Clutch play leads Cavs past Noles
UVa needs just 6 hits to beat FSU
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
May 25, 2006

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Moments before the opening game of the ACC Baseball Championship, the national anthem blared from the speakers.

There was only one problem. Most of Virginia’s players were still lingering in the dugout. Like ants marching, they scurried into position on the third-base line at The Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.

In the end it proved to be about the only time all day that the Cavaliers looked out of place.

Virginia manufactured runs, delivered clutch pitches on the mound and played near flawless defense on its way to a 6-2 victory over sixth-seeded Florida State.

UVa improves to 46-12 with the win, while the Seminoles (39-18) slide into the loser’s portion of Bracket A. UVa will play seventh-seeded N.C. State - a 9-3 upset winner over North Carolina - today at 4 p.m. FSU faces UNC in an elimination game at 10 a.m.

“Virginia does so much right,” Florida State coach Mike Martin said after his first game this year with UVa. “They’re the epitome of a team that does not beat themselves.”

Virginia scored single runs in four of the first five innings, spotting starting pitcher Sean Doolittle with ample run support.

Doolittle retired 16 of the Seminoles’ first 19 batters - including nine by strikeouts - as the sophomore lived up to the hype of the ACC Player of the Year award he was given on Monday.

“We jumped out to a lead right off the bat, and I knew it was important for me to go out there and attack those hitters,” said Doolittle, who improved to 11-1 on the year. “Like coach says, once you’re up against a team like that, you’ve got to do everything you can to keep them down.

“I felt like by throwing strikes and getting ahead of a lot of hitters I was able to set myself up for some strikeouts.”

The pro-Florida State crowd had little to cheer about until the sixth inning when Jack Rye connected on his 12th homer - he blasted a one-out pitch to the metal bleachers in right field.

In the eighth, and one inning after UVa reliever Michael Schwimer entered the game, FSU struck again. Shane Robinson was plunked by a 3-2 pitch, stole second and third and scored easily on a single to center by Buster Posey.

Schwimer, who went 1.2 innings, then allowed a two-out double into left from Dennis Guinn. With two runners in scoring position, UVa coach Brian O’Connor went to Casey Lambert.

After falling behind in the count, Lambert bounced back to strike out Ryne Malone looking.

Martin, who owns over 1,400 career wins and a 46-21 record in ACC Tournament games, said the Lambert-Malone showdown was “baseball at its best.”

“He threw three fastballs with two strikes, which surprised me. I know it surprised Malone,” Martin said, “because his best pitch seems to be the breaking ball. And then, after the three fastballs, and with a 3-and-2 count, he breaks off a curve ball for strike three. That’s baseball at its best.”

Virginia added two insurance runs in the eighth on a bases-loaded bouncing single into left field off the bat of Brandon Guyer with one out.

“I was just lucky to be even in that position today, and I love being in that position,” said Guyer, who also hit a homer in the fourth on a low fastball from FSU starter Bryan Henry. “I love when the pressure is on. They threw me pitches over the plate that I took advantage of, and I just try to put the ball in play, and when you do that good things will happen.”

Lambert, who earned his 10th save, gave up two singles in the ninth but closed out his second straight game by getting a 4-6-3 double play.

Given the double elimination format, O’Connor knows the importance of winning the first game of the tournament. In 2004, UVa lost its opener and was knocked out the following day. Last year, the Cavaliers won their first game and steamrolled into the title game.

“To beat a great program like Florida State in the opener of the ACC was a big win for us,” O’Connor said. “To be able to advance on in the winner’s bracket is very important in this tournament.”

FSU will now have to win five straight games to win the title.

“It’s not somewhere where we have never been but it’s going to be a monumental task, but not one that is impossible,” Martin said. “We know it is going to be difficult with the level of teams that are here; however with the bracket change, you are only looking at two additional games in bracket play so it’s not out of the question.

“We do feel like we have the pitching to come back through it, but it is going to be tough, no doubt.”

Henry, a First Team All-ACC selection, took the loss. Henry (9-3) gave up all six runs (five earned) on five hits and three walks.

“I went out there and let them put the ball in play,” Henry said. “We battled the whole time and they just found a couple holes here and there and got a couple bounces to go their way. That’s the game of baseball.”

