Virginia

Blanco Deals, Virginia Baseball Homers Three Times to Beat Virginia Tech 7-3

Published

6 months ago

May 17, 2024

Blanco Deals, Virginia Baseball Homers Three Times to Beat Virginia Tech 7-3

In need of a reset in their final regular season series after suffering a disappointing series loss last weekend, the Cavaliers got just that and did so with a combination of excellent pitching and power hitting.

Evan Blanco allowed only two unearned runs in 7.1 innings and UVA hit three home runs as No. 18 Virginia (38-14, 16-12 ACC) got back in the win column with a 7-3 victory over Virginia Tech (32-18, 14-14 ACC) in the Commonwealth Clash series opener on Thursday night at Disharoon Park.

For Blanco, who has been responsible for most of UVA’s quality starts in what has been a difficult season from a pitching staff perspective, Thursday’s outing was the longest of his career and the longest by any UVA pitcher since Brian Edgington tossed a complete game in the Super Regional against Duke last June. He allowed only five hits, issued only four walks, and the two runs the Hokies scored on his watch were unearned due to an error.

After a scoreless first inning, Virginia gave Blanco some early run support as Harrison Didawick drew a one-out walk and then Eric Becker drilled a two-run home run off the scoreboard in right-center field.

𝗕𝗘𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗥 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗦 𝗕𝗔𝗡𝗞!!!
Eric Becker off the scoreboard and its 2-0 HOOS!
📺: ACCNX | #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/CltcB1tU6j
— Virginia Baseball (@UVABaseball) May 16, 2024

The Cavaliers kept it coming in the third and did so again with the long ball as Henry Ford reached on a single and then Jacob Ference went yard with a hard-hit line drive that cleared the fence in left field for a two-run homer.

Name: Jacob Ference
Hometown: Smashville, USA
No. 1️⃣6️⃣ on the year, its 4-0 UVA
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📺: ACCNX | #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/36MZgeDR7X
— Virginia Baseball (@UVABaseball) May 16, 2024

Harrison Didawick followed that up with a double down the right field line and he scored on a Henry Godbout grounder that found the gap in the right side of the infield for an RBI single to make it 5-0.

The lone blemish on Blanco’s brilliant outing came in the top of the fourth. After giving up a one-out single, he appeared to have gotten out of it with a routine grounder to third base, but Becker airmailed the throw to first base, turning the final out of the inning into a scoring play to get Virginia Tech on the board. Blanco then issued a walk and an RBI single to Christian Martin before inducing the inning-ending fly-out with UVA still ahead 5-2.

Virginia answered in the bottom of the fifth with its third homer of the day and an historic one for Harrison Didawick, who smashed a solo shot into the bullpen in right field to become just the third Cavalier to ever hit 20 home runs in a single season, joining Brian Buchanan (1994) and Jake Gelof (2022, 2023).

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘!
Harrison Didawick becomes UVA’s third-ever 20-homer man!
📺: ACCNX | #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/Ghoz3Im0MR
— Virginia Baseball (@UVABaseball) May 16, 2024

After a 1-2-3 frame from Blanco in the top of the sixth, the Cavaliers scored their seventh and final run of the game in the bottom half, as Luke Hanson hit a leadoff single, moved to second on a Bobby Whalen bunt, and scored on a two-out single from Casey Saucke to make it 7-2.

Blanco worked around a single in the seventh and retired the first batter of the eighth before exiting to a well-deserved ovation from the crowd of 4,275 at Disharoon Park.

Tip of the 🧢 to @EvanBlanco27
Longest outing of his career, longest by a Cavalier this season.
👏👏👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/q1jQHhThE9
— Virginia Baseball (@UVABaseball) May 17, 2024

He was replaced by Chase Hungate, who gave up a run on a pair of singles, but got UVA to the ninth still leading 7-3. Angelo Tonas closed it out in the final frame, retiring the Hokies in order to secure Virginia’s 7-3 victory.

Blanco was the player of the game, giving up zero earned runs over a career-high 7.1 innings pitched. Though nine different Cavaliers recorded a hit in the game, Harrison Didawick was the only batter with multiple hits, going 3 for 3 with three runs scored, including his 20th home run of the season.

🗣️ POSTGAME REACTIONS: Coach O’Connor, Evan Blanco (7.1 IP, 0 ER), Harrison Didawick (3-for-3, HR, RBI), Eric Becker (1-for-2, HR, 2 RBI). pic.twitter.com/xk3gx7JEae
— Virginia Baseball (@UVABaseball) May 17, 2024

Virginia will look to take the series in Friday’s game 2, which has an adjusted start time of 12pm due to expected inclement weather on Friday evening. The game will be streamed on ACC Network Extra.

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Virginia

Sunshine State Bound Wolverines Ready for Virginia Tech at Fort Myers Tipoff – University of Michigan Athletics

Published

2 hours ago

November 26, 2024

Press Room

Sunshine State Bound Wolverines Ready for Virginia Tech at Fort Myers Tipoff – University of Michigan Athletics

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The University of Michigan men’s basketball team (4-1) hits the road to take on Virginia Tech (3-2) at the Fort Myers Myers Tip-Off on Monday (Nov. 25) at Suncoast Credit Union Arena. Opening tip is scheduled for 6 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on FS1.

Notes

• There will be eight teams in two divisions competing in the Fort Myers Tipoff. Michigan is among four teams in the Beach Division along with South Carolina, Virginia Tech and Xavier. The Palms Division features Miami (Ohio), Jacksonville, Mercer and Siena.

• The Maize and Blue faces Virginia Tech in its Beach Division opener on Monday. After a prep day, Michigan plays either South Carolina or Xavier in the consolation (6 p.m.) or championship (8:30 p.m.) on Wednesday (Nov. 27).

