good grasp on it. It looks really promising. It really does look like everything is going the way we want it."

Sophomore Landon Bradley backed up Monroe and while he lacks game experience, Bradley has been getting the bulk of the reps there this spring.

"With everyone getting a lot of experience last year and Landon, he's been around for a while, so he's gotten a lot of experience at practice being around some of the older guys," Barker said. "We're all ready to go, especially in this new offense. We're really excited about it.

"There's a lot of new things we've had to learn, but there's also been a lot of carryover from our old offense," he said. "We were able to use some of the same communication, language, terminology. I think we're all pretty happy about it. We feel pretty comfortable after a couple of weeks to learn it, we feel pretty solid about it now.

While the starters have somewhat cemented their roles, depth is usually an issue and Virginia is no exception. Sophomore center Anthony Mihota is the only other lineman who has seen any significant playing time, as he started in place of an injured Shields in last season's finale against Virginia Tech.

Without hesitation, Shields said the area the line needs to make the most improvement is in the running game. Despite talented tailback Cedric Peerman lining up almost every game, Virginia ranked 108th in the country and last in the ACC in rushing offense last year.

"We definitely need to make drastic improvement there," he said. "We're just watching a lot of film and focusing hard on the techniques ... we're just drilling and drilling. Drills that might seem pointless to some people but in reality once you get the hang of them it becomes second nature and that's what you need in the run game -- coming off the ball with the right speed, fitting on the linebackers the right way."

They did well in protecting the quarterbacks, though, and led the ACC in fewest sacks allowed. (1.33 per game).

"Obviously we want to score a lot more points this year, and I think we will," Barker said. "The pass protection has been pretty good for us. If we get this run game going we'll be pretty good too."






 

Virginia stumbles against non-conference foe Stony Brook
Squad follows up Tuesday shutout with shocking 6-2 slip-up at home Wednesday
Paul Montana, Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor
Published: Thursday, April 9 2009

Freshman designated hitter Danny Hultzen went 2-for-4 while tallying one run in the Cavaliers’ 6-2 loss against the Seawolves Wednesday night at Davenport Field. Hultzen was the only Virginia player to hit safely more than once. For fans that streamed in a few minutes late to Davenport Field last night, they likely were stunned to see a “5” on the scoreboard for the Stony Brook baseball team against Virginia in the first inning.

With a Virginia offense that averaged 9.5 runs per game going into the evening, however, fans also likely felt comfortable that the Cavalier bullpen could hold off the Seawolves and allow the offense to bring the team back.

But last night simply was not the Cavaliers’ night. Though the bullpen did its job for the most part, untimely hitting, fielding and baserunning errors contributed to Virginia’s first nonconference loss of the season, as the Seawolves defeated the Cavaliers 6-2 at Davenport Field.

“This game came down to our lack of playing good, fundamental baseball,” Virginia coach Brian O’Connor said. “You give [Stony Brook] all the credit in the world — they did a nice job, and they beat us in our own ballpark.”

It was junior Jeff Lorick who put Virginia in the early five-run hole in his fifth consecutive midweek start of the season. Lorick has had trouble with his command in spots all season and came into the evening with a 4.13 ERA in six midweek starts; yesterday certainly was his weakest performance of the season. After retiring the first two batters to start the game, Stony Brook batted through the rest of its lineup with two outs in the first, scoring five runs before O’Connor pulled Lorick for sophomore pitcher Shane Halley. With runners on first and second, Halley grounded out Stony Brook’s leadoff hitter, freshman catcher Pat Cantwell, to retire the side and finally end the damage.

Lorick “got the first two guys out, and looked very comfortable and pitched well,” O’Connor said. “It’s tough to come back when you fall behind 5-0 in the first inning.”

Virginia did take a chunk out of the deficit with two runs in the fourth off Stony Brook sophomore starting pitcher Evan Stecko-Haley. Freshman designated hitter Danny Hultzen led off with a triple over the head of senior centerfielder Michael Tansey, and sophomore right fielder Dan Grovatt was hit by a pitch, giving the Cavaliers first and third with no outs. Freshman third baseman Steven Proscia scored Hultzen on a sacrifice fly, and junior catcher Franco Valdes followed with a shot to the right center-field gap to score Grovatt from first.

Sensing an opportunity to steal a win from Virginia, Stony Brook coach Matt Senk then sent some of his best pitchers to the hill to keep the Cavaliers at bay. The four pitchers Senk sent out after the fourth inning included the team’s leaders in ERA who made at least two appearances this season. That list included freshman Nick Tropeano, the Seawolves’ Saturday starter.

All told, Stony Brook held the Cavaliers scoreless after Stecko-Haley was removed.

