Freshmen, Strong Pitching Key 8-2 Win over Rider in NCAA Regional
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 05/31/2008

FULLERTON, Calif. – Andrew Carraway (Jr., Marietta, Ga.) pitched seven strong innings, John Barr (Fr., Ivyland, Pa.) had a career-high four hits and Michael Schwimer (Sr., Alexandria, Va.) tied the Virginia single-season saves record as the third-seeded Cavaliers earned an 8-2 win over No. 4-seed Rider Saturday in an elimination game at the NCAA Fullerton Regional at Goodwin Field in Fullerton, Calif.

Virginia (39-22) advances to play the loser of the UCLA/Cal State Fullerton game at 7 p.m. ET Sunday. The winner of the 7 p.m. game will then play the winner of the UCLA/Cal State Fullerton game at 11 p.m. ET Sunday in the regional championship game. If necessary, a second championship game would be held at 11 p.m. ET Monday. All games from the Fullerton regional will be televised on ESPNU.

Carraway (4-3) pitched into the eighth inning for the first time in his career. He went seven innings, allowing two earned runs, six hits and one walk while striking out 10. Carraway tied career highs in innings pitched and strikeouts.

Michael Schwimer (Sr., Alexandria, Va.) tossed the final two innings to earn his 14th save, tying Casey Lambert’s 2005 mark for the most in a single season at Virginia.

Virginia’s freshmen combined for 10 of the Cavaliers’ 14 base hits, highlighted by Barr’s career-best four-hit night. David Coleman (Fr., Richmond, Va.) tied a career best with three hits, while Phil Gosselin (Fr., West Chester, Pa.) added two more hits after his three-hit day on Friday. David Adams (Jr., Margate, Fla.) also had a pair of hits for Virginia.

Rider starting pitcher Jimmer Kennedy pitched 5.2 innings and gave up four earned runs, 10 hits, four walks and three strikeouts. He took the loss and fell to 7-5 this season.

Virginia took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a Jeremy Farrell (Jr., Westlake, Ohio) sacrifice fly to score Greg Miclat (Jr., Concord, N.C.). The Cavaliers were robbed of more runs when center fielder Jon Leise made a sensational diving catch to end the inning with two runners on base.

The Cavaliers pushed their lead to four in the fourth inning. After Franco Valdes (So., Miami, Fla.) led off with a single and Barr doubled, Tyler Cannon (So., Pigeon Forge, Tenn.) grounded out to score Valdes from third. Miclat followed with a single to plate Barr, and Coleman doubled to bring Miclat around from first and give UVa a 4-0 lead.

Rider (29-28) cut the lead in half with two seventh-inning runs. Mason Heyne hit a double to score Steve Galella, and Mo Williams followed with a sacrifice fly to plate Sean Olson. Carraway escaped further damage by striking out David Hayes and getting John Ralston to ground out with a runner on third base to end the inning.

Virginia took advantage of three Rider errors in the eighth inning to score four times, with the big blow – a two-run single – coming from Barr with two out.

Game Notes – NCAA Fullerton Regional Game 3

- Virginia, making its fifth-consecutive appearance and eighth overall in the NCAA regional, is now 12-15 in the tournament.

- Virginia is now 4-0 all-time vs. Rider after playing the Broncs for the first time since 1987.

- Andrew Carraway tied career high with seven innings pitched and 10 strikeouts. He has pitched seven innings three times and last vs. Wake Forest on April 20. He also matched his strikeout high of 10, set April 6 at Florida State.

- Michael Schwimer matched the UVa single-season record for saves with 14. He ties the 2005 mark set by Casey Lambert.

- John Barr had a career-high four hits, topping his previous high of three set vs. Georgia Tech on May 15

- David Coleman tied a career high with three hits, matching the mark he set last Friday against Florida State in the ACC tournament.

- Virginia’s freshmen combined for 10 of the Cavaliers’ 14 hits vs. Rider and 14 of 22 in the tournament thus far (4 of 8 Friday).

- Phil Gosselin had two hits in the contest and now boasts a team-high five in the tournament.

- David Adams had two hits to give him 226 career hits and move past Chris Kughn (1987-90, 225) and into eighth place on the UVa career chart.

- Greg Miclat was hit by a pitch in the fourth inning. It was his 19th career HBP, tying him for 10th on the UVa career list with Adam Robinson (1994-97).

- Jeremy Farrell had two RBI on a pair of sacrifice flies, giving him 54 for the season and moving him into a 13th-place tie on the UVa single-season ledger. He matches Jon Benick (1999).

