Inglot and Shabaz Win NCAA Doubles Championship
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 05/25/2009

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Dominic Inglot (London, England) and Michael Shabaz (Fairfax, Va.) became the first doubles team from the ACC to win the NCAA Doubles Championship, defeating No. 2 seed John-Patrick Smith and Davey Sandgren of Tennessee 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-4 in the final Monday at the Mitchell Tennis Center.  

Inglot and Shabaz are the first unseeded team to win the title since Rajeev Ram and Brian Wilson of Illinois in 2003. Ranked No. 12 entering the tournament, the Cavalier duo is the lowest ranked team to take the title since Auburn’s Andrew Colombo and Mark Kovacs, ranked No. 27, won the championship in 2002, also in College Station.

“I am so proud of Dom and Michael,” said head coach Brian Boland. “They played incredibly well and worked hard all season long. This is a great reward for them. They stayed composed through a lot of tough situations. Doubles, especially at this level, is so close. In three of their five matches, they lost the first set. For them to respond in such a positive way from that adversity is a tremendous credit to the type of players they are.”

In the first set, the Tennessee team jumped out to an early lead. After Sandgren held in the first game, the Volunteers rallied from a 40-0 hole to break Inglot’s serve to take a 2-0 lead. That proved to be the only time the Cavalier team was broken all day. The Virginia team had three break points on Sandgren’s serve when the Vol was serving for the first set at 5-3, but couldn’t take advantage and Tennessee held to win the opening set.

‘”It was a close match all the way through,” said Inglot. “We let them into the match too quickly as I was broken in the second game after being up 40-0. By the end of the first set, I thought we were playing better and we were creeping back into the match.”

Just like in their first round match against the top seeded team from Ole Miss and their semifinal win over North Carolina, Inglot and Shabaz looked to rally after losing the first set. The second set featured strong serving from both sides as neither team faced a break point and just one game went to deuce. The set went to a tiebreaker with the Volunteers looking for a title and the Cavaliers looking for a decisive third set. The UVa team went up a mini-break a 2-1 when Smith’s volley went into the net. That was all the Cavalier duo needed as they won all the points on their serve and won set point off of Sandgren’s to take the tiebreaker 7-4.

“Throughout the second set, we kept saying that if we could somehow pull out this set and get it to the third, we liked our chances,” said Shabaz. “Dom hit some big returns, especially in the tiebreaker. At 1-1, Davey hit a good serve and Dom ripped a return at J.P. and he missed the volley. We took care of our serves in the breaker and won it to get to the third set.”

Inglot and Shabaz took the momentum of the tiebreaker to take an early lead in the third set. With Sandgren serving at 1-1, the Cavalier team got three break points at 0-40. The Volunteers rebounded to win the next three points to get back to deuce, but the Cavaliers followed by winning the next two for their only break of the match and a 2-1 lead. The teams held serve over the next eight games to put the match on Shabaz’s racquet at 5-4. In the final game, he hit two aces and two service winners to hold at love and clinch the championship.

“Deep down, at 4-3, I knew if Dom could hold I was confident to be serving for the match,” said Shabaz. I didn’t think we would break J.P. at 5-3 since we hadn’t had many looks on his serve all day. I had been serving well and knew I could get it done. On the first point, I was going to go up the T, but Dom told me to go wide. I took his advice and hit a winner. It was a good call by him and got that game off to a good start.”

The win was Inglot and Shabaz’s 41st win of the season, giving them sole possession of the Virginia school record for a season. They had entered the match tied with Houston Barrick and Sanam Singh, who had 40 this season.

The title was the first doubles championship for the ACC. Inglot and Shabaz were the first ACC team to reach the final since the start of the modern NCAA Individual Championships in 1978.

“I’m so happy for Dom,” said Shabaz. “As a senior, for him to end his career like this is great. It takes away a bit of the disappointment of losing in the team tournament. We’re just so happy right now. From the time you are a little kid and start playing tennis, you dream of winning championships like this.”

Inglot finishes his career with a singles record of 62-39 and a doubles record of 88-24. He is a three-time All-American (twice in singles, once in doubles), the third highest total in Virginia history.

“This title means a lot to me,” said Inglot. “My time at Virginia has been great. Over the past three years we have come so close to winning a championship as a team, I only wish I could have won one with them. I am proud to share this honor with Michael, as well as our coaches, teammates, support staff and fans that helped us get here. To end my career with this championship is an incredible feeling.”

