Cavaliers claw back
By Jay Jenkins
Published: June 7, 2009

OXFORD, Miss. — In mirror like fashion, Ole Miss returned the favor.

All but headed for a series-clinching victory, a costly error in the eighth inning by the Rebels opened the door for a 4-3 come-from-behind victory for Virginia in the Oxford Super Regional.

The win, which included ninth-inning heroics on the mound, kept Virginia’s season alive and evened the best-of-three regional. The Cavaliers (47-13-1) are now within one win of making their first trip to the College World Series.

“It was another great college baseball game,” Virginia coach Brian O’Connor said. “I couldn’t be more proud of our club. We hung in there all day long, continued to fight and didn’t quit.”

Trailing 3-2 with one out in the bottom-half of the eighth inning, Virginia freshman Danny Hultzen hit what appeared to be a routine grounder to Ole Miss second baseman Evan Button.

It proved to be anything but ordinary.

Button picked up the ball and flipped an errant throw into the dirt and past first baseman Matt Smith.

“It was a hard-hit ball that 99 times out of 100, I make,” said Button of his ninth error of the season. “I wish I could have it back.”

After Steven Proscia was walked by reliever David Goforth, Virginia catcher Franco Valdes turned on a fastball and drilled a run-scoring single into the outfield.

“I was way ahead on his first fastball, but I was locked in when it mattered,” Valdes said. “It felt so great coming off the bat.”

Valdes, a switch-hitter, was retired with relative ease in his first three plate appearances.

“I struggled a lot at the beginning of the game from the right side,” the junior said. “[Goforth] threw me a lot of fastballs [Friday] so I knew he was going to come with something hot because he throws pretty fast. He gave it to me and I got the barrel on it.”

With runners on the corners, Virginia sophomore John Barr grounded into a fielder’s choice that provided the game-winning run after he broke up a would-be double play by beating the relay throw to first.

Barr, who drove in Virginia’s second run in the fourth inning with a double, said it was great to hear the record crowd of 10,323 at Swayze Field go quiet.

“It was just great because we took the lead,” he said. “I was pretty fired up. As soon as I hit it I said, ‘Get on your horse,’ because I was not getting doubled up by these guys. That was pretty cool but it was also great that we took the lead with that crowd because it was dead silent.

“They were heckling me pretty much the whole game, so it was great to shove it back in their face by taking the lead.”

Playing as the home team, Virginia entered the ninth inning three outs away from its fifth one-run win of the season.

That appeared doomed after reliever Andrew Carraway allowed a lead-off double to Zach Miller that bounced off third base and trickled into foul territory.

After Miller advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, O’Connor summoned left-hander Matt Packer from the bullpen.

“Y’all thought I might have been a little bit nuts to bring a left-handed pitcher in to face a right-handed hitter,” the sixth-year skipper said. “Sometimes you have to do things that are out of the box a little bit to win.”

Packer, who pitched in Virginia’s 4-3 loss Friday, responded.

The southpaw got Ole Miss shortstop Kevin Mort to hit a lazy fly to shallow left-center field that was tracked down by left fielder Shane Halley, a defensive replacement for Barr.

“Halley has probably our best throwing arm in the outfield, and when you are trying to protect a one-run lead defense is very, very important,” O’Connor said. “Fortunately, he was out there because I don’t know if anybody else could have caught that ball. I thought that was the big play in that inning to win that game for us.”

With two outs, Packer threw consecutive balls to pinch hitter Drew Ferguson.

O’Connor, going against conventional wisdom, elected to intentionally walk Ferguson and pitch to lead-off hitter Jordan Henry.

“Believe me, I was running it over in my mind very, very quickly,” O’Connor said. “I broke the cardinal rule of baseball ,and that’s to walk the winning run and put him on base.

“I just felt that could be the ballgame and I liked our matchup with Matt against Henry. Fortunately, it worked.”

Packer induced a softly hit grounder to second baseman Keith Werman, a defensive replacement that had booted a ball in the ninth inning to allow the Rebels to rally Friday for a victory that eventually came in the 12th inning.

“I said it Friday, really, it looks like two evenly matched clubs with very, very good pitching. It comes down to a clutch hit or a clutch play,” O’Connor said. “It’s going to be the difference with this series. I know we are looking forward to the challenge in front of us and it should be a great ballgame.”

Ole Miss is slated to start LHP Nathan Baker (4-2, 3.63 ERA). The junior has not started a contest since April 28, but has 63 strikeouts in 62 innings.

It was not known after the game, however, who would pitch for the Cavaliers in today’s winner-take-all contest. O’Connor was forced to use Carraway for three innings in relief of starter Robert Morey.

Carraway, initially slated to start today, said he was reminded Friday evening by pitching coach Karl Kuhn that Virginia would not play today without a victory Saturday.

“Knowing that and being in the situation before, I came to the field ready to pitch,” he said, “and I knew if my number was called that I had to be ready.”

Another pitcher that may be unavailable today was Ole Miss starter Drew Pomeranz. The sophomore dazzled through seven innings Saturday against the Cavaliers, striking out 10 batters as he threw 146 pitches while battling blisters.