 

Miclat draws praise from Werman
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
May 25, 2006

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two years ago, Florida State coach Mike Martin gave Kyle Werman the ultimate compliment.
After a game at Davenport Field, Martin said he came to the ballpark not to coach but to watch the former University of Virginia second baseman turn double plays.
Werman has since graduated and played Wednesday night in the Frontier League, an independent minor league baseball league, for the Washington (Penn.) Wild Things in their season opener.
Never fear, Martin has a new favorite Virginia player.
Greg Miclat, who resembles Werman in stature, impressed Martin from the opening at-bat when the rookie shortstop dove to his right to snare a would-be single off the bat of Shane Robinson.
Miclat followed that up with a leadoff single in the bottom of the first and scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Sean Doolittle.
“The first play of the game was one of those that you go ‘Dadgum.’ That’s a big-time play,” Martin said. “Then he gets up to the plate and wraps a ball right back up the middle on a good fastball. You are impressed with him
no doubt.
“He is a beautiful player.”
Miclat displayed his speed on the bases and scored two of Virginia’s six runs in the four-run win in the opening game of the tournament.
“I think we held him to two stolen bases today,” Martin said, “if I am not mistaken.”
Miclat actually stole three bases to take the team lead in that category. He has 20 on the season.
Martin grew up just miles from where Miclat grew up in Concord, N.C.
“That’s right there where I was born and raised,” Martin added, “except back then ain’t nobody have no guts to call it Concord - they’d say Charlotte, because nobody knew where Concord was.”
Martin knows where it is and now he knows a good ACC player from there.

DIGGING THE LONG BALL: Virginia coach Brian O’Connor preaches the importance of “small ball” for his program.
Brandon Guyer had other ideas on Wednesday. In the fourth inning, Guyer launched a one-out pitch from FSU starter Bryan Henry well over the left-field wall.
Guyer became just the fourth Virginia player to hit a homer in a postseason game in the three-year O’Connor era, a span that covers
13 games.
Joe Koshansky and Mark Reynolds hit home runs against George Mason in the Charlottesville Regional in 2004 and senior Tom Hagan has hit homers in back-to-back ACC Tournaments.

MASHING MILLER: North Carolina pitcher Andrew Miller was named ACC Pitcher of the Year earlier this week. He pitched nothing like that on Wednesday.
The junior lefty was shelled for seven runs (five earned) as N.C. State pulled off a
9-3 upset win.
The biggest problem was Miller’s control in the middle innings. He walked five batters.
“I was given a three-run lead in the first inning, I walked too many guys, I hit a batter with the bases loaded and they just kind of caught fire there when they needed it,” Miller said. “I got a lot of ground balls in tough situations and it just didn’t seem to work out. But you’ve got to give them all the credit for taking pitches and getting on base.
“Putting them on base with four balls is just stupid. Those were my mistakes today.”

QUOTABLE: Brian O’Connor on the impressive start by Henry: “I looked up late in the ballgame and we only had four hits on the board and that’s a testament to [Florida State pitcher Bryan Henry] and his ability. I knew it was going to be a tough, hard-fought ballgame, but fortunately we got a couple of key hits that allowed us to win the game.”

WORTH NOTING: Florida State entered the ACC Tournament 31-1 when it out-hit an opponent this season. That number now stands at 31-2. UVa had six hits. FSU had eight. … The Cavaliers turned a ninth-inning double play against the Seminoles. That gives UVa a double play in eight straight games. During that span the Cavaliers have turned 13. …
N.C. State third baseman Drew Martin made his first career start on Wednesday at third base and went 3 for 4. “I felt a little pressure before the game, but not much because I knew my teammates would be behind me,” Martin said. “I was a little nervous because it was my first start and it was a big game today.” … Miami catcher Eddy Rodriguez hit his ninth homer of the season in the Hurricanes opening game against Georgia Tech. Rodriguez has
17 homers over the last two seasons. … UVa has given up only 13 runs in its last five ACC Tournament games. Last year, Virginia’s pitching staff gave up 11 in four games.

