Pressure and aggression are the new buzzwords of Virginia baseball. In his first year, coach Brian O'Connor has instituted an aggressive style of play that stresses base running and strong pitching as the cornerstones of a successful baseball program.
So far, the philosophy has translated into success on the field. At 18-5 and 4-2 in the ACC, the Cavaliers have opened their ACC season strong. The team has crept into the top 25 in several national polls. After reaching No. 19 last week following a road sweep of Georgia Tech, the Cavaliers slipped to No. 25 this week after losing two of three at home against North Carolina. The Cavaliers travel to Fairfax today to take on a solid George Mason ball club (13-6) at 2:30 p.m.
The Cavaliers lead the ACC in stolen bases with 44 steals in 50 attempts. Senior outfielder Matt Street is tied for the ACC lead in steals with 11, and junior shortstop Mark Reynolds is third with a perfect eight thefts in eight attempts. In total, six Cavaliers are perfect 100 percent in steals.
"I know it's a style of play that if I was a player, I would love to play -- very aggressive, always putting pressure on the other team," O'Connor said. "You live by the sword, you die by the sword."
In the second inning of Sunday's series finale against Carolina, O'Connor called for a double steal of second and third when the Cavaliers were already up 1-0. Despite the failure of the play, and the end of a potential second inning rally, the team hopes that eventually their risks will pay off.
"When you play aggressively like that, you put the pressure on the other team," senior first baseman/pitcher Joe Koshansky said. "That's what you always want to do, because eventually they're going to give and you'll be able to take advantage of it. If you're playing aggressive in all aspects of the game, then it's going to be successful for us."
With 408 feet to dead center and 352 feet to left and right field at Davenport Field, O'Connor said that the Cavaliers need to play small ball if they want to win at home.
"If we try to play station to station baseball here, and try to hit the long ball, we're not going to win many games," O'Connor said. "In this ballpark, you have to be able to manufacture runs and take chances on the bases because you're just not going to get 15 hits in a game. You're not going to hit three home runs."
Virginia has used their home turf to their advantage, cultivating a strong pitching team this season to compliment their tough offense. Virginia leads the ACC in ERA at 2.76, with clutch relief from freshman Casey Lambert, who was named ACC Pitcher of the Week earlier this month.
"Being able to play that [aggressive] style all goes back to your starting pitching -- being able to hold you in the game, early in the game -- so you can play that style," O'Connor said.
This weekend Virginia will head south to N.C. State for a telling three-game series against a squad that advanced to the NCAA Super Regional last year.
As Virginia seems to have improved substantially from last season, the young coaching staff looks to continue to roll the dice and attack opposing teams. With proper execution, and a little luck, the Cavaliers' risks may continue to pay off throughout the season.
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