- Greg Miclat competed in his 61st game of the season, tied for sixth-most in a single season at Virginia. Adams, Farrell and Tyler Cannon participated in their 60th games of the year, which is tied for ninth most.

 

Cavaliers rumble past Rider
By Jay Jenkins
Published: June 1, 2008

FULLERTON, Calif. — For a few minutes, Rider coach Barry Davis was living in a dream world.
A 1987 graduate of Albemarle High School and an avid Virginia football fan, Davis and his team were battling Virginia toe-to-toe in the first elimination game at the Fullerton regional.
In fact, the Broncos had the tying run at the plate in the seventh inning and appeared to have stolen the game’s momentum.
Virginia pitcher Andrew Carraway and his knee-buckling slider proved otherwise — the junior escaped the seventh and the Cavaliers used an offensive explosion fueled by their rookies to register an 8-2 victory at Goodwin Field.
UVa (39-22) avoided being bounced from the four-team regional with the win, advancing to face top-seeded Cal State Fullerton today at 7 p.m. and would move on to face second-seeded UCLA at 11 p.m. with a win.
“I thought it was a good ballgame,” said Virginia coach Brian O’Connor. “Andrew Carraway was in command from the start of the ballgame. Unfortunately, he ran out of gas a little bit at the end, but he did exactly what we needed him to do and that was pitch deep into the game in an elimination game and save our bullpen.”
Carraway, who registered his last win since April 13 at Maryland, experienced something no Cavalier pitcher had in the team’s last 30 innings: he worked with a lead.
That came in the third inning after first baseman Jeremy Farrell hit a sacrifice fly to right to drive in Greg Miclat.
Virginia struck again in the fourth inning off Rider starter Jimmer Kennedy (7-5). Tyler Cannon, Miclat and David Coleman each drove in a run in the frame as the Cavaliers registered four of their 14 hits.
“It gives you so much confidence being up 4-0 as opposed to a one-run lead,” Carraway said. “It allows you to expand the zone a little more and go after hitters.”
Carraway, who pitched the seventh inning for just the second time in a start in his career, recorded the first 18 outs with ease. In the seventh, however, the converted reliever ran into trouble.
He allowed three straight hits to open the frame, including a run-scoring double by Mason Heyne. Carraway worked out of the jam, allowing just one more run and stranded a runner at third, as he got a sacrifice fly, strike out and grounder to second baseman David Adams.
“I think he was at 78 pitches after six innings, I believe, and after the two runs, he didn’t let it get out of hand,” O’Connor said. “He buckled down and made some big pitches.”
Carraway (4-3) worked to one batter in the eighth, but was pulled for closer Michael Schwimer after allowing a lead-off single.
Schwimer recorded his 14th save by retiring the final six outs in order and on just 17 pitches.
The final three outs, however, came with a six-run lead after the Cavaliers used three hits and three Rider errors to score four runs off two Bronco relievers.
O’Connor said winning the game with only two pitchers was a near-perfect scenario.
“We are happy that we won the game and we are happy that we move on to another elimination game. We needed Andrew to be effective and he was.”
Carraway scattered six hits and also tied his career-best mark with 10 strikeouts.
“Look at the setting and it’s gotta be one of the biggest games of my life,” he said. “It was a situation where your back is against the wall and you have to win it. The fact that our season could of came to an end today makes it the biggest game of my life.
“When you are pitching a game like that you leave it all on the field. You go with your hair on fire.”
Virginia will start senior Pat McAnaney on the mound today. The left-hander struggled in his last outing, a loss against Miami in the ACC tournament’s title game.
Going 2-0 today would force a winner-take-all contest Monday night with UCLA at 11 p.m.
The loss ended Rider’s season at 29-28, but will remain a special moment for Davis, who played baseball at AHS under former coach Jim Garnett.
“I spent my whole life in Charlottesville,” he said. “I went to high school [at Albemarle] and I graduated where they used to play basketball (University Hall). For me, it was exciting personally because all the friends and family at home got to see us play.
“It was even more exciting when it looked like we might have a chance to knock them off. That was better, but I felt like we competed with them. I am proud to be from there and that is home for me.”

 

Degrees of success cap couple of college careers
Sunday, Jun 01, 2008 - 12:07 AM
By BOB LIPPER
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST

Between them during their careers on the grand stage of big-time college football, Carlton Weatherford and Josh Zidenberg totaled two touchdowns (both by Weatherford), three blocked punts (all by Zidenberg) and 11 kickoff returns (ditto).

Plus two bachelor's degrees (one apiece).

They arrived in Blacksburg and Charlottesville with hopes and blank slates.

They emerged four varsity seasons later with knowledge and di rection.

