In the Virginia baseball locker room, the saying goes that every series ends with "Championship Sunday," a motto that aims to keep players focused on finishing every three-game stand like the season is on the line.
Judging by the Cavaliers' recent performance, it appears the players have taken that slogan to heart. Coming off its most recent win against Maryland Sunday afternoon, Virginia has won nine straight games, adding to an impressive 15-1 home record at Davenport Field.
The Cavaliers' winning streak took off after three consecutive losses to ACC-rival Wake Forest in early March, a tough lesson that neither the team nor coach Brian O'Connor has forgotten.
"Momentum is very big," O'Connor said. "I told our team after the game that the thing I'm most proud of them for is after we came back from that tough series against Wake, our players have approached every game with a sense of urgency."
O'Connor will try to keep that sense of urgency alive when his team hosts Richmond Wednesday, a game that could extend Virginia's winning streak to 10 games.
"This weekend did so much for us, and we need to keep it up and keep this streak going," leftfielder Brandon Guyer said. "Confidence is the difference. Pitchers are going out and getting ahead of the count, and we're attacking the ball and doing the little things that we didn't do against Wake."
During the last few games, the Cavaliers have relied on the spacious walls of Davenport, as well as a renewed focus on the fundamentals, to climb back into the ACC chase.
"You can tell when we're doing well because it's the small ball that does it for us," Guyer said. "Hit and runs, moving the runner, getting a bunt down -- little things like that make a big difference for the team."
After their single-game stand against the Spiders today, the Cavaliers will hit the road for a lengthier stretch against rival Virginia Tech next weekend. Although the team has struggled on the road this year, going 5-3 outside of Charlottesville, O'Connor feels confident that the Tech games could be different.
"We need to continue to fight, scratch and claw to get every win that we can," O'Connor said. "Another thing that we need to prove to ourselves is that we can go on the road and have success. That's typically what happens with a young team."
O'Connor will rely on two talented freshmen, Guyer and pitcher Sean Doolittle, to help spark the offense over the next week. Both players have done extremely well in their first season of college baseball, a fact that will be tested in the clutch against Richmond and Tech.
"From an offensive standpoint, Brandon Guyer and Sean Doolittle have been outstanding," O'Connor said. "During [the past few games], they've been our four and five hitters. That's a lot of pressure to put on the shoulders of freshmen."
Following a three game thrashing at the hands of Wake earlier this month, the Cavaliers have adopted a renewed sense of focus on finishing out every series. The way things are going, Virginia's concentration on "Championship Sunday" could be a realistic prediction.
Read More
Virginia reloads with a new leader, an emphasis on fundamentals and … bowling?
By Xander Tilock | YesterdayThe new leader of Virginia men's basketball, and some players, offered an inside look at offseason plans.
The 2025 MLB Draft: An end and a beginning for Virginia baseball
By Xander Tilock | 2 days agoVirginia upperclassmen and incoming recruits could wind up with MLB organizations.
Live tracker: the men’s basketball offseason
By Michael Liebermann , Emory Huffman and Xander Tilock | 3 days agoA frenetic offseason likely awaits.