The four pitchers “all had pretty good arms and knew how to pitch,” O’Connor said. “When you have a deficit, that’s tough to come back from.”

Junior John Bivens gave Virginia some hope when he led off the eighth with a pinch-hit single. On the first pitch to the next batter, however, Bivens took off on a ball in the dirt and was easily gunned down by Cantwell.

“John knows in that situation, when you’re down four runs, you can’t do that — the ball’s got to go to the backstop,” O’Connor said. “He did a nice job of getting a hit to lead off the inning. We’ve just gotta be better at baserunning at that period — you can’t just give up free outs.”

Bivens’ baserunning error loomed large as the inning continued. With two outs in the inning, both sophomore center fielder Jarrett Parker and sophomore second baseman Phil Gosselin walked. With runners on first and second and two outs though — rather than the bases loaded and one out if Bivens had stayed put at first — Hultzen grounded out weakly to second to end the inning.

“It is [a big error],” O’Connor said, “but that play wasn’t one that cost us this ballgame. What cost us this game was you fall behind 5-0 in the first inning.”

The Cavaliers also threatened in the sixth, putting runners on second and third with two outs, but Valdes flied to deep center field to put another zero on the board.

“We got hits throughout the game,” Valdes said. “We just couldn’t get them all together in one inning like how we usually do.”

The Cavaliers were also not especially sharp in the field, making two errors and several other mistakes that led to runs. A miscommunication between Parker and Coleman on a fly ball to left centerfield led to a two-RBI double for the final two runs of the first.

Then, to begin the sixth, back-to-back blunders resulted in the Seawolves’ final run of the evening. First, Stony Brook sophomore second baseman Chad Marshall knocked a routine groundball back to Virginia junior Neal Davis on the mound, but it resulted in an infield single as freshman first baseman Jared King slipped on the grass and could not get back to cover the bag. Davis then attempted to pick Marshall off first base, but King could not handle the throw, moving Marshall to second. Sophomore designated hitter Nick Thode then shot a groundball down the first base line to score Marshall.

On the bright side for Virginia, both Halley and sophomore pitcher Justin Thompson — the younger brother of Jacob Thompson, a 2008 graduate and a first-team All-American in 2007 — had outstanding outings. Halley threw 3 1/3 no-hit innings behind Lorick; then, after Davis gave up a run in 1 1/3 innings of work, Thompson entered and allowed one run on no hits in two innings of work.

Another sophomore pitcher, Robert Morey, threw four shutout innings and allowed two hits in the Cavaliers’ 8-0 win Tuesday against Stony Brook.

“I think these two games [against Stony Brook] served us well,” O’Connor said. “Obviously I would’ve liked to have won both of them ... I’m liking what we saw in the middle of the week from a pitching standpoint as far as our depth goes.”

 

Doubles dominance drives flawless Cavs
No. 1 squad has won all but two doubles points this spring en route to compiling undefeated 24-0 record
Andrew Seidman, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Published: Thursday, April 9 2009

Sophomore Sanam Singh has paired with junior Houston Barrick at the Cavaliers’ No. 1 doubles spot this spring. The duo is currently ranked sixth in the nation. “When you look back at Somdev and Treat ...”

When commentary about his current team usually includes the words, “Somdev Devvarman,” “Treat Huey” or some combination of the two, Virginia men’s tennis coach Brian Boland’s model of success is clear. But even if the former No. 1-ranked doubles tandem may be the prototype for the program, Boland said the formation of pairings does not always follow a strict formula.

“First and foremost, you try to find two guys that really like playing together and really believe in each other,” Boland said. “I’ve had doubles teams that were really successful that weren’t necessarily best friends off the court but really gelled together on the court.”

Part of gelling on the court comes from strong communication and the ability to make in-game adjustments. This skill has been instrumental for senior Dominic Inglot and sophomore Michael Shabaz, who make up one of Virginia’s top teams. When these two players are on the court together, the net player often will hand signal to indicate a read on an opponent’s serve.

“The main thing is before each serve we tell each other what we’re [going to] serve and what the net guy is [going to] do,” Shabaz said. “If we know one of the returners has a weaker, say, backhand return, we’ll definitely call whether the serve’s going to the back hand ... and depending on where they like to hit it, we make adjustments to where the net guy is [going to] move. So definitely the communication is huge in doubles — if you’re communicating well, good things are happening.”

The partnership between Inglot and Shabaz began midway through last year’s season, as Boland placed the pair in the No. 2 spot. Now, the team is ranked No. 14 in the nation and boasts a 19-3 record.

“Me and Michael complement each other well,” Inglot said. “We are kind of similar — we have the same mindset on the court, we know how to communicate with each other pretty well.”