With the title, Virginia has won an NCAA Individual Championship for the third consecutive year. Former Cavalier Somdev Devvarman won the 2007 and 2008 NCAA Singles Championships. The last school to win NCAA Individual titles in three consecutive years was Stanford from 1998-2000.

“These titles are a testament to the hard work put into this program,” said Boland. “From the coaching staff, especially all the hard work of Tony (Bresky) and Derek (Schwandt), to the players, the administration, the support staff, everyone associated with our program, these are the days when all that dedication and hard work pays off. This is a great way to end our season. For the third straight year, we have won the final match we have played. This program keeps growing and keeps getting stronger and we know that if we continue that hard work that there will be more success in the future.”


 

Inglot, Shabaz grab title
By Richard Croome Daily Progress correspondent
Published: May 26, 2009

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Dominic Inglot and Michael Shabaz made sure the Virginia tennis team didn’t leave the NCAA Tennis Tournament empty handed.
The duo battled back from an opening-serve break to defeat No. 2 seeded Davey Sandgren and John-Patrick Smith, 3-6, 7-6 (4),
6-4 and give the Cavaliers the doubles title on the final day of play at the Mitchell Tennis Center.
It was the third straight season the Cavaliers had claimed an individual title — Somdev Devvarman won the previous two singles crowns — and helped
ease the pain somewhat of the No. 1 Cavaliers having been ousted in the
quarterfinals of the team competition a week ago.
“One of the reasons I came to Virginia was due to the fact that I knew that it was a place where I could win championships,” Inglot said. “All credit to [Virginia coach] Brian Boland. You want to be behind someone who is going to help you do that.”
The victory, which set a Virginia record for doubles wins by a team with 41, also allowed Inglot to accomplish something not many players do, win their final match as a collegian.
“I’m so happy for Dom, because it’s a great way to go out,” Shabaz said. “It eases a lot of tension from the team tournament as well, so we are as happy as we can be right now, it’s pretty sweet.”
No. 1 ranked and then-undefeated Virginia was upset by eventual national champion Southern California in the quarterfinals eight days earlier.
“To get a national championship after years of being so close means a lot to me,” Inglot said.
The Cavs’ duo had to endure the Vols’ best punch early, getting broken on Inglot’s first service game and having to go four deuces before walking off with Shabaz’s first service game.
Virginia’s only opportunity came at 5-3, but an ad was soon erased by a Smith overhead and a couple of Sandgren service winners.
“They were all over our returns and on the first game, we really should have held [up 40-love], but J.P. Smith] hit some unbelievable backhand returns down the line,” Shabaz said. “They were all over it but we didn’t feel like they could keep returning like that.”
Virginia’s serving continued to get better as the match progressed, and in the second set Tennessee never had a break point. The problem for the Cavs was they only had one and they failed to capitalize, setting up a tiebreaker.
“We didn’t have a much of a sniff on Smith’s serve all day,” Inglot said.
“He had been serving so well that I didn’t know if he had a break point the whole time. It was just basically hit it or miss.”
In the tiebreaker, the Cavaliers got the break they needed when Smith sent a backhand volley wide on Sandgren’s serve. Inglot and Shabaz were never in trouble on their serve and a Smith backhand error squared the match at a set a piece.
Virginia broke Sandgren to go up 1-2, winning on a Sandgren backhand error that ended one the longest points of the match.
The No. 2 seeded Vols were unable to make a dent in the Virginia serve the rest of the way, getting to 30-40 once, on Inglot’s serve the game after the Cavs broke.
“They served extremely well today, especially for an outdoors tennis match,” Sandgren said. “They played a good game to break me in the third. They came up big today.”
Inglot later won his serve at 15 and Shabaz capped off the magnificent display of serving with and ace and three service winners to close out the match.
Aces
The doubles title was the first ever by an ACC men’s team. ... Virginia was the first unseeded team to claim a doubles title since 2003… The Cavs won the only other meeting between the two teams, defeating andgren and Smith 8-5 in the UVa Ranked Plus One Invitational ... Virginia defeated the No. 1 seeds from Mississippi and No. 5-8 seeded Pepperdine on the way to the final.
 

Respect? ACC champ Cavs still looking for it
By Jeff White
Published: May 26, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The NCAA threw a "couple of curveballs" at the University of Virginia baseball team. That was how Craig Littlepage, U.Va.'s athletic director, put it yesterday afternoon as he left Davenport Field after the pairings for the 64-team NCAA tournament were announced.