 

Turner gets 2nd shot at Syracuse offense
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress staff writer
May 25, 2006

When Virginia coach Dom Starsia replaced goalie Kip Turner at the half of his team’s 20-15 win over Syracuse on March 4, he claims he had no ulterior motive.

Starsia concedes that Turner wasn’t playing his best in surrendering eight goals, but says his decision was more a product of the way backup Bud Petit had been performing in practice.

Whatever Starsia’s intentions, the positive effects of the maneuver cannot be disputed.

Turner, a junior from Severna Park, Md., returned to the starting lineup in Virginia’s next game at Princeton on March 12. Since then, he’s been one of the top goalies in college lacrosse.

Turner is a main reason why Virginia has gone undefeated this season and is considered the odds-on favorite to win its fourth NCAA title when the Final Four kicks off Saturday in Philadelphia.

As fate would have it, Turner will get another crack at Syracuse. Virginia (15-0) plays the Orange (10-4) in one semifinal. Maryland plays Massachusettes in the other.

During a media session on Tuesday, Starsia recalled his decision to pull Turner against Syracuse.

“If we had stayed with Kip, he might have punched his way out of it in the second half,” Starsia said, “but Bud had practiced well and deserved a chance to get in there, so we made that change.

“It’s like a baseball pitcher. Your starter gets knocked out in the first inning of one game, you come back to him the next game. We came back to Kip.”

Turner said being pulled from the game was a wakeup call.

“It made me a little nervous,” he said. “I’ll definitely say that. It just made me work that much harder. We have a core of goalies out here that all very talented. Any given week, if you don’t play your best game, someone’s going to take your spot.”

Last season was Turner’s first as starter. He finished sixth nationally in goals against average (7.15) and was 10th in save percentage (.592).

In the first few games of this season, Turner’s play was spotty. Part of the problem was that he was hardly tested.

“The early games were against some teams we ordinarily beat pretty badly,” Turner said. “The more shots you face, the more excited and into the game you get.

“I was definitely in a slump and took everything for granted a little bit I felt like.”

Starsia said Turner may have lost a little confidence.

“Goalies, often times, if they don’t get some balls early in a game, they can wind up doubting themselves a bit,” he said.

In Virginia’s 21-4 thrashing of Virginia Military Institute on Feb. 28, Turner could have roasted marshmallows in his goal crease. You could count on one hand the number of times that VMI had the ball on UVa’s side of the field during the first half.

Syracuse, perennially one of the most gifted offensive teams in college lacrosse, was Virginia’s next opponent. In that game, Turner gave up a string of what some people might call “soft” goals

“It was kind of an eye-opener for me,” said Turner of his sub-par performance. “I knew that I needed to step my game up.”

Turner has done just that. In seven of the 10 games since - with the help of a very strong defense corps - he has held opponents to single digits. Turner is ranked eighth nationally in goals against average (6.90) and 10th in save percentage (.589).

“He’s much better than he was [earlier in the season],” said Virginia senior Matt Poskay. “He’s seeing the ball better.”

In Virginia’s 20-8 quarterfinal victory over Georgetown last Saturday, Turner frustrated the Hoyas from the outset, making numerous saves that allowed UVa to build an early three-goal buffer.

Poskay believes Turner is a huge key heading into Saturday’s game.

“If he can get those first couple of saves, I think we’ll be in good shape,” Poskay said. “I think it’s [important] for any goalie to get early stops.”

The 5-foot-10, 179-pound Turner knows he has his work cut out.

“Syracuse has just a dynamic group of shooters,” he said. “Their attack with [Mike] LaVeille and [Joe] Yevoli and couple of freshmen on their midfield units are just unbelievable players. They’re fast and shoot the ball hard.”

Starsia said the change in Turner’s performance since the first Syracuse game has been obvious.

“Clearly from that moment on he’s played much better,” Starsia said. “I didn’t think he needed a wake-up call. I thought he had practiced well until that point, but since that game he’s been on top of it.

“That was sort of the moment when he did take off on a more consistent basis for us. I don’t know what that Syracuse game meant to him, but I always felt like he could play better than he did that time.”

Now, Turner said he’s feeling as good as he has all season. He can’t wait to get to Philadelphia.

