The top-ranked Virginia baseball team welcomes Boston College to Davenport Field this weekend for its first home series of ACC play after accomplishing a number of firsts during the past week.\nVirginia (14-3, 2-1 ACC) claimed a series win again Florida State for the first time ever last weekend, accomplished its first ninth-inning comeback - six runs in the series clincher - against the then-No. 2 team in the nation last Saturday and rose to its first-ever No. 1-ranking in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Poll.
The Cavaliers will look to continue their winning ways against a struggling Boston College team (7-9, 1-2 ACC) that dropped the last two games of its weekend series to Miami and a midweek game to Connecticut.
Still, Virginia coach Brian O'Connor still expects a tough series against a talented opposing squad.
"Boston College, this weekend, has got a good club," he said. "They shut out Miami at Miami on Friday night; they played us very well up there last year in Boston. So we need to continue to play good baseball."
They particularly expect to see more quality pitching from Boston College ace Pat Dean, who led his team to a 3-0 shutout win over then-No. 13 Miami last Friday.
The Cavaliers will hope to better Miami's hitting performance against Dean and remain in the forefront of the ACC standings.
"I feel good ... coming out of Florida State; being 2-1 in the league is a good feeling," O'Connor said.
Virginia hopes to mirror the success of its most recent midweek wins against William & Mary at home and James Madison on the road. The Cavaliers' five pitchers held a high-powered James Madison offense to four hits en route to a 6-3 win Wednesday. In front of a record crowd at the first night game ever held at JMU, freshman starter Branden Kline worked into the sixth inning, gave up two hits and two runs, one of which was unearned, and tallied his first college win.
Junior first baseman Kenny Swab notched his first home run as a Cavalier, while the Cavaliers drew a season-high 12 walks - three of Virginia's six runs were scored by baserunners who were walked. Junior leadoff hitter Phil Gosselin drew five walks alone and ended the night with the distinct stat line of 0-for-0 in six plate appearances .
After this weekend's series, the Cavaliers will face Marshall at home Tuesday.
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