Will Virginia Baseball Host a Regional at the NCAA Tournament?

Virginia was one of many hottest groups in all of faculty baseball within the first half of the season. The Cavaliers began the season on a 14-game profitable streak and received 22 of their first 23 video games. Ranked as excessive as No. 2 within the nation, the UVA bats had been the perfect within the nation and the UVA pitching employees was vastly exceeding expectations. 

Since struggling a humbling three-game sweep by the hands of Miami in early April, the Cavaliers haven’t been in a position to return to their early-season type, dropping 4 of their final six ACC sequence to finish the common season. Virginia has did not carry out towards prime competitors and has misplaced greater than an appropriate variety of video games towards mediocre groups. 

Even with the drop-off within the second half of the season, UVA was nonetheless in place to host a regional on the NCAA Event, a privilege awarded to the highest 16 general seeds, because the Cavaliers ready to play within the ACC Baseball Championship this week. At the start of the week, Virginia was No. 15 in D1Baseball’s seeding projections. If UVA put in a superb efficiency in pool play in Charlotte, the Cavaliers may have solidified their place as one of many prime 16 seeds. As a substitute, UVA went 0-2, together with a pricey blowout 13-3 loss to Florida State adopted by Virginia’s first scoreless effort of the season, dropping 3-0 to Notre Dame. 

Now, Virginia’s destiny is completely within the palms of the choice committee, who won’t neglect the peak of this crew’s potential as among the finest groups within the nation within the first half of the season, however may even definitely not ignore the crew’s most up-to-date struggles. The Cavaliers are a lock to obtain an at-large bid to the NCAA Event, however at this level, it appears extra seemingly that they are going to obtain a No. 2 seed in a regional performed away from the pleasant confines of Disharoon Park. 

In the latest projections (launched Saturday), D1Baseball now has Virginia firmly outdoors of the highest 16 seeds: 

1. Tennessee
2. Virginia Tech
3. Stanford
4. Oregon State
5. Texas A&M
6. Maryland
7. Notre Dame
8. Southern Mississippi
9. Miami
10. Louisville
11. Texas
12. East Carolina
13. North Carolina
14. LSU
15. TCU
16. Georgia Southern

Virginia (38-17) is at the moment ranked No. 26 when it comes to RPI and UVA’s full resume merely doesn’t carry sufficient spectacular wins to garner a prime 16 seed. 

The Cavaliers have received sequence towards Duke, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, and Clemson and have swept sequence towards Cornell, Penn State, Boston School, and North Carolina. The Tar Heels have finished the Hoos some favors this week in Charlotte, profitable video games towards Clemson and Virginia Tech to win Pool A and advance to the semifinals of the ACC Baseball Championship. UVA’s sweep towards UNC in late April seems to be even higher now that the Tar Heels have labored their approach into the highest 16 in D1Baseball’s newest projections because the No. 13 general seed. 

Sadly, Virginia has come up quick towards many of the different “good groups” on the schedule. UVA was swept by Miami and misplaced sequence at Pittsburgh and at Louisville and at dwelling towards Virginia Tech. In opposition to the 5 ACC groups who’re at the moment slated as regional hosts in line with D1Baseball (Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, Miami, Louisville, North Carolina), UVA has amassed a 5-8 file. 

The Virginia bats have nonetheless had their days, ranked No. 9 nationally in each crew batting common and runs scored per recreation, however the Cavalier offense has develop into considerably inconsistent down the stretch, struggling towards good pitching. Virginia’s beginning pitching employees maybe overperformed towards below-average competitors early within the season and has since been uncovered as a weak point of the crew late within the yr. If the UVA bats are usually not producing 10 runs in a recreation, Virginia is normally not going to win the sport. 

Not internet hosting a regional in Charlottesville will definitely make the journey again to Omaha so much more durable for a Virginia crew that went 29-5 at dwelling, 7-10 on the highway, and 2-2 in impartial settings this season. Nevertheless, the Cavaliers have had current success making a run within the NCAA Event in seasons the place they didn’t host a regional. In UVA’s most up-to-date journeys to the School World Sequence in 2021 and 2015, Virginia didn’t host a regional in Charlottesville. UVA followers ought to know higher than to rely out Brian O’Connor and the Cavaliers within the month of June. 

The NCAA Event bracket of 64 groups, organized into 16 regionals of 4 groups every, will likely be introduced on the NCAA’s Choice Present on Monday (5/30) at midday on ESPN2. 

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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