“I love playoffs,” he said. “I like a little bit of pressure. Hopefully I’ll rise up to it in the Final Four.”

NOTE: Ken Clausen, a Duke recruit, has decided to attend Virginia next year.

Clausen is defenseman from Downingtown, Pa.

Duke is allowing players and recruits to contact other schools after the remainder of its season was canceled and longtime coach Mike Pressler resigned in the wake of a rape scandal. Three players are charged with raping a woman hired to strip at a team party in March.

 

Cross to leave Virginia for Irish
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress staff writer
May 25, 2006

In the end, returning home was too good of a chance for Gene Cross to pass up.

The University of Virginia assistant coach made things official on Wednesday, announcing that he would be leaving UVa to take an assistant’s job at Notre Dame.

“I’m a Midwest guy,” Cross said. “A lot of the things that I’m doing and that I’m comfortable with are in the Midwest.

“I’ll be 80 miles away from my mother’s front door and that’s important to me - being able to have my family close by.”

Cross, a Chicago native, played at the University of Illinois, graduating in 1994. He served as an assistant on Dave Leitao’s staff at DePaul for three years before coming to Virginia with him in the spring of 2005. Prior to that, he was an assistant for six seasons at the University of Illinois-Chicago.

Cross said leaving Leitao, his mentor, isn’t easy.

“It’s been one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make because he’s like a brother to me,” Cross said. “He’s had a huge impact on my life. To leave that is difficult, and to leave what we were building here is just as difficult.”

Cross, 34, will be replacing Lewis Preston on head coach Mike Brey’s staff. Professionally speaking, Cross called going to Notre Dame a lateral move.

“People always get caught up in ‘Which assistant are you?’” he said. “[But] when it comes down to it, the head coach gets the blame for the wins and losses and missing out on a recruit or getting a recruit. My job is to just go in there and do the best job I can.

“Ultimately it’s a good decision for me for so many reasons. Notre Dame is Notre Dame. Kevin White is a very influential athletic director and Mike Brey is well respected.”

Brey, in a press release, said he was “thrilled” to have hired Cross.

“He comes highly recommended and has a great reputation in the coaching fraternity,” Brey said. “With his background and how he has been trained, he will be a great fit at Notre Dame.”

Cross helped secure one of the better Virginia recruiting classes in recent years. If Solomon Tat ever rectifies his visa problems, UVa will have three incoming recruits who are ranked within the top 150 players by Rivals.com.

In addition, Cross helped the Cavs land post players Ryan Pettinella and Jerome Meyinsse, plus walk-ons Andy Burns and Calvin Baker.

“I think Virginia is a special place,” Cross said. “I know that the program is in great hands and I’m saddened to leave it. I just wish everybody the best.”
 

Dixon displays versatility, maturity for No. 1 Virginia
Throwback Dixon displays versatility, maturity for unbeaten, No. 1 Virginia
By Paul McMullen
Sun reporter
Originally published May 25, 2006

Kyle Dixon was a shy, sheepish 17-year-old when he arrived at the University of Virginia, too young to sign assorted releases and embarrassed about having to fax the paperwork to his parents in Millersville.

As a sophomore, he endured a Cavaliers meltdown.

His junior season ended with an NCAA semifinal loss in which Dixon missed what would have been a game-winning shot.

At the end of his college lacrosse career, however, Dixon doesn't have to explain a thing.

One of the most complete players in the land, Dixon is a throwback, a do-it-all midfielder whose versatility is a key to Virginia possessing a rare fluidity, a perfect record and the favorite's role at this weekend's final four.

"When you prepare for Virginia, he's the first thing you mention," Towson coach Tony Seaman said. "Who's going to take care of Kyle Dixon? You get the matchup they want, you're in trouble. You get the matchup you want, and he destroys you anyway. With all the specialists in the game today, Dixon is what makes Virginia so difficult to play against."

Dixon and four attackmen are the finalists for the Tewaaraton Trophy, given to the nation's outstanding player.

A mainstay on the Cavaliers' first midfield since 2003, Dixon works a wing on faceoffs, is on the extra-man unit and is the midfielder who releases after Virginia kills a penalty. Coach Dom Starsia doesn't have to replace Dixon when the Cavaliers defend in settled situations, a vital ingredient in up-tempo Virginia being the highest-scoring team in Division I since the 1990s.

