Virginia baseball will face a team gathering momentum when N.C. State rolls into U.Va. Baseball Field this weekend for a three-game series. After a lackluster first two weeks of the season and five consecutive losses, the Wolfpack (11-11, 3-3 ACC) have worked their way back to a .500 conference record.
"Dad gum, if they haven't started playing well," Virginia coach Dennis Womack said. "They took two out of three from Georgia Tech [in Atlanta], one from Florida State ... We're going to have to play well."
The Cavaliers certainly are capable of it. After dropping a three-game series to Florida State, Virginia (13-9, 2-4 ACC) bounced back to take six of its next eight contests, including victories over Duke and UNC-Greensboro.
The brightest spot in the Cavalier offense during its recent run has been senior shortstop Hunter Wyant. On March 19, Wyant earned ACC Co-Player of the Week honors for his stellar work at the plate. Over the course of the week, he went 15-for-22 and racked up 12 RBIs, 11 runs scored, four triples, three doubles and one home run.
Wyant also became the only player in Virginia baseball history to hit for the cycle with a single, a double, a triple and a homerun against High Point on March 12. Wyant has started all 21 games so far this season and boasts a .376 batting average.
Junior left fielder David Stone has been impressive at the plate as well. His .386 average is the second highest on the team and he hit safely in 20 consecutive games before he snapped his streak with a 0-4 outing against Virginia Commonwealth on Tuesday.
Though offensively the Cavaliers have been solid, they have been slightly less consistent on the mound.
Senior left-hander Brandon Creswell and junior right-hander Dan Street have been the most aggressive thus far, with ERAs of 3.71 and 1.82, respectively. Creswell leads the team with 28 strikeouts, and Street is second with 19.
Freshman left-hander Joe Koshansky is working on a 2-2 record after five starts, but he carries a 5.02 ERA. ERA is a problem for the rest of the staff, including the bullpen, where percentages creep up into the 6.00s.
If the Cavaliers can pull consistent work out of their pitching staff, they will be better equipped to handle N.C. State, though not without a fight.
The Wolfpack entered the 2001 season gunning for a return trip to the NCAA Tournament for the 13th time in 16 years. Though mostly a young team, it's the upperclassmen who have stepped up so far this season for the 'Pack.
Senior right-hander Josh Miller and junior lefty Dan D'Amato have done impressive work on the mound - Miller with a 1.99 ERA and D'Amato with a . 600 winning percentage. D'Amato leads the team in innings pitched and has three wins under his belt.
Offensively, four members of the 'Pack are hitting over .300, though the team has only outscored its opponents 137-131. All-ACC junior left fielder Brian Wright has been the most reliable at the plate with a .371 batting average and a .436 on-base percentage. But if perennially crucial Cavalier pitching can shut down Wright, the Cavaliers shoul d have an easier time containing the rest of the N.C. State lineup.
Street is confident about the rotation's chances.
"I feel pretty good," he said. "I think our starting pitching will be able to hold them down"
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