Pomeranz started his third game in eight days and worked on four days’ rest, having hurled 17 innings in the regional round.

“Pomeranz did an excellent job,” O’Connor said. “Fortunately, we were able to battle him, and get his pitch count up. We were able to get him out of the game.”

Morey worked five full innings and held Ole Miss without a hit after the first. It was in the opening, however, that the Rebels struck first on a two-run homer by Logan Power.

“In that first at-bat, he threw me a first-pitch fastball and I didn’t see that the rest of the game. After that inning, he really settled down and threw it down in the zone,” Power said. “He just kept us off-balance all day. He was really good.”

With the victory, Virginia matched the best win total in program history. The Cavaliers won 47 games in 2006.
 

Barr steps up as Cavs’ latest hero
By Jay Jenkins
Published: June 7, 2009

OXFORD, Miss. — Throughout the season, Virginia’s baseball team has had its share of unlikely heroes.

Add another to the list.

Sophomore outfielder John Barr, who had just two hits in the postseason, was a surprise starter after making just five starts over the Cavaliers’ last 17 contests.

Yet Barr remained confident and was awarded his first start in the NCAA tournament this year by coach Brian O’Connor.

“I never really change my approach. It is always just, ‘Stay confident,’” Barr said. “I knew that they were throwing a big lefty that was pretty highly touted so I just tried to hit it to the middle of the field offensively and I was just trying to take what he gave to me.”

Barr, who entered with four hits in his last 17 plate appearances, connected off Ole Miss starter Drew Pomeranz for a run-scoring double in the fourth inning.

“He tried to attack me with some fastballs early so I just tried to have some good at-bats for the team, whatever that meant,” Barr said.

In the eighth inning with the contest knotted 3-3, Barr also provided a run-scoring fielder’s choice to shortstop. It could easily have been a double play, but Barr hustled down the line and narrowly beat the relay throw.

“That was a big play for our team,” O’Connor said. “I love the way that John Barr plays the game. You know what you are going to get when you put his name on the lineup card. He has a lot of pride and that showed on that play.”

O’Connor has rotated a host of players in left field over the season, employing David Coleman, Phil Gosselin, John Hicks and Barr depending on the opposing pitcher and the dimensions of the stadiums.

It was a gut feeling and a left-handed starting pitcher that led to Barr’s insertion.

“I liked the way that John battled against Alex White in the ACC tournament,” O’Connor said. “I like the bat speed that you get from Barr, and Pomeranz has a great fastball.”

For the game, Barr finished 1 for 3, stole his fourth base of the season and drove in two runs.

Which was better in Barr’s eyes?

“The RBI groundout was way sweeter,” he chuckled.

Under pressure?

Ole Miss, one of the most consistent programs in the past decade, is playing in its fourth Super Regional in five years.

There is, however, one constant during that run of success: the Rebels have not advanced to the College World Series.

With Saturday’s 3-2 loss to Virginia, coach Mike Bianco dropped to 0-9 in games that could have advanced his program to Omaha, Neb.

That said, O’Connor does not think the pressure will be placed squarely on the Rebels in today’s decisive game.

“I am sure that they will be ready to play,” he said. “Over the last six or seven years, I think this has been one of the more consistent college baseball programs in the country.

“I know that this team will be ready and so will we. I am sure we will have another ballgame like we had the past two days. It will be a heck of a lot of fun.”

Virginia, which tied the program record with its 47th win, is making its first trip to a Super Regional.

Loud and proud

It has been a common sight to watch Virginia’s players glaring around Oxford-University Stadium during the first two games of the contest.

Without question, the announced crowds have been the largest this season for the Cavaliers.

The attendance (10,323) for Saturday’s game, in fact, set a stadium record.

Virginia is not in complete awe of the venue and the decibel level provided by its fan base.

“How do you not have fun?” O’Connor said. “This is, I think, the best environment in college baseball without question. [Ole Miss has] passionate fans that are into the game.

“If you are a competitor as a college baseball player this is what you want. This is the best. This is a memory that these players will have forever.”

Not every player has enjoyed every moment inside a venue that allows fans to bring coolers into the areas behind the left- and right-field fences.

“It can be tough at times, especially in the bullpen,” Virginia reliever Matt Packer said with a smile. “But it’s fun. It is nice to see that people care that much about baseball being here and they make it rough on you.”

Virginia catcher Franco Valdes added: “Luckily, behind the plate, I can’t hear much. I just hear white noise. If not, I probably couldn’t take it. It’s definitely fun to go out there and play in front of a huge crowd that we don’t do every day. Even if it is against us, it gets us going.”

Calling Johnny Wholestaff

Despite using senior Andrew Carraway for three innings Saturday, Virginia has options to start today’s winner-take-all contest on the mound.

O’Connor said a host of pitchers, including sophomores Tyler Wilson and Kevin Arico, enjoyed a well-timed day off on Saturday after working in the regional opener.