Virginia fans might not be as diplomatic as Littlepage. They're steamed about what they believe to be shoddy treatment by the NCAA.

U.Va., ranked No. 7 nationally by Baseball America, won the ACC title Sunday, but the NCAA did not see fit to place one of the 16 opening-weekend regionals in Charlottesville, a host site in 2004, '06 and '07. Nor did the selection committee see fit to keep Virginia close to home.

The Cavaliers (43-12-1) are headed to California to play in what ESPN called "arguably the toughest bracket of all."

Virginia is seeded No. 2 in the four-team regional hosted by UC Irvine (43-13), which has been ranked No. 1 nationally by Baseball America for six consecutive weeks.

The No. 3 seed, San Diego State (40-21), features the nation's most celebrated pitcher, right-hander Stephen Strasburg, whom U.Va. can expect to see in its first-round game Friday night.

The No. 4 seed in Irvine? That would be Fresno State (32-28), the defending NCAA champion.

"Our theme all year long is that we've felt like we've had to prove something," said the Cavaliers' sixth-year coach, Brian O'Connor. "We didn't get a lot of respect before the season, because we had such a young team, and the kids have gone out and proven it all year long, and this is another opportunity.

"It's going to be a challenge, but we'll be better because of it, and this team has responded to those challenges all year long."

Virginia is one of two state teams in the NCAA tourney. George Mason University (42-12), an at-large team from the Colonial Athletic Association, is the No. 3 seed at the double-elimination regional hosted by No. 1 East Carolina. Also headed to Greenville, N.C., are No. 2 seed South Carolina and No. 4 seed Binghamton.

The Patriots' most recent appearance in the NCAAs came in 2004. For the Cavaliers, this is the sixth consecutive season they've earned an invitation. Never in an NCAA tourney, however, have they faced a pitcher as acclaimed as Strasburg, a 6-4, 220-pound junior who's projected to be the No. 1 pick in next month's Major League Baseball draft.

Strasburg is 13-0 with a 1.24 earned-run average. He's struck out 180 batters this season and "supposedly throws up to 103 miles an hour," O'Connor said, shaking his head in wonder.

"I'm excited to face him. It's going to be a lot of fun," said U.Va. freshman John Hicks, a Goochland High graduate who drove in the winning run Sunday against Florida State in the ACC championship game.

That's the attitude O'Connor wants his team to take.

"The whole San Diego State/Strasburg thing, I think it's great. Really," O'Connor said. "Our team has gone out to prove something all year long. Now you have a chance to prove what you're made of against arguably the best pitching prospect in the history of the draft. On television.

"What more do you want as a player?"

In Durham, N.C., sixth-seeded U.Va. went 4-0 to win the ACC tournament for the first time since 1996. The Cavaliers' victims included Clemson, Florida State and North Carolina, which are ranked No. 16, No. 10 and No. 8, respectively, by Baseball America.

"I want [the players] to enjoy and be very proud of the accomplishment of winning the ACC championship," O'Connor said, "but now our challenge is to take the next step and win a [NCAA] regional."
 

UVa draws San Diego State, Strasburg in opening round
By Jay Jenkins
Published: May 26, 2009