That's how you'd hope it goes for every young playuh -- and not just the whip-smart teen-agers we recognize today in our annual Scholar-Athlete package. Those kids appear to have found the balance already between classrooms and locker rooms. It's how it should be for every athlete down to the last scrub at the end of the bench.

It's how it was for Weatherford and Zidenberg.

They share much common ground. Both were fullbacks. Both were "recruited walk-ons" -- Weatherford at Virginia Tech out of Tunstall High near Danville and Poquoson High's Zidenberg at Virginia -- meaning Frank Beamer and Al Groh wanted them, but not enough to throw scholarships at them (they each eventually received grants).

Both also spent a fair amount of their careers as special-teams cannon fodder before finding a niche on the depth chart and a path to the stat sheet. Both graduated with B averages. Both hope to remain close to sports -- Weatherford maybe in strength and conditioning training (he's halfway to a master's degree at Tech), Zidenberg in coaching.

Differences? Well, Weatherford majored in sociology and Zidenberg in English.

And whereas Weatherford's high school transcript won early approval at Tech, Zidenberg couldn't have cracked U.Va.'s admissions screeners if he hadn't flashed 39-touchdown promise as a senior at Poquoson.

Fact is, Zidenberg's test scores were soft by U.Va. standards. He got into the school only by being made one of several academic "exceptions" given the football program. He didn't allow the designation to define him or his goals. "I told myself, even if I don't play a down here, the value of getting a degree from this place is worth more than anything I can do on the field," Zidenberg said. "I always used that as motivation. I kept that thought in the back of my mind: To graduate and get a degree from here is something I don't want to mess up and throw away."

He didn't. Weatherford, too, kept his eyes on commencement day.

"I put my heart and soul into football, but I knew I needed good grades to be successful," he said. "My parents encouraged me to do my best. They always stressed to me how important it was for me to get my education."

The schools' coaches and academic counselors picked it up from there.

"Coach Beamer always says to take advantage of what they give us," Weatherford said. "All our guys know the NFL doesn't only stand for National Football League. The coaches say it stands for Not For Long, too. Things can turn around quick."

That's why the likes of Lee Suggs and Jim Davis return to Blacksburg during NFL offseasons to work toward their degrees. That's why the likes of Weatherford and Zidenberg grind toward that precious piece of paper.

"It was something of an understanding I came to -- that without it, you can't go anywhere," Zidenberg said. "Even if you're fortunate enough to play in the NFL, the average life span for an NFL player is four years. If you don't have academics to fall back on, what are you going to do?"

The short answer would be: Punt. Zidenbergs, Weatherfords and scholar-athletes know a better way. As game plans go, it's a winner.

 

UVa Golfers Finish 26th at NCAAs
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 05/31/2008

West Lafayette, IN – The Virginia men’s golf team was in 26th place after the third round of the NCAA Championships that were completed Saturday morning after being suspended Friday due to weather. The Cavaliers failed to make the 54-hole cut to advance to the final round which is also scheduled for Saturday.

The only unranked team in the field and the No. 30 seed, the Cavaliers shot 24-over 312 in the third round. UVa opened the tournament with a 312 and managed to shoot 307 in the second round. UVa’s 54-hole total was 67-over 931. The 15th place team, Middle Tennessee State, was at 49-over 913 after three rounds.

Freshman Will Collins led UVa during the final round with the team’s best effort of the week, carding a score of 1-under 71. After playing the front nine at 3-over, Collins used four birdies on the back side to break par and move up to 39th overall when the third round ended.

Senior Greg Carlin, playing his final round as a Cavalier, posted his best single-round effort with a 4-over 76. He was 93rd overall at 233. Freshman Amory Davis shot 79 and finished 122nd at 238. Sophomore Kyle Stough, who was in 17th place after 36 holes, struggled on the tough front nine in the windy conditions, shooting 12-over and finished the day at 17-over 89. He dropped back to 119th place at 237. Sophomore Steven Rojas finished with an 86 for a three-day total of 253.

UCLA reclaimed he lead heading into the final round at 888. USC and Clemson were tied for second at 891 and Stanford was in third place at 893.

UCLA’s Kevin Chappell enters the final round in fist place at 4-under 210. Clemson’s Kyle Stanley and Washington’s Nick Taylor are tied for second at 214.