Virginia fifth-year senior RHP Robert Poutier (3-0, 2.12 ERA), sophomore LHP Neal Davis (2-0, 4.63) and rookie RHP Will Roberts (4-0, 4.14) have combined to make 12 starts this season.

“I don’t know where we go from here,” O’Connor said. “I just know that we have a number of guys that are hungry and want the ball.

“I think [Carraway and Packer] will have something in the tank. That’s one thing that we have done all year, create pitching depth.”
 

Reversal of fortune for Cavaliers
Virginia takes advantage of an eighth-inning error by Ole Miss to rally to win.
Associated Press

OXFORD, Miss. -- Virginia found itself one victory away from a trip to the College World Series after rallying for a 4-3 victory Saturday over host Mississippi.

For the second day in a row, a late error by a second baseman proved crucial, this time in favor of the Cavaliers before a school-record crowd of 10,323.

Ole Miss (44-19) led 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning and reliever David Goforth had retired the first batter of the inning before UVa's Danny Hultzen hit a seemingly routine grounder to Rebels second baseman Evan Button.

Button babied the throw, first baseman Matt Smith couldn't come up with a back-handed grab and Hultzen reached on the error.

"I make that play 99 times out of 100," Button said. "The ball was hit hard and I had all day to throw it."

After Hultzen stole second and Steven Proscia walked, catcher Franco Valdes lashed a single through the right side, scoring Hultzen to force a 3-3 tie.

Proscia advanced to third on the play and scored on a fielder's choice when Mississippi was unable to complete a double play on John Barr's grounder to short.

It was the first lead for Virginia (47-13-1) and the Cavaliers had to survive a nerve-racking ninth, which opened with a double by Zach Miller, who moved to third on a sacrifice bunt.

Junior Matt Packer came on to retire the final two batters, sandwiched around an intentional walk.

The victory went to senior Andrew Carraway, who pitched 3 13 shutout innings in relief of starter Robert Morey.

"I talked to our pitching coach last night and I started thinking that we don't play tomorrow unless we win today," said Carraway, the starter in Virginia's clinching victory in the Irvine Regional. "Knowing that and being in that situation before, I came to the field ready to pitch."

Ole Miss opened the game with a double by Jordan Henry, followed by a Logan Power home run, then didn't get another hit off Morey before he left the game after five innings.

Morey's early exit and the decision to insert Carraway (8-1) left the Cavaliers without an obvious starting pitcher for today's Super Regional championship at 3 p.m.

"I don't know where we go from here," UVa coach Brian O'Connor said. "I just know that we have a number of guys that are hungry and want the ball. We could use a number of pitchers in the ballgame."

Virginia put itself on the verge of elimination with a 4-3 loss to Mississippi in 12 innings on Friday night. The Cavaliers led 3-2 going into the bottom of the ninth, but the Rebels pulled to tie following an error by UVa second baseman Keith Werman.

"I'm sure we feel like they did yesterday," Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco said. "Much like them [Friday], we weren't able to close it out. It's the whole ballgame. People look at Evan's play, but you look at squandered opportunities along the way."

For the second game in a row, an ESPN2 broadcasting crew picked a pitcher from the losing team as its player of the game. The Rebels' Drew Pomerantz, who struck out 16 in an elimination game Monday against Western Kentucky, fanned 10 in seven innings Saturday.

A rested Nathan Baker (4-2, 3.63) will get the start today for the Rebels. O'Connor's comments indicated that sophomore Tyler Wilson (8-3, 2.88) will see some action for UVa after pitching to eight batters in two scoreless innings Friday.

"I've seen guys have heroic outings and have watched guys step up and do what they're supposed to," Bianco said. "I don't know if there's an advantage when you get to this point in the season."

Virginia tied a school record for victories in a season and improved its record to 5-9 in one-run games.
 

Cavaliers Turn Tables vs. Ole Miss, Rally to Win Game 2
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 06/06/2009

OXFORD, Miss. – Trailing Ole Miss 3-2 in the eighth inning, the Virginia baseball team rallied to score two in the inning and then held on in a tense ninth inning to record a 4-3 win over the Rebels Saturday in front of a raucous stadium-record crowd of 10,323 at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field in the NCAA Oxford Super Regional.

The super regional is now tied at a game apiece. The deciding third game will be played at 3 p.m. ET Sunday on ESPN. The winner of the game will earn a berth in the College World Series. UVa is seeking its first CWS berth, while Ole Miss is aiming for its first bid since 1972. UVa won a coin flip and will be the designated home team Sunday, as it was on Saturday.

With the victory, Virginia tied a school record with its 47th win this year. It matches the mark set by the 2006 team.

Andrew Carraway (Sr., Marietta, Ga.) earned the win on the mound with 3.1 scoreless innings of relief and improved to 8-1 this year. Matt Packer (Jr., Germantown, Tenn.) came on with a runner at third and one out in the ninth and held the Rebels at bay to earn his third save.

