This weekend, eight groups will descend upon Omaha, Nebraska for the 2022 School Baseball World Collection. Whereas Virginia gave the impression to be effectively on the way in which to taking a kind of spots after being one of many high 5 groups within the nation by means of the primary half of the season, the wheels began to return off the bus in April and Might. Pitching struggles and inconsistent hitting produced a number of disappointing losses that drastically lowered the expectations for the Cavaliers getting into the NCAA Event and losses to East Carolina and Coastal Carolina resulted in UVA’s predictable elimination with out reaching the regional closing. 

With the 2022 Virginia baseball season formally within the books, it is time to give some closing ideas to place this season in perspective and take an preliminary look in direction of subsequent spring because the Hoos enter the offseason. 

Whereas a red-hot begin to the season generated an excessive amount of hype that the Cavaliers may make a return journey to Omaha in 2022, expectations weren’t practically that top coming into the season. Virginia misplaced a number of key items from the crew that went to the School World Collection in 2021, with these losses concentrated closely on the pitching employees. UVA misplaced an estimated 80% of its innings off the mound from the 2021 roster. Andrew Abbott, Griff McGarry, Mike Vasil, and Zach Messinger have been all chosen within the MLB Draft and Virginia additionally misplaced dynamic nearer Stephen Schoch. The departures of beginning place gamers Nic Kent, Zack Gelof, and Logan Michaels left main holes to fill within the infield. 

There have been nonetheless some stable items to construct round with returning veterans Alex Tappen and Devin Ortiz in addition to Jake Gelof and Kyle Tappen, who had spectacular freshman campaigns. However with 18 new gamers on the roster between incoming freshmen and transfers, essentially the most newcomers on any UVA roster of the Brian O’Conner period, there was an excessive amount of uncertainty about how the items would match collectively, particularly as regards to the pitching employees. 

The preseason polls mirrored how a lot problem faculty baseball specialists and media members had in making an attempt to determine the way to handle expectations for the 2022 Virginia baseball crew:

Baseball America: No. 5
Collegiate Baseball: No. 24
D1Baseball: unranked
USA TODAY Coaches ballot: No. 21
Good Recreation: unranked

Given the numerous query marks surrounding the crew heading into the season, nobody envisioned the Hoos getting out to the perfect begin within the historical past of the Virginia baseball program. The Cavaliers received 14 video games in a row to start out the season, began 20-1 for the primary time ever, and received 22 of their first 23 video games, scoring not less than 10 runs in 15 of these video games. 

Another highlights from Virginia’s sizzling begin:

February twenty seventh: Jake Gelof turns into first Cavalier since 2001 to hit for the cycle in a 19-1 victory over Cornell, capping a three-game sweep during which Virginia scored a complete of 60 runs. 
March twenty second: UVA improves to 20-1 for the primary time ever with 15-3 win over Towson. 
March twenty ninth: Virginia beats Richmond 8-2 to set program-record with Nineteenth-consecutive dwelling victory at Disharoon Park 

Via the primary 29 video games of the season, Virginia was 26-3 with sequence wins towards Cornell, Penn State, Duke, Boston School, Wake Forest, and Georgia Tech. The Cavaliers have been ranked within the high 10 nationally when it comes to each scoring offense and pitching. 

The one downside was that UVA achieved all of this towards below-average competitors. Wake Forest was the one crew Virginia confronted earlier than the month of April that ended up making the NCAA Event. Towards mediocre groups, Virginia’s weaknesses weren’t uncovered till a visit to Coral Gables to face then-No. 2 ranked Miami. 

The Hurricanes quieted the Cavalier bats, who managed simply 9 runs in the complete sequence. With out the standard explosive run help, the Virginia arms weren’t adequate to maintain up as UVA misplaced the three video games by scores of 2-6, 4-5, and 5-15. 

That weekend sequence began a disturbing development during which the Hoos didn’t return to the dominant type that they had displayed within the first half of the season. Virginia received a whole lot of video games the place the bullpen had given up 7 or 8 runs, however the Cavaliers may virtually all the time rely on the bats to attain near 10 runs, such that these video games have been nonetheless winnable. Towards higher competitors, that was now not the case. 

After getting swept at Miami, UVA adopted that up with maybe a fair worse efficiency the subsequent weekend at Pittsburgh, the place the crew’s inconsistencies on the plate started to point out. Virginia misplaced the primary sport 9-4, then received sport two 18-0, after which misplaced the rubber match 4-1. UVA outscored Pitt 23-13 over the course of the three video games, however misplaced the sequence. 

Within the closing month of the common season, Virginia managed to select up a serious resume-boosting sequence sweep towards North Carolina, together with some-late sport heroics in a wild sport 2 on April twenty third as Virginia scored seven runs within the backside of the tenth to erase a three-run deficit, capped off by a walk-off grand slam by Devin Ortiz. The Cavaliers additionally took two out of three video games towards Clemson, however misplaced sequence towards Virginia Tech and Louisville, so Virginia misplaced 4 out of its final six ACC sequence to finish the common season. 