Boland called the experience of playing together for nearly two years “a huge advantage.” Their experience was countered recently, however, as the pair dropped two matches to an unranked Duke pair and the No. 27 North Carolina team of junior Clay Donato and senior Taylor Fogleman. Indeed, as the team heads toward postseason play, its experience must be supplemented by refinements in strategy.

“We’re [going to] talk about our tactics — about who’s serving first — about what we want to tactically do at the beginning of the game,” Inglot said. “If we start off well, I really don’t think there’s a team in this country that can get a match against us and I feel really confident we can beat everyone.”

It is not only planned strategies and tactics that can lead to victories, however, but complementary game styles as well.

“You’d like someone that maybe is more of a setter, and someone who’s more of a hitter,” Boland said. “Someone like Somdev who made a lot of balls, and Treat, [who] put a lot of balls away.”

The latest example of this is Virginia’s other top doubles team, composed of sophomore Sanam Singh and junior Houston Barrick.

“Our game styles are so different,” Singh said. “Houston likes to scrap a lot of points — I’m different. I like to hit the ball, so he’s really good at the net and I complement him well from hitting from the baseline. It’s a good mix, and we’ve come together.”

The pair started playing together in the No. 3 spot about halfway through the 2007-08 season, giving the two plenty of experience to build upon for this year’s campaign. They have thrived in the No. 1 slot for the Cavaliers, posting an 18-3 record in dual matches. Currently, Singh and Barrick are ranked No. 6 in the nation, having ascended as high as No. 2 at one point this season. Their development — along with the consistent play of freshman Drew Courtney and junior Lee Singer in the No. 3 position — is a large reason why the No. 1 Cavaliers (24-0, 9-0 ACC) have dropped the doubles point only twice this season.

“We’ve been playing good doubles, and I feel we need to keep doing that if we want to do well in May,” Singh said, referring to Virginia’s national championship aspirations. “It’s certainly important to get the doubles point, especially when the conditions get harder and it’s away from home.”

Although it may be difficult to play in the shadow of one of the best college tennis players of all time, this year’s team — largely because of its strong doubles play — has a chance to accomplish something that Somdev Devvarman’s squad never did at Virginia: Win an NCAA Championship.

 

One man’s humble opinion
Conor Wakeman
Published: Wednesday, April 8 2009

My name is Eppa Rixey, and I am writing today at the behest of one of your newsmen about compiling a list of the top 25 athletes in the history of our fine University. Of course, when Mr. Wakeman asked me to assist him with such an endeavor, I inquired as to his motivations:

“Son, don’t you think this is a bit of an oyster carnival?,” says I. “Well, Jeptha — can I call you Jeptha?” he asked. “Of course, son.”

“Well, you studied classics before you graduated back in 1912, so I’ll use an analogy.

“It’s like this poem where a woman rides a bus from the coast inland, narrating what she sees, how the other passengers get on and speak with one another. And everything seems exactly how it should until the bus stops for this moose just standing smack dab in the middle of the road. And the relief these people find in finally catching up on the events of their lives while riding together on the bus is nothing compared to the joy that arises when they see this moose.

“And you, good sir, are that moose. You are something sublime and impossibly stable; someone who steps out of the fabric of imagination, full of life.”

“Well, you put things pretty sideways son,” I say. “But I’ll give you what I can reckon. And you know it will still be your name atop this thing?”

“Yes, sir, but the fact that we know nothing about your athletic career at the University in any of the three sports you played attaches you, in our minds, to possibility. What are we to make of your 210-pound, 6-foot-5 frame, whose 266 career MLB wins still rank seventh among left-handed pitchers? And that you’re the only ACC player to make Cooperstown?”

“Well, son, that’s thoughtful of you to mention, but you can’t rightly expect me to speak about myself, now can you?”

“No sir, but we can still wonder.”

Now, having talked with your newsman about these lists you seem so keen to throw together, I throw my hat into the ring.

I will say first that this whole endeavor seems to rely on numbers that measure Lord knows what and agreements that seem more like how the guys thought my wife Dorothy was the sweetest lady in the stands because she sat right behind the dugout, than taking account of all the bosoms in the crowd. And because I would send ’em down the Ohio to Cairo if they disagreed.

And some such committees reminded me of how some young’uns could not hinge their jaws back together when they laid eyes on their first big city belle down the bar, batting her eyelashes their way.

There seem to be three ways to go about this business. First, you can seek the impossible: finding some benchmark that cuts across all these sports like a big ol’ scythe, such as how many mammas bring their cubs down to the park; by counting all the dollar bills in the tills, or all those millions thrown at stadiums and fancy powder rooms I wouldn’t mind living in; or even by what this fella’ right here is having me do — how much ink gets wasted on these games.