Virginia (47-13-1) had been stifled for much of the day by Ole Miss southpaw Drew Pomeranz, but he left after throwing 146 pitches in seven innings. The Cavaliers then went to work against reliever David Goforth (1-1), scoring a pair of runs in the eighth inning to take the lead.

With one out, Danny Hultzen (Fr., Bethesda, Md.) reached on a throwing error. He stole second, and Steven Proscia (Fr., Suffern, N.Y.) followed with a walk. Franco Valdes (Jr., Miami, Fla.) then ripped a single into right field to score Hultzen and tie the game, with Proscia moving to third. John Barr (So., Ivyland, Pa.) followed with a grounder in the hole at shortstop. Kevin Mort got the forceout at second but the speedy Barr beat the throw to first to allow Proscia to score.

The Rebels (44-19) tried to come back in the ninth inning for the second straight game. Zach Miller lined Carraway’s first pitch just inside the third-base line for a double. Mort then sacrificed Miller to third. Packer came on in relief and got Michael Hubbard to lift a shallow fly to left-center, which Shane Halley (Fr., Burke, Va.), in as a defensive sub and playing deep, tracked down while holding the runner at third. After Packer fell behind 2-0 to pinch hitter Tim Ferguson, the Cavaliers elected to walk him and face Jordan Henry, who grounded out to second baseman Keith Werman (Fr., Vienna, Va.) to end the game and tie the series.

Robert Morey (So., Virginia Beach, Va.) started for Virginia and went five-plus innings. He allowed hits to the first two batters of the game, but did not surrender another. He struggled with his control, though, and walked a career-high five while fanning four.

Pomeranz, after pitching 17 innings in the regional, worked seven strong innings against UVa and gave up two earned runs, seven hits and three walks while striking out 10.

Phil Gosselin (So., West Chester, Pa.) and Danny Hultzen (Fr., Bethesda, Md.) each recorded a pair of hits for Virginia. Gosselin also stole two bases and finished with 21 this year – tied for eighth most in a single season in UVa history. The Cavaliers had their running game in full gear with five stolen bases. Barr added a pair of RBI as well as a stolen base.

Ole Miss got off to a great start, as Henry hit the game’s second pitch for a double and Logan Power ripped Morey’s next offering for a home run to left field to give the Rebels a 2-0 lead.

Virginia scored in the third inning. With one out, Barr walked following a nine-pitch at bat. He then stole second base. One out later, Tyler Cannon (Jr., Pigeon Forge, Tenn.) singled up the middle on a 3-2 pitch to plate Barr. The Cavaliers then loaded the bases with two out, but Pomeranz got John Hicks (Fr., Sandy Hook, Va.) to fly out to right to end the inning.

The Cavaliers tied the game in the fourth inning. Hultzen led off with a single to right field. With two out, Barr went opposite field and doubled down the right-field line, scoring Hultzen from first.

Ole Miss forged back ahead in the sixth. Matt Snyder and Matt Smith drew consecutive walks to start the inning. Carraway came on and gave up an RBI single to Kyle Henson, with Smith getting throw out at third on the play and Henson moving to second. Miller then singled to right center, with Henson moving to third. Carraway then got a double-play grounder from David Phillips to escape further damage.


 

Cavaliers cash in on Rebels' slip-up
Following Button's error, Virginia strikes for two 8th-inning runs
David Brandt • david.brandt@clarionledger.com • June 7, 2009

OXFORD — By his own admission, it was a play that second baseman Evan Button makes "99 times out of 100." But as the junior found out on Saturday afternoon, Super Regionals make strange things happen to the Ole Miss baseball program.

"The ball was hit hard and I had all day to throw it," Button said. "I wish I could have it back."

But he can't. And instead, the Rebels will have to find a way to pick themselves off the mat after a demoralizing 4-3 loss to Virginia in the second game of a best-of-three NCAA Super Regional at Oxford-University Stadium.

Ole Miss (44-19) and Virginia (47-13-1) split the first two games. The third and deciding game will be at 2 p.m. today. It will be televised on ESPN.

Though Button's error was certainly not the Rebels' only flaw on Saturday, its timing and magnitude were undeniable as a stadium record announced crowd of 10,323 watched in disbelief.

Ole Miss had a 3-2 lead in the eighth inning with reliever David Goforth (1-1) pitching. He retired the first batter on a popup and the Rebels were just five outs from a trip to the College World Series for the first time since 1972.

Then Virginia's Danny Hultzen hit a sharp grounder that Button fielded cleanly. But when he stepped to make the routine 70-foot throw to first base, Button short-armed it and the ball dove into the dirt and skipped past first baseman Matt Smith.

From there, the Rebels unraveled. Virginia's Steven Proscia walked and Franco Valdes smacked the game-tying single into right field. Then with one out, John Barr grounded into a fielder's choice that scored Proscia to give the Cavaliers a 4-3 lead before the Rebels got out of the inning.

In the ninth, UM's Zach Miller hit a leadoff double down the third-base line and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. But Kevin Mort flew out to shallow left field for the second out, and then after Tim Ferguson was intentionally walked, All-Southeastern Conference outfielder Jordan Henry grounded out to end the game.