A collection of Virginia baseball fans lined the entrance to the parking lot at Davenport Field late Sunday evening.
Those in attendance gathered to celebrate the second ACC tournament title in program history.
The party balloons were popped Monday — Virginia was rewarded for winning the league crown by shockingly being shipped to California for the second straight year.
Slotted as the No. 2 seed, Virginia (43-12-1) was placed in the Irvine Regional, which is hosted by top-seeded UC Irvine (43-13), the No. 1 team in the country in numerous polls.
As imposing as the challenge of facing the No. 6 national seed appears, the Cavaliers’ opening game was one that 63 teams in the field feared.
Virginia drew a first-round showdown with third-seed San Diego State (40-21) and faces millionaire-to-be Stephen Strasburg, the nation’s top pitcher. The teams will square off Friday at 7 p.m.
“This team is ready for anything,” said Virginia coach Brian O’Connor. “That is part of the reason that I want to get out there [today] a day early. They will be ready to go.
“They know the challenge that they have in front of them.”
It took little time for national pundits to bash the selection committee for creating the toughest regional in the 64-team field.
“Virginia got royally screwed. You can quote me on that,” said Aaron Fitt, the lead college
baseball writer for Baseball America. “It is unbelievable, frankly, on multiple levels.
“First of all, this is a team that won the ACC tournament. They won a total of 20 ACC games this year and only one team has won more counting the conference tournament and that is Florida State, and yet somehow they get shipped across the country.”
Strasburg (13-0, 1.24 ERA) is expected to be selected as the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft by the Washington Nationals and has fanned 180 batters in 102 innings.
“They are playing against the best pitcher in the country by far, who is maybe the best pitcher ever in college baseball,” Fitt said. “That is your first-round opponent. That is a nice treat.”
To top off the regional, the selection committee tabbed defending national champion Fresno State (32-28) as the No. 4 seed. Irvine will meet Fresno State on Friday at 11 p.m.
“Frankly, Irvine has been the best team in the country this year,” Fitt said. “They have been the most consistent team. They haven’t lost a weekend
series. Irvine should have been a higher national seed than it is.
“It is not fair to Irvine or Virginia. That regional is ridiculous. The committee really did college baseball a disservice with this field.”
O’Connor spun the situation, realizing the opportunity that lies ahead on national TV — all the games from the regional will be televised by ESPNU.
“When we weren’t hosting, quite frankly, I want to go play the best people,” O’Connor said, “because we did that last week in the ACC tournament and I know this team is up for the challenge.”
Virginia has at least one believer.
“I think they can win it. As hard as that regional is going to be, somebody has to win it,” Fitt said. “If there is a team out there that could give Strasburg a run for his money, it might be Virginia.”
What the Cavaliers did to UNC ace Alex White on Friday, chasing the top five pick in the third inning, impressed Fitt.
“They pounded Alex White this week and he may be the second-best pitcher in the country. They just destroyed him,” he said. “Strasburg is a lot better than Alex White, but Virginia has shown they can hit velocity because Alex White was throwing 97 in the first inning. He can run it up.
“They can win that first game. They can win that regional. I was incredibly impressed with Virginia’s talent and I have been all year. It is the first time they have really put it together against good opponents. I think they can absolutely win that regional.”
 

Cavaliers Earn NCAA Berth in Irvine Regional
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 05/25/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia baseball team has been selected to compete in the NCAA Irvine Regional, the NCAA announced today. The Cavaliers, seeded second in the regional, will play No. 3-seed San Diego State at 7 p.m. ET Friday in Irvine, Calif. UC Irvine, the No. 6 national seed, is the top seed in the region and will play No. 4 Fresno State, the defending national champion, at 11 p.m. ET Friday.

The games for the Irvine Regional, a four-team, double-elimination format, will be played on Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark. Irvine will be playing host to a regional for the first time in school history. All games in the regional will be televised live by ESPNU.

Games will be played at 7 and 11 p.m. ET Friday through Sunday. If necessary, a second championship game will be held at 11 p.m. Monday.

Virginia (43-12-1) won the ACC Championship yesterday, defeating seventh-ranked Florida State, 6-3. UVa defeated No. 13 Clemson, No. 4 North Carolina and Duke en route to its second-ever ACC Baseball Championship crown. Outfielder Dan Grovatt was named the tournament’s MVP, while Franco Valdes (catcher) and Danny Hultzen (Utility/DH) also were named to the all-tournament team. The ACC title was the second tournament crown in UVa baseball history and the third overall (1972 regular season, 1996 tournament).

UVa will be making its second straight NCAA tournament trip to California. Last year, the Cavaliers competed in the NCAA Fullerton Regional.

San Diego State (40-21) reached the championship game of the Mountain West Conference tournament championship, falling to Utah in the title game. The Aztecs finished 15-9 (fourth) in the Mountain West regular season and are coached by MLB Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn. The Aztecs boast one of the nation’s premier starting pitchers, right-hander Stephen Strasburg, who is 13-0 with a 1.24 ERA and 180 strikeouts this year.

UC Irvine (43-13), ranked No. 1 in the national polls, clinched an automatic berth to the NCAA postseason by winning the Big West Conference championship. The Anteaters finished conference play with a 22-2 mark.

Fresno State (32-28) played its way into the NCAA tournament by winning the Western Athletic Conference tournament champion. The defending national champions survived four elimination games to win their fourth straight WAC tournament title.