The second involves finding a mark — like the cut we knived into the pew telling how far Lil’ Sam Lee rolled his marble without it falling to the ground — within a position and sport. And then trying to compare that against other sports — like putting my marble spin against the spitting contests Sunday evenin’ across the back porch, sunset spread out before us like heaven’s peach cobbler. Here, still, there needs to be some way of making sense of the difference between the lone wolf and the hound dog, between the cougar in the zoo and the cougar in the hills.

The last option throws the linens to the wind and gives you fine readers a chance to vote for their list, but your newsman seems hesitant toward that suggestion because there is no way to control how they will choose. Although, such a method gains legitimacy because they choose, not because they choose well.

Choosing will not be easy, particularly if you insist on comparing Achilles to Beowulf; remember, the rules of the game change, as does the competition, even if it seems like all everyone does is win or lose.

Son, don’t go and get all antsy on me, I’m getting to the point. Now, though I’m a decided man, being dead and all, I’m just going to give my top five athletes because I’ve already said enough, and this is really for you all to argue.

Number Six: I know this is just a bit outside, but hold on to your teeth. There will be six in my top five because I see some of myself in Tom Scott. Back in my twilight years, the 1950s, Tom was an All-American in two sports, football and lacrosse. Granted, it seems increased competition limits a young man’s chance to switch sports, let alone play both ways as an end for the football team; and more of that choice seems complicated these days by making a career out of one sport. On the other hand, I played three sports at the University and still played professional baseball for 20 years. As a lineman and defenseman he may not have put points on the board, but the team compiled a three-year 24-5 record while he pushed his way to All-American status, and he was nominated to the College Football Hall of Fame. Judging also by the lack of any other All-Americans from those years, he must’ve been one tough bulldog.

Number Five: For my fifth spot, I decided to go with another relative unknown, Mortimer Caplin because he single-handedly led the University’s most popular sport in the 1930s — boxing — to an undefeated season and national championship. Now, I understand that boxing isn’t even a varsity sport at the University anymore, but my concern is not what you would like to see, but what I think would be just. Caplin went undefeated for three years while at the University, including his last two. The clincher for me shows his talent and grit: winning the NCAA middleweight title with a broken hand — and in a time when medicine was not as precise as today.

Number Four: I understand a desire to put high on such a list athletes hanging with accolades like blossoms weigh down bleeding heart shrubs, but it is rare to have an athlete hold a world record while still competing at the collegiate level. Paul Ereng won gold in the 800 meters for Kenya at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, and then he broke the world indoor record in the 800 meters the next year in Budapest. The three-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American still holds five school records.

Number Three: The lone woman on this list did much of the same work as my Number two. Dawn Staley, a renowned basketball player, won two ACC and national player of the year awards, three All-American awards, and the NCAA once named her the Female Athlete of the Year. For Virginia, Staley compiled all-time records in several scoring, defense and assist categories. But more importantly, Staley legitimized Virginia’s women’s basketball program on the national scene, leading the team to three Final Fours — including a championship game lost in overtime.

Number Two: This decision is going to raise some fists and shake some heads, but Ralph Sampson does not deserve the top spot. Yes, he was one of the most heavily recruited basketball players of his generation, appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated an unprecedented six times. Yes, he holds Virginia records for rebounds, field goals and blocks, and more importantly, he put Virginia basketball on the map. Yes, the two-time unanimous national player of the year earned three Naismith and ACC player of the year awards, four All-American selections and one National Invitational Tournament title. But what was this Sampson’s Delilah? An NCAA championship. All the pieces were there, but Sampson just could not keep the team from crumbling come Final Four time.

Number One: When it comes down to it, picking Somdev Devvarman for the top spot instead of Sampson is like choosing between scrapple and liver for breakfast: you win either way. Maybe by putting Somdev here I am casting the pall of Sampson’s short NBA career over his time at Virginia. Devvarman doesn’t suffer from such aftersight because he hasn’t yet established a professional legacy. I can list the accolades for one of the greatest college tennis players of all time: two-time national player of the year, two-time NCAA singles champion, NCAA record three-time singles finalist and the greatest individual season in college tennis history, his last in Charlottesville. Sampson doesn’t garner such superlative comments, but he also played a game with a much deeper and competitive history. We can argue that Devvarman didn’t face as stiff competition as Sampson, but then again, Devvarman dominated the court with a more complete game than could be said for Sampson. Devvarman wins out in the end, in part, because your newsman says some controversy will stir things up, but moreso because he gives the University firmer ground to stand on when appealing to the imaginations and pocketbooks of fans and community members: a champion, yes, and one still full of potential.