Ole Miss won Game 1 of the Super Regional partly because of a crucial error by Virginia second baseman Keith Werman in the ninth inning. On Saturday, the script had been flipped.

"We had the error and they capitalized on it (in the first game)," Valdes said. "Today was our turn. It was the same type of error and we used it to our advantage."

UM coach Mike Bianco said Button's error hurt, but wasn't the only play that kept the gates to Omaha locked.

"People look back at Evan's play, but we know it's the whole nine innings," Bianco said. "You're going to make mistakes, you're going to make errors, but the goal is to score more runs than them. Today, we weren't able to do that."

The loss wasted another awe-inspiring performance from UM left-hander Drew Pomeranz. The sophomore threw 146 pitches on short rest, gutting through seven innings. He gave up only two runs on seven hits while striking out 10. Dating back to the NCAA Regional, Pomeranz has thrown 374 pitches in eight days.

"Drew was Superman out there again today." Bianco said.

But the Rebels, who got a two-run homer from Logan Power in the first, couldn't take advantage, and now a winner-take-all game approaches. And for Ole Miss, so do the demons of 2005 and 2006.

Both years, the Rebels won the first game of Super Regionals hosted at Oxford-University Stadium against Texas and Miami, respectively. And both years, UM had to painfully watch a chance at the CWS slip away when both teams rallied for two straight wins to advance to Omaha.

Today, the Rebels will try to end that trend. Both teams will be short on pitching.

UM will throw left-hander Nathan Baker (4-2, 3.63). Virginia coach Brian O'Connor wasn't sure who he would start after burning No. 3 starter Andrew Carraway (8-1) on Saturday with 3 1/3 scoreless innings of relief for the win.

"I don't know where we go from here," O'Connor said. "But we've got a number of guys who are hungry and will want the ball."
 

Do these Rebels have what it takes to get to Omaha?
Rick Cleveland • rcleveland@clarionledger.com • June 7, 2009

Ole Miss' seemingly never-ending, labyrinth-like road to Omaha took another sharp turn and another skid Saturday.

Today, we'll find out if it results in another NCAA Super Regional wreck.

After losing 4-3 to Ole Miss in a thrilling Game 1 on Friday, Virginia turned the tables on the Rebels, winning 4-3 in another heart-attack baseball game on Saturday.

Today, the two teams, so evenly matched in talent and fortitude, go at it for a third time.

The winner goes to Omaha, site of the College World Series.

The loser?

Well, Ole Miss knows all too well how that feels. If this Super Regional seems familiar, that's because, well, it is.

We now find out which Ole Miss fans see the glass as half-empty and the ones who see it as half-filled.

Half-empty?

"Oh, ----, here we go again."

Half-filled?

"Not this time!"

You know the story. In 2005, Ole Miss beat eventual national champion Texas in the first game of the Oxford Super Regional, then lost the next two.

In 2006, Ole Miss beat Miami in the first game of another Oxford Super Regional, then lost the next two.

You know coach Mike Bianco wants to take his Ole Miss Rebels to Omaha so badly he can almost taste one of those juicy ribeyes. But it's not going to be easy.

Then again, it's not supposed to be.

More guts
Friday's Ole Miss victory featured Jake Morgan's blood and guts performance after suffering a pre-game broken nose.

There was no blood Saturday - just a lot more guts.

You have to start with Drew Pomeranz, the sophomore Ole Miss left-hander, who battled through seven innings, four days after his heroic performance in the championship game of the Regional, which came three days after a superb effort in the Regional opener.

Again responding to calls of "DREEEEEWWWW," Pomeranz went seven innings, throwing 146 pitches, allowing just seven hits and two runs. He didn't have the same stuff he had Monday night, but he did have the same tenacity. Over eight days, he has thrown 24 innings, 374 pitches, allowed just 14 hits and has struck out 36 batters. His earned run average for the three efforts: 1.13. Magnificent.

But as good and gutty as Pomeranz was, Virginia found a way to be one run better. Grit was involved here, as well. In a do-or-die situation, playing before an announced crowd of 10,323 loud, ready-to-celebrate, mostly partisan Ole Miss fans, and down 2-0 early, Virginia didn't flinch. In fact, Virginia coach Brian O'Connor said his team thrived on the electric environment.

"How could this not be fun," O'Connor said. "This is the best environment in college baseball. The fans are so passionate, so into the game. If you are a competitor this is what you want. This is the best. This is a memory that these players will have forever."

Against the book
O'Connor went totally against conventional baseball in the ninth inning after Zach Miller doubled over the third base bag to open the inning off Andrew Carraway and Mike Hubbard sacrificed Miller to third. With one out and a runner at third O'Connor went to his bullpen and brought in left-hander Matt Packer to pitch to right-handed Kevin Mort.

"I know you guys thought I was crazy," O'Connor said.

Well, yes. ...

But then Mort popped to shallow left, and it really got crazy.

With two outs, O'Connor chose to walk pinch-hitter Tim Ferguson intentionally, putting the lead run at first base, and pitch to Jordan Henry, the Rebels' only first-team All-SEC hitter.