"Sometimes, when you're not in the flow of the offense, a great defensive play can get you going," Dixon said. "I pride myself in going both ways. As a midfielder, you have to do that. You should be able to play both offense and defense. We always say, we play lacrosse like it should be played. It's supposed to be the fastest game on two feet. When you're a team that gets up and down, sometimes it's painful to watch other teams."

Dixon began his busy ways at Archbishop Spalding High. After his sophomore year, he contemplated a transfer to an A Conference school in Baltimore, but returned for two more years of running roughshod over the B Conference competition in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association. Dixon is 6 feet 4 and 214 pounds, and hasn't grown much since high school.

"He looked like the Jolly Green Giant, a man among boys," Starsia said of Dixon at Spalding. "He had to learn how to work, how to appreciate his gifts and use them."

There was no pressure on Dixon when he joined Virginia, as he was an afterthought on the 2003 NCAA championship team, the third man on a unit that included Tewaaraton Trophy winner Chris Rotelli and third-team All-American Billy Glading. That high gave way to a losing record in 2004 and Virginia's only absence from the NCAAs since 1992, what Starsia describes as "a good punch in the jaw."

"As Dom tells us, that year is a part of who we are," Dixon said. "It was a huge change of roles for me. I tried to carry a bigger load. It didn't work the way I had hoped it would, but that got us ready for the run we made last year."

That was the season that ended in the NCAA semifinals, when a Dixon shot in overtime was converted into a transition goal for Johns Hopkins, which went on to win the title.

Dixon is just the fourth midfielder in Atlantic Coast Conference history to collect 50 goals and 50 assists in a career. This season, he has career highs for goals (17) and assists (19), all while drawing the opponent's long-stick midfielder.

"Kyle takes a huge burden off everybody else," sophomore attackman Ben Rubeor said. "Every week he gets the pole, and every week he handles it exceptionally well. We have to create our offense from some place, and a lot of the time, that starts with Kyle. He's not necessarily going to be the highest scorer on the team, but he's getting double-teamed and forcing slides, which is a big key to our offense."

One role that Dixon doesn't have is that of captain. While attackman Matt Ward, the Cavaliers' other Tewaaraton finalist, was a leader from the day he got to Charlottesville, Dixon is not the rah-rah type. He has become more vocal, but his teammates are still surprised when he asks for a forum. It's one reason they were listening when he instructed them to focus on their shooting at halftime against Georgetown in the quarterfinals.

"It's been neat, watching Kyle grow up," Starsia said. "Last year, we began to see him assume responsibility for the people around him, something I wasn't sure he was capable of doing. He had to retool his own skills and assume a leadership role. He's expanded his game. On ground balls and defense, he's become a tougher lacrosse player. "
 

Duke doesn't object to 'innocent' adornment
By JACK DALY : The Herald-Sun
jdaly@heraldsun.com
May 25, 2006 : 12:08 am ET

Duke doesn't object to the women's lacrosse team's plan to wear sweatbands with the word "innocent" on their arms and legs during the team's Final Four matchup against Northwestern on Friday.

"Apparently, the decision on wearing armbands was made by team captains," said John Burness, Duke's senior vice president for public affairs and government relations. "They thought it would be appropriate. We don't usually intervene in situations like that."

The bands are meant as a show of support for the three men's players who have been indicted on rape, kidnapping and sex-offense charges in connection with a March 13 off-campus party.

A number of the women's players count men's players as their friends, and the two programs have remained close during the criminal investigation.

Duke coach Kerstin Kimel had former men's coach Mike Pressler -- who resigned on April 5 in lieu of the scandal -- speak to the team on Tuesday after the women's final practice in Durham before heading to Boston.

Duke didn't think Pressler's appearance was inappropriate.

"He's an invited guest of the team," Burness said. "That sort of thing happens all the time."

The top-ranked women's lacrosse team has compiled an 18-2 record this season and has advanced to the Final Four for the second consecutive season.

They have repeatedly said that part of their motivation this weekend is to win the NCAA title for the beleaguered men's program.