 

UVa’s Leitao headed to Iraq with USO
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: June 1, 2008

When Virginia basketball coach Dave Leitao visits U.S. military troops in Iraq this week, he hopes to bring them a little piece of home.
Leitao and five other hoops coaches will visit Kuwait and Iraq to talk basketball with military personnel based in those countries. “Operation Hoop Talk: Talking Hoops with the Troops,” is sponsored by the USO. The coaches will tour several military posts where they will host basketball clinics, pose for photos, sign autographs, but mostly just talk about whatever the troops want to talk about.
This will be the Virginia coach’s second such trip, having traveled to Japan in 2006. While there, he was amazed at how many military personnel he encountered that had some connection to the state of Virginia.
“There’s so many military personnel either in the Commonwealth because of all the various bases, or have been through those bases at one time or another,” Leitao said. “Some of them have attended the University of Virginia. If there were that many in Japan, I can imagine there will be even more in Iraq. Hopefully, I can represent a little piece of home for them.”
Moving out
Early tomorrow morning, Leitao will board a commercial plane at Dulles and fly directly to Kuwait along with Jeff Bzdelik of Colorado, Ed Conroy of The Citadel, Jim Crews of the U.S. Military Academy, Gary Stewart of Cal-Davis, and former New York Knicks scouting director, coach and assistant GM, Jeff Nix. After spending time in Kuwait, they will be transferred to Iraq.
“I’m very excited about the trip,” Leitao said. “I look forward to this as much as anything I have ever done.”
If you have followed Leitao since he came to Virginia a few years ago, then you are aware of his patriotism. He took his team to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington two years ago and has assisted wounded soldiers there.
“This is an extremely powerful and yet humbling experience,” Leitao said of the upcoming visit to the war zone. “It took a little convincing my wife and family. When you use the word Iraq, some people get a little nervous. But it’s something I feel real good about.”
A rare chance
The UVa coach, who was ACC Coach of the Year for 2006-07, said that he is fortunate to use basketball as a conduit to take such a trip and spend time with people whose lives are so different than ours. He is also interested to talk to troops first- hand and find out how they feel as opposed to reading it in newspapers or watching on the six o’clock news.
“I can get a more specific perspective on what’s going on in our world right now,” Leitao said. “Anytime those troops can get a piece of home, whether it’s a package, a person, or whatever, it’s a good thing. If we can go over there and make them smile and take their minds off day-to-day activities, it’s something I look forward to doing.”
During his trip to Japan, Leitao said that troops were most interested in having conversations about America and what was going on back home, that they were thankful to have someone to talk to.
“We were playing basketball, too, and they were thankful that they were being coached,” Leitao said. “It takes their minds away off the rigors of being in the military.”
He’s aware this trip will be much different than the previous one because of the war.
“This one, there’s people on the front lines and not knowing what is going to happen from day to day,” Leitao said. “It intensifies their perspective more than anything else. I hope to get a feel for where they’re at and what they’re going through. At the same time, it’s an opportunity to learn and grow and most of all just to say thank you for all of us.”
Leitao said that for a number of years he’s tried to become more than just a basketball coach, but to also be a humanitarian, “for my own consciousness and the consciousness for our players through basketball.”
Thus the trip to Walter Reed where UVa players spent much of a day with wounded soldiers.
Through a unique hook up, Cavalier fans will be able to monitor Leitao’s trip to the Persian Gulf on a daily basis as he will be filing a daily diary on virginiasports.com.

 

CAVS IN CONTENTION FOR SPURLOCK
Virginia is putting the full-court press on 6-7 swingman Tristan Spurlock, who runs with the Boo Williams Summer League.

Rightfully so, considering Spurlock is a beast, but do the Cavs have a realistic shot at prying him away from Georgetown, North Carolina, Clemson and Wake Forest? (All but the Tar Heels have offered.)

Well, if they can't, it won't be for lack of effort, that's for sure.

Spurlock, rated the No. 47 prospect in the class of 2009, said Virginia and Georgetown have been recruiting him the longest, but, of the five schools, the Cavs have put in the most work.

"They've come at me the hardest," said Spurlock, who will take an unofficial visit to Virginia on June 16.

Still, Spurlock doesn't have a leader and also is finalizing plans to visit Georgetown at some point this summer.

"I like all of them," he said. "I really do."

Spurlock, who stars for Montrose Christian School in Maryland, would upgrade the athleticism on the wing for any of the five schools. His jump shot is accurate from all over the court and he gets into the lane at will. Also, his competitive edge helps him lockup on defense.

Landing Spurlock won't be easy, and the Cavs haven't done well with BWSL kids recently — see Kendall Marchall, Ed Davis, DeShawn Painter, Vernon Macklin, Duke Crews, etc.

But the slump could be breaking...

"I won't say that there's a chance I could commit on my visit on June 15," Spurlock said. "Because I want to see a few more schools, but I've got a great relationship with Coach (Dave) Leitao. I could definitely see myself playing at Virginia."