"Believe me, I was running it over in my mind, very quickly because it had to be a quick decision," O'Connor said. "I broke the Cardinal rule of baseball, putting the potential winning run on first, but I like the matchup of Matt (Packer) on Henry."

Henry grounded out to second to end what was another fabulous game.

"Isn't this just amazing baseball?" O'Connor asked this reporter, afterward.

It is. Great theater, too.
 

Notebook: Bukvich can't go, elevating Baker
David Brandt • david.brandt@clarionledger.com • June 7, 2009

OXFORD — Ole Miss left-hander Nathan Baker will get his first start since April 28 this afternoon, forced into the role because of an injury to senior Brett Bukvich.

Bukvich, who has been the No. 3 starter for the last half of the season, has a "tender" arm according to coach Mike Bianco. The left-hander's 24 wins are fourth all-time in Ole Miss history.

Baker (4-2, 3.63) has been used in a variety of roles throughout his three-year career, though the former freshman All-American settled in as a reliever over the last half of this season.

He has six starts this season, all in midweek games, throwing 30 1/3 innings and giving up 16 earned runs for a 4.74 ERA. His best start was against Arkansas-Little Rock, when he gave up one run over 5 2/3 innings.

He pitched in two big games last season - against LSU in the Southeastern Conference Tournament championship and against Miami in the NCAA Regional championship - but lost both of them after giving up a combined 10 runs (seven earned) in 6 1/3 innings over the two games.

Ole Miss should have some fresh arms in the bullpen. Rory McKean hasn't been used yet in the Super Regional and Jake Morgan will have a day's rest after throwing three innings in the first game.

Aaron Barrett, Wade Broyles and Michael Park are also on the active roster, but none of them have pitched since the regular season.

Praise for Bianco
Today, Ole Miss is trying to avoid the dubious distinction of losing four Super Regionals in a five-year span without ever making it to the College World Series.

But Virginia coach Brian O'Connor said that whatever happens, Bianco is still a great coach.

"Mike Bianco is one of the best coaches in this country," O'Connor said. "I know he'll have his team prepared tomorrow to play great baseball. Let me tell you, it is so hard to get to Omaha. I don't care how many Super Regionals you've hosted and how many regionals you've been to ... Not only do you have to be good every year, but the ball has to bounce your way. You have to be lucky too."

A bad omen?
Ole Miss is 3-7 all-time in Super Regional games, dating back to 2005. The Rebels are also 0-5 in Super Regional games when acting as the visiting team in Oxford-University Stadium.

After Saturday's game, Ole Miss and Virginia had a coin flip to see who would be home and visitor for today's game.

Ole Miss' draw? Visitor.

Odds and ends
Ole Miss pitcher Drew Pomeranz has 124 strikeouts this season, moving him past Mark Holliman's 2005 season for the fourth most strikeouts for a pitcher in a single year. ...

The two-day Super Regional attendance total is 19,536. Saturday's 10,323 set an Oxford-University Stadium record.
 

Cavaliers Rally Past Rebels, Force Game 3
By Jimmy Jones
Special to CollegeBaseballInsider.com

Jimmy Jones is the world’s greatest baseball fan cleverly disguised as a proud father of five beautiful children. He loves to write about the sport, but it is his action photography that has earned him numerous awards. He has contributed to CollegeBaseballIinsider.com for the past few seasons.

OXFORD, Miss. - Virginia witnessed the dramatics of a come-from-behind-win up close and personal in the first game of the Oxford Super Regional, and the Cavaliers didn’t like it.

They did something about it on Saturday with a rousing two-run rally in the eighth inning to post a 4-3 win over the Ole Miss Rebels and overcome a masterful pitching performance by sophomore sensation Drew Pomeranz (right) to force a do-or-die game on Sunday on the road to Omaha.

"It was just another great college baseball game," Virginia coach Brian O'Connor said. “Pomeranz is as good as any pitcher we have seen all year. I couldn't be more proud of our club for fighting the whole game and get his pitch count up and get him out of the game.

"Now it comes down to a clutch play or clutch hit tomorrow."

Ole Miss All-SEC first-team selection Jordan Henry set the pace early for his team with a ball that just landed over the glove of Virginia shortstop Tyler Cannon in short left field for a double in the top of the first. Henry's hit was the 58th time in 61 games that he has reached base for the Rebels (44-20).

Henry's hit was safe by a matter of inches, but the ball that Logan Power (left) hit on the very next pitch could be measured in feet, as well as decibels, after it cleared the left-field bleachers, setting the capacity crowd into a frenzy and giving his team an early 2-0 lead after trailing for most of the first game on Friday.

Power was instrumental in the Rebels’ first game win as well, with a clutch ninth-inning RBI to tie the game. It was the 178th of his career to extend his school record.

Pomeranz cruised through the Cavaliers (48-13-1) in the first two innings, allowing only one hit while striking out three before running into trouble in the third.

