The success of the Cavaliers' baseball team last year brings high expectations for this year's squad; Virginia enters the season with an unprecedented No. 9 national preseason ranking by Baseball America magazine. The Cavaliers are eager to prove not only that the ranking is accurate, but that the ranking underestimates what the team is truly capable of achieving.
"I think it heightens our expectations for the season, and I think it puts a target on our backs," said Sean Doolittle, junior pitcher and first baseman. "Now we've got that kind of recognition, and teams know that, and they're going to be out trying to knock us off. We need to keep that in the back of our minds, to play with that same hunger and still try to prove that we're one of the top five teams in the country or that we're the best team in the ACC."
One major reason for the preseason hype is the number of returning players this season. The Cavaliers return eight position starters, their top two starting pitchers and several key relievers to a team that finished No. 14 in the nation at the end of last year by the USA Today / Sports Weekly coaches' poll. This gives the Cavaliers an advantage over other teams that will have to utilize less experienced players to replace larger graduating classes.
"Going through an ACC season even just one time, you know what to expect," Doolittle said. "Having played the caliber teams that are in this league, it definitely gives you an advantage. You get more confidence just knowing what to expect from our league."
These high hopes, however, come with one major caveat: six of the top 18 teams in the Baseball America rankings are in the ACC, including four in the top 10. Virginia's tough schedule will force the team to maintain a consistently high level of performance if they hope to live up to the expectations of the preseason poll.
"The thing about our league that's great is that it's just like basketball --- if you don't play your best game, and you don't play the game right, you will lose in this league," Virginia coach Brian O'Connor said. "You're not going to get away in this league with making errors, not taking advantage of scoring opportunities and winning. It just doesn't happen, because the opponents are too good."
The difficulty of Virginia's schedule means that they cannot afford to take any game for granted. The players know that preseason rankings tend to be over-valued because of all that can change with just a few poor performances. All that matters is what the team shows on the field.
"Last year we weren't in the top 75 to start the year, and towards the end of the year we were fifth in the country, so the players know the rankings don't mean a whole lot," O'Connor said. "Our players know how hard college baseball games are to win. The difference between winning and losing is very small. A lot of times that comes down to the little details in your preparation every day. Continuing to remind them of that is important, and keeping them hungry and keeping them fresh to get the season started."
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