All-session reserved ticket packages are available for $100. Bleacher all-session general admission packages are $75, while lawn seating packages are $50. Single-game tickets will go on sale Wednesday. The UC Irvine ticket office phone number is (949) 824-5000.

 

UVa Men’s Golfers Open NCAA Play Tuesday
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 05/25/2009

Charlottesville, VA – The Virginia men’s golf team begins play in the 2009 NCAA Championships Tuesday at the par-71, 7,255-yard Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. The 30-team field will use a new format this season to determine the individual and team champion at the event that runs from May 26 to 30. For the first time since 1965, stroke play alone will not be used to crown a team champion.

Following 54 holes of stroke play between Tuesday and Thursday, the top eight teams will advance to a match play format Friday and Saturday to determine the team champion. The individual champion will be the top finisher after the 54 holes of stroke play. In the past, the tournament featured four rounds (72 holes) of stroke play to determine the individual and team champions.

Virginia advanced to the NCAA Championships for the second straight year after a fourth-place finish at the NCAA East Regional in Galloway, N.J. The Cavaliers are the No. 22 seed and begin play at 7:47 a.m. Tuesday from the No. 1 tee. Virginia is paired with No. 23 seed Ohio State and No. 24 seed Northwestern. Those teams will start their second round Wednesday at 12:59 p.m. from the 10th tee. Pairings for Wednesday’s final round of stroke play are based on the standings after the first 36 holes of competition.

The field for this year’s NCAA Championships includes (listed by seed): No. 2 Oklahoma State, No. 7 Alabama, No. 9 Florida, No. 13 Arizona State, No. 14 UCLA, No. 1 Georgia, No. 4 Washington, No. 10 Arkansas, No. 12 Tennessee, No. 8 Georgia Tech, No. 15 Texas A&M, No. 16 Illinois, No. 6 Stanford, No. 11 South Carolina, No. 3 USC, No. 21 Central Florida, No. 15 Texas Tech, No. 31 Oregon, No. 24 Texas, No. 25 UT Chattanooga, No. 28 Arizona, No. 47 Virginia, No. 48 Ohio State, Northwestern, San Diego, No. 20 TCU, No. 26 Wake Forest, No. 38 Duke, No. 39 Michigan and Iowa.

Six at-large individuals will also compete for the NCAA individual title.

Live scoring of the tournament will be online at Golfstat.com.

The Virginia Lineup
Virginia’s lineup for the NCAA Championships will include senior Conrad Von Borsig (73.96 stroke average), junior Kyle Stough (73.24), sophomore Will Collins (72.93) and freshmen Ben Kohles (73.03) and Bruce Woodall (74.74). Stough and Collins played in the NCAA Championships last year, helping the Cavaliers to a 26th-place finish.

NCAA History
The 2009 NCAA Championships marks the 12th time the Cavaliers have earned a bid to the national tournament. The Cavaliers’ last appearance was in 2008 when the team placed 26th. This marks the first time in school history UVa has made back-to-back appearances at the NCAAs. Former Virginia golfer Dixon Brooke won the NCAA individual crown in 1940, the second year of the championship. The Cavaliers finished 15th that year as a team. UVa’s best NCAA finish came in 1946 when the Cavaliers were 11th in an 18-team field.

Strong Spring for UVa
Virginia managed to move up in the national golf polls thanks to several strong showings in the spring. The Cavaliers opened the spring by winning the Argonaut Invitational and then placed second at the Seminole Invitational. UVa also had a runner-up finish at the Hootie at Bull Bay tournament and its own Cavalier Classic. Virginia is currently ranked No. 47 by Golfstat and No. 45 by Golfweek.

Regional Recap
For the second year in a row the Virginia men’s golf team made an incredible run at an NCAA Regional event to earn a berth to the NCAA Championships. Unranked and seeded ninth in the 14-team field, the Cavaliers finished fourth among 14 teams to earn one of the tournament’s five spots into the national tournament. Virginia shot 16-over 300 during Saturday’s final round to finish the three-day 54-hole tournament at 889. The Cavaliers were led at the regional by freshman Ben Kohles, who finished 11th overall at 221, including a 5-over 76 during the final round. Kyle Stough and Conrad Von Borsig tied for 14th at 222. Will Collins led UVa during the final round with a 2-over 73 to finish 19th at 224. Bruce Woodall, the second freshman in the UVa lineup, was 61st at 238.