John Barr, the 9-hitter, drew a walk and stole second on a 1-0 count. After Pomeranz struck out Jarrett Parker, who had two hits in the first game and was in the midst of a 13-game hitting streak, Cannon finished off an excellent at-bat against the left-hander with a RBI single through the middle of the diamond on a 3-2 count to plate Barr to make the score 2-1.

Virginia starter Robert Morey (right) settled in nicely after his rough first inning and retired the Rebels (44-20) with no hits or runs through the fourth, when his offense tied it up at 2.

ACC Freshman of the Year Danny Hultzen got things started for Virginia with a base hit and scored on a two-out double down the right field line by Barr.

Morey lost cruise control in the fifth when he walked the first two Rebels he faced in Matt Snyder and Matt Smith, prompting his replacement by right-hander Andrew Carraway, scheduled to be the Sunday starter in an ‘if-necessary’ game.

"I talked with the coaches last night and they told me to be ready today," Carraway said. "If we don't win today then there is no tomorrow. I will be ready to go tomorrow if needed."

Kyle Henson greeted Carraway with a RBI single to break the tie, but the Rebels squandered an opportunity for a big inning when Smith tried to advance to third on the throw to the catcher and was tagged out for his efforts.

Carraway then threw the pitcher’s best friend with a 6-4-3 double-play ball off the bat of David Phillips to end the threat and the inning with minimal damage done.

Disaster struck in the eighth for the Rebels with David Goforth on in relief of Pomeranz, who departed after throwing 140 pitches. With one out, Goforth got an easy grounder to second baseman Evan Button who picked it up cleanly, hesitated and then threw wildly to first allowing Hultzen to reach.

"It was a hard-hit ball that 99 times out of a 100 I make,” Button said. “I wish I could have it back, but we just have to flush it and get ready for tomorrow."

Virginia, which lost a 3-2 lead Friday in part because of an error at second to lead off the ninth, made the most of the opportunity, scoring on a hit by Steven Proscia to score Hultzen, who had stolen second, and adding another on a grounder by Barr, who beat the return throw to first to allow the go-ahead run to score.

"Another great baseball game," Rebels coach Mike Bianco said. "Drew pitched a heck of a game, unfortunately we just couldn't close it out.

"I thought we put the barrel on the ball often enough, and I want to be sure and give those guys credit, but we hit the ball hard, just right at some people.

"They made one more play than we did today. That's the bottom line."

Nathan Baker will pitch for the Rebels in Game 3. Virginia hasn’t announced its starter. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday.
 

Virginia rallies to 4-3 win over Mississippi
By CHRIS TALBOTT, Associated Press Writer
12 hours, 35 minutes ago

OXFORD, Miss. (AP)—On the verge of elimination, Virginia players were waiting for an opportunity. Just like always.

The Cavaliers took advantage of a throwing error in a two-run eighth inning and staved off elimination with a 4-3 win over Mississippi on Saturday, reversing Friday’s nearly identical turn of events that cost them a sure win.

“They’ve done it all year,” Virginia coach Brian O’Connor said. “They have responded all year. Nothing has fazed them.”

The Cavaliers (47-13-1) tied the school record for wins in a season and moved within one game of their first College World Series after rallying with one out in the eighth in front of a school record crowd of 10,323.

Just like Friday, when Ole Miss (44-19) used a ninth-inning fielding error at second base to mount a rally in a 4-3 win in 12 innings, Virginia started its comeback on a throwing error by Rebels second baseman Evan Button. He fielded Danny Hultzen’s routine grounder cleanly, but was wide left on his throw.

That led to two runs and a third game.

“It was a hard hit ball,” a glum Button said. “I make that play 99 out of 100 times. I had all day to throw it. I wish I could have it back. I feel bad for the team.”

There’s no time to waste on being bummed out, though. The teams meet Sunday with a trip to Omaha, Neb., on the line and a lot of questions to answer about pitching.

Virginia brought Sunday starter Andrew Carraway (8-1) in after two walks by Robert Morey to start the fifth inning. And Ole Miss’ Sunday starter, Brett Bukvich, has been scratched with an injury.

The Cavaliers are seeking their first trip to the CWS. Chances are they’ll need to win another tight game to advance.

“It really appears like these are two very evenly matched clubs with very, very good pitching,” O’Connor said. “It looks like a clutch hit or a clutch play will decide it tomorrow.”

Virginia’s eighth-inning rally wiped away a nearly perfect performance by Ole Miss starter Drew Pomeranz, who was seeking his third win of regional play. He pitched seven innings, struck out 10 and threw 146 pitches, leaving the game with a 3-2 lead.

Reliever David Goforth (1-1) took over and got a quick out to start the eighth. But Hultzen reached on Button’s error, stole second and came home on Franco Valdes’ single to right field. That left runners on first and third for John Barr, who sent a grounder to short. It appeared as if the Rebels would turn a double play, but Button’s throw was a step late and Steve Proscia came home on the fielder’s choice to make it 4-3.

Ole Miss had a runner at third in the ninth inning, but couldn’t bring him across as Matt Packer, who faltered Friday in the ninth inning, redeemed himself with a save.