UVA then turned in a disappointing 0-2 exhibiting on the ACC Baseball Championship in Charlotte, sealing the deal that the Cavaliers wouldn’t host an NCAA Event regional in Charlottesville. 

By that time, hype for the Hoos making a return journey to Omaha had been considerably watered down and expectations have been much like the place they have been earlier than the beginning of the season. Virginia’s pitching points have been clear and the bats have been nonetheless good and able to the occasional massive sport, however maybe somewhat too reliant on the lengthy ball as an alternative of displaying a willingness to get hits and transfer across the bases to attain runs. 

The Cavaliers delivered a stable outing towards Coastal Carolina of their opening sport of the Greenville Regional, successful 7-2 behind a stable pitching efficiency, nice protection, and well timed hitting, giving some hope that the Hoos may rediscover the magic that made them so good again in February and March. UVA misplaced a detailed sport towards a fantastic East Carolina crew in a loud, hostile surroundings that made it clear the influence that dwelling subject benefit can have on a sport. Within the rematch towards Coastal in an elimination sport, Jake Gelof tried to take over. He broke Pavin Smith’s single-season RBI document and hit two dwelling runs to place the Cavaliers in entrance 6-0. However, UVA’s pitching employees blew the 6-0 lead and Coastal walked it off within the backside of the ninth to finish Virginia’s season. 

From an enormous image standpoint, it’s unlikely that this yr’s roster was constructed for a deep run within the NCAA Event, not with out robust pitching. In spite of everything, 64 groups enter the match, however just one could be topped the nationwide champion. The top of any crew’s season will virtually all the time be disappointing, particularly for a crew that at one level may make a powerful case as a high three crew within the nation, however a tragic finish to this UVA baseball season was not an if, however a when. 

Now that UVA’s 2022 marketing campaign is formally over, we will start to look to subsequent spring and what ought to be one other thrilling season for Virginia baseball. Brian O’Connor will doubtless look to the switch portal to usher in some extra arms and Drew Dickinson will strive his greatest to work some magic to develop the prevailing pitchers on the roster for subsequent yr. The pitching will enhance – the one query is by how a lot. 

The losses of fifth-year seniors Devin Ortiz and Alex Tappen, who had a breakout yr in his closing season in Charlottesville, are important, notably from a management standpoint. Nonetheless, UVA followers have a lot to look ahead to with the gamers who can be returning, particularly contemplating the large contributions the Cavaliers received from a spectacular class of first years this season. 

Virginia is anticipated to return the next place gamers subsequent season: 

• sophomore Jake Gelof: .377, 65 R, 80 H, 21 HR, 81 RBI
• freshman Casey Saucke: .360, 44 R, 67 H, 7 HR, 46 RBI
• freshman Griff O’Ferrall: .308, 56 R, 70 H, 2 HR, 39 RBI
• freshman Ethan Anderson: .302, 35 R, 48 H, 5 HR, 39 RBI
• sophomore Kyle Teel: .276, 62 R, 61 H, 6 HR, 45 RBI
• junior Chris Newell: .258, 51 R, 49 H, 12 HR, 32 RBI
• freshman Justin Rubin: .333, 19 R, 29 H, 1 HR, 13 RBI
• freshman Colin Tuft: .292, 30 R, 28 H, 1 HR, 15 RBI
• junior Max Cotier: .257, 24 R, 35 H, 23 RBI

A lot can be anticipated from the rising sophomore class that vastly exceeded expectations of their first season in Charlottesville. Much more can be demanded of rising third years Jake Gelof and Kyle Teel, who can be taking part within the USA Baseball Collegiate Nationwide Staff coaching camp later this month.

Virginia can also be set so as to add catcher Travis Reifsnider, a switch from JMU who batted .303, hit 13 dwelling runs, and drove in 37 RBI final season and earned First-Staff All-CAA honors within the course of. 

From a pitching standpoint, Jay Woolfolk (freshman), Matt Wyatt (junior), Nate Savino (junior), Brandon Neeck (senior), Jake Berry (sophomore), Jacob Hodorovich (junior), Alex Greene (sophomore), and Matthew Buchanan (freshman) all have eligibility remaining. Transfers Will Geerdes, Dylan Bowers, and Paul Kosanovich may doubtlessly return as effectively. Second-Staff All-ACC pitcher Brian Gursky has performed his 5 seasons of school baseball, together with 4 at Southern California. In fact, a number of the roster may very well be shaken up by departures for the MLB Draft or the switch portal. 

There can be loads of time to revisit the roster in a couple of months when Virginia begins fall practices, however there must be loads of expertise and expertise on the crew when the Cavaliers take the sphere at Disharoon Park as soon as once more in 2023. 

See extra Virginia baseball information and content material: Virginia Baseball on Sports activities Illustrated

See extra Virginia sports activities information and content material: Virginia Cavaliers on Sports activities Illustrated

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