Virginia dropped all three games of a weekend series with Pittsburgh. The Panthers (11-14, 3-5 ACC) earned their first ACC sweep winning 10-2, 9-4, and 7-6. Game one was all about the long ball.
The Virginia baseball team set a sprinter’s pace in the early goings of its 2013 regular season, winning 14 consecutive games to start the year.
No. 4 Virginia men’s tennis won three home matches this weekend, the first time the team has competed in Charlottesville in almost a month. However, rain and cold weather forced all three bouts — against Miami, Florida State and William & Mary — to be played at the Boar’s Head Sports Club instead of the normal venue, the Snyder Tennis Center.
Howard sealed Virginia’s 2-1 series-opening win and gave a repeat performance in Sunday’s finale, when he got Hokie junior catcher Mark Zagunis to ground out to junior Branden Cogswell at shortstop for the final out in a 7-4 decision. The No. 2 Cavaliers (23-4, 10-2 ACC) swept the Hokies (12-12, 5-7 ACC) after dropping both games of a doubleheader in Blacksburg last April 27-28, solidifying their place atop the conference’s Coastal division in the process.
The No. 8 Virginia men’s lacrosse team fell to fourth-ranked Maryland Sunday by a final score of 9-6. The Cavaliers (8-3, 1-2 ACC) have now dropped three of their past five games after opening the season 6-0.
Virginia brought its season to a close on Saturday with a 26th place finish at the Men’s NCAA Championships. The Cavaliers scored 23 points, the sixth most among all ACC teams. The finish marked a slight improvement over last season’s NCAA meet, where Virginia finished 27th with 22 points.
Virginia track and field continued its season with two meets this weekend, the Texas Relays and Raleigh Relays. The Cavaliers set a slew of personal bests and put up solid results while facing some of nation’s best teams.
NEW YORK — At some point, the Virginia men’s basketball team’s luck had to run out. They had won an ACC regular season title, an ACC Tournament championship and had made it to the Sweet Sixteen, extending one of the most successful seasons in the program’s recent history. Friday night at Madison Square Garden, the Cavaliers’ stunning run came to an end as they lost 61-59 to Michigan State, bowing out of the NCAA Tournament.
The season-long struggles of Virginia softball continued Thursday evening with a two-game series against George Mason. The Cavalier bats managed to produce runs, but ineffective pitching and shaky defense created insurmountable deficits.
“The Skinny” on weekend matchups for baseball, men’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s tennis, softball and rowing.
Even before the Spartans’ Friday night Sweet 16 matchup against Virginia at Madison Square Garden, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said he felt sorry for Virginia coach Tony Bennett and his father.
Perhaps the most appealing thing about the Virginia men’s basketball team is the fact that they play as a team. However, throughout the ACC and NCAA Tournaments, the entire team has not been accounted for.
Freshman right-hander Alec Bettinger made the second start of his collegiate career Wednesday night when the No. 2 Cavaliers drew swords with the Longwood Lancers before a small legion of fans at Davenport Field.
This weekend, Virginia will seek to make good on past difficulties with a strong showing at the NCAA Championships in Austin, Tex.
Virginia track and field will split its team to compete in two separate meets this weekend. Sprinters and members of relay teams will travel to the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in Austin, while distance runners will stay much closer to home at the Raleigh Relays in North Carolina.
Virginia and Old Dominion have met every year since 1980, and the results have largely been the same — a Virginia victory.
The Cavaliers, winners of every one of their six weekend series, draw swords with the Longwood Lancers (12-13, 2-4 Big South) this Thursday at Davenport Field. Whether Irving or Coman starts the game behind the plate, he will enjoy the respect of his fellow backstop.
Virginia softball welcomes in-state foe George Mason for a pair of Wednesday afternoon tilts at The Park. The Cavaliers look to find some consistency in their game and improve on their less than stellar record.
Unfortunately for Virginia, a setback Saturday against No. 8 Duke dropped the team back to two games below .500 – a situation where every game is becoming more and more critical. On Wednesday night, the No. 16 Cavaliers (4-6, 0-3 ACC) will again have a chance to get back on track when they face Old Dominion at home (3-6).
I will argue until I’m blue in the face with Super Bowl supporters, World Series apologists and BCS nutjobs alike that March Madness is the best show we put on all year. But what people tend to forget is that the frequency of upsets is exactly what makes it so.