The Rebels took an early lead, scoring two runs on Morey’s first three pitches when Logan Power hit a two-run home run to left field.

Virginia rallied to tie it when Barr scored on a single by Tyler Cannon in the third, then drove in a Hultzen in the fourth. Ole Miss added a run in the seventh on Kyle Henson’s RBI single and the Rebels had two more chances to score in the inning, but baserunning errors ended the threat.

Ole Miss, which has lost its last two super regionals after taking a 1-0 lead, will start Nathan Baker on Sunday in place of Bukvich. O’Connor’s not sure what he’ll do.

“I don’t know where we go from here,” O’Connor said. “I just know we’ve got a number of guys that are hungry to go.”

 

Outside limelight, Cavaliers thriving
David Teel
June 7, 2009

Their names are unfamiliar and send spell-check off the deep end. Their deeds rarely make SportsCenter or create traffic headaches on Emmet Street.

But these are the young men and women responsible for what likely will be, by at least one standard, the finest school year in University of Virginia sports history.

So take a bow, Dominic Inglot and Michael Shabaz. And you, too, Adams Abdulrazaaq and Yami Ayeni. Not to neglect Calle Nielson, Mei Christensen, Franco Valdes and dozens of others.

The irony here is that the Cavaliers' marquee sports, football and men's basketball, endured their worst collective seasons in more than three decades. Both programs finished with losing records for the first time since the 1976-77 academic year.

Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage forced basketball coach Dave Leitao to resign but rejected pleas of some donors to terminate football coach Al Groh. Instead, Groh was coerced into staff changes, most conspicuously at offensive coordinator, where he replaced his son Mike with Gregg Brandon, a former Bowling Green big whistle.

Amid the pitchforks-and-torches unrest, many questioned Littlepage's leadership, and in some instances, rightfully so. Yet thanks in part to his sage coaching hires for non-revenue teams, Virginia in 2008-09 is poised to reach the department's stated goal of ranking among the top 10 in the Directors' Cup.

Based primarily on NCAA tournament performance, the Directors' Cup standings are an intriguing though imprecise measure of an athletics department. The Cavaliers are top-30 staples but have cracked the year-end top 10 only once — they were eighth in 1998-99.

When the standings were last updated, May 27, Virginia was 10th. But with points still to be awarded for baseball — U.Va. plays Mississippi today for a berth in the College World Series — and track, a top-five finish for the Cavaliers is possible, if not probable.

(Stanford appears cemented at No. 1 for a 15th consecutive year; North Carolina is second, Duke ninth, Virginia Tech 52nd.)

Not surprisingly, Virginia's national success is rooted in its ACC efforts. For the second straight year, the Cavaliers equaled a school record with six conference championships.

The sources ranged from the usual suspects to the completely unexpected.

Coach Mark Bernardino's men's swimming team won its 11th consecutive ACC title, his women a second straight; Brian Boland's men's tennis squad, undefeated until an NCAA quarterfinal loss to Southern California, ruled the league for a third consecutive year, the men's cross country bunch for the second time in three seasons.

The stunners were baseball and, especially, men's outdoor track.

Thanks to individual titles by Abdulrazaaq in the high hurdles and Ayeni in the discus, rookie Jason Vigilante coached Virginia to its first league title, tying traditional power Florida State. And spare us any Lou Dobbs-like rants about foreign mercenaries — Abdulrazaaq was born in Richmond and attended Highland Springs High; Ayeni was born in Nigeria but went to high school in New Jersey.

Last month, Brian O'Connor's team became the lowest seed (sixth) to win the ACC baseball tournament. With Valdes, a junior catcher, earning MVP honors, the Cavaliers then survived an NCAA regional for the first time, defeating No. 1 UC Irvine twice on the Anteaters' field.

And it hasn't just been the conference kingpins. Hall of Fame coach Dom Starsia guided the men's lacrosse team to the NCAA semifinals after stumbling in the ACC tournament; led by Nielson, the women's golf squad placed eighth at nationals under second-year coach Kim Lewellen after struggling to fifth place at the conference tournament.

Lewellen is among a group of quality coaches Littlepage and his staff have discovered over the years. The run of impeccable hires began in 1993 when, as an assistant athletic director, Littlepage helped pry Starsia from Brown, the latter's alma mater.

Since, Littlepage and Co. have unearthed coaches from institutions renowned (O'Connor from Notre Dame, and Vigilante from Texas) and undervalued (Boland from Indiana State, and Lewellen from East Carolina). As important, when others attempted to poach its coaches, Virginia retained them.

In turn, the coaches have recruited and developed talents such as Inglot and Shabaz, who last month won the doubles at the NCAA tennis championships, one year after Somdev Devvarman captured his second consecutive singles title.

Also: Christensen was the ACC women's swimmer of the year after setting six records, two individual and four relays, at the conference meet. She later finished fifth in the 100-yard backstroke at the NCAA meet to earn All-America honors.

Household names, no. Rather, the cornerstones of sweeping excellence.

Not a bad trade.