• After Thanksgiving, the Michigan women’s team plays at the Fort Myers Tipoff, in Shell Division play. Kim Barnes Arico’s Wolverines open with Belmont (Nov. 29; 2 p.m.) and play either Virginia Tech or Davidson on Saturday (Nov. 30) in the consolation (2 p.m.) or championship (5 p.m.).

• Michigan is 4-2 all-time against Virginia Tech. After winning the first four games in the series, the Wolverines have dropped the last two. U-M faces Virginia Tech for the first time in eight years, last playing in 2016 ACC/Big Ten Challenge at Crisler Center. All six games in this series have been part of a tournament or specialty event.

• Michigan is 3-3 all-time against South Carolina. The Wolverines could face the Gamecocks for the first time in six years, with the teams having faced off in the second game of a home-and-home series played in 2018. There have been three games in Ann Arbor, and two in Columbia. The lone neutral-site game was the championship of the 2006 NIT in Madison Square Garden (U-M lost 76-64).

• Michigan is 3-1 all-time against Xavier. Two of the four games have been played in the postseason. The first came in the 1984 NIT quarterfinals — a 63-62 U-M win — as the Wolverines went on to claim their first NIT title. The second was in the 1989 NCAA first round — a 92-87 U-M win — which was the launching point for the Maize and Blue on its way its first national championship. The last meeting between the Wolverines and Musketeers was in the 2015 Gavitt Games (Big Ten vs. Big East) at Crisler Center — nine years ago (U-M lost 86-70).

• ?Michigan wrapped up a three-game homestand (3-0) and improved to 4-1 overall. Now, U-M plays five of its next six games on the road. The Wolverines will be away from Ann Arbor for seven of its next 10 games.

• U-M is shooting 52.8 percent from the field, which ranks 15th nationally. Seven Wolverines are shooting above 50 percent as Tre Donaldson leads U-M shooting 62.2 percent (23-for-37).

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Virginia

West Virginia Mountaineers: Commitment 101: Jahmir Davis

Published

10 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Press Room

West Virginia Mountaineers: Commitment 101: Jahmir Davis

Cincinnati (Oh.) La Salle 2025 offensive tackle Jahmir Davis has committed to West Virginia.

The 6-foot-6, 305-pounder, picked the Mountaineers after a weekend official visit to campus where he earned a scholarship offer from the Big 12 Conference program.

The Buckeye State product also held offer from Marshall and Kent State but had been on the West Virginia radar since the summer.

That interest picked up over the past several weeks after a strong senior season where he earned Division II Southwest District All Star first-team selection honors.

Davis was recruited by recruiting coordinators Trey Neyer and Ken Signoretti and then developed into a connection with offensive line coach Matt Moore.

The offensive tackle fills a need for West Virginia in the 2025 class and becomes the third offensive lineman to commit to the program this cycle behind Olney (Md.) Good Counsel 2025 offensive lineman Gavin Crawford and Olney (Md.) Good Counsel offensive lineman Eidan Buchanan.

Overall, Davis is the 23rd prospect to commit to West Virginia in the 2025 class.

WVSports.com breaks down the commitment of Davis and what it means to the West Virginia Mountaineers football program both now and in the future.

Skill set:

Davis possesses excellent size and good athleticism for an offensive tackle. He also has an impressive wingspan which is going to help him in his role at the position. An under-the-radar type, West Virginia has had a lot of success over the years with identifying these athletic body types and molding them for their roles along the offensive front and Davis has the potential to do the same.

The Mountaineers needed to find another tackle type body in this class and Davis checks that box physically, while also impressing with his play on the field as a senior.

Fitting the program:

West Virginia needed more offensive tackle body types in the program with the Mountaineers set to lose both of their starters from the 2024 season to graduation. Buchanan is a major piece to that puzzle, but Davis is also is exactly what the doctor ordered. An intriguing frame, with plus athleticism, Davis is going to need to develop his body at the college level and fill out but has the physical qualities that you’re looking for at tackle.

The offensive lineman has already visited Morgantown so there is a comfort level there and he should be able to step and in start that process in an offensive line room that will lose four players at the end of the year.

West Virginia has continued to make Ohio a key state when it comes to targeting players and Davis is just the latest to join the program in the past couple seasons.

Recruiting the position:

In terms of offensive tackles Davis fills the need there but the Mountaineers are still recruiting one key target on the offensive line in Ohio commitment Parma (Oh.) Padua Franciscan 2025 offensive lineman Brandon Homady. Like Davis, Homady took an official visit over the weekend to Morgantown and the Mountaineers have made him a priority down the stretch as an interior option on the offensive front.

———-

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West Virginia Turnpike | Thanksgiving holiday travel forecast

Published

18 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Press Room

West Virginia Turnpike | Thanksgiving holiday travel forecast

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – The West Virginia Parkways Authority is expecting an estimated 715,100 total transactions to take place at the West Virginia Turnpike’s three toll booths in the six-day Thanksgiving holiday travel period from Tuesday, November 26, 2024, to Sunday, December 1, 2024.

“Wednesday and Sunday of Thanksgiving week are typically two of the busiest travel days we experience on the West Virginia Turnpike during the entire year” said Jeff Miller, executive director of the Parkways Authority.

On Wednesday, November 27, 2024, 150,000 transactions are expected to take place on the West Virginia Turnpike, with 160,000 transactions expected on Sunday, December 1, 2024.

A total of 127,500 transactions are expected on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, with heavier traffic from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.; 65,000 transactions estimated on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 28, 2024; and 82,500 transactions estimated on Friday, November 29, 2024. On Saturday, November 30, 2024, the West Virginia Parkways Authority estimates 127,500 transactions at Turnpike toll booths.

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