For the second consecutive weekend, the Virginia Cavaliers have fallen victim in two out of a three game set, this time at the hands of No. 7 Florida State.
The Wahoos opened the series on a high note, posting a crooked number on Seminoles ace Wes Mendes in the fourth inning and hanging on for a 4-3 victory. Game two saw Florida State manufacture offensive pressure and eventually convert in the middle innings en route to a 5-2 series-tying win. FSU dominated the rubber match, exploding with the bats
early, before the ‘Hoos eventually made a late push towards a more respectable 9-3 final score.
Here is what we are taking away from the weekend.
UVA was once again outclassed by a more fundamental ball club
From the get-go, the Cavaliers made head-scratching mistakes in the field. While Kyle Johnson was able to pitch his way out of Thursday’s first inning jam, caused by ill-advised throws by both himself and Eric Becker, some of the errors proved more costly as the series progressed. Over the weekend, the Cavaliers made six combined errors, contributing to their season total of 35, which is the sixth most in the ACC.
Virginia’s defense is my no-means a disaster, especially compared to last season. Becker has improved drastically at the shortstop position and the outfield has been a strength. However, UVA was tasked with two particularly well-coached, experienced teams in Boston College and Florida State, and that was evident in the gameplay.
The top of the Virginia order is in a slump
During the ebbs and flows of a baseball season, it is inevitable that even the best enter a slump, and that is what has happened with Virginia superstars Eric Becker and A.J. Gracia. After both had quiet weekends in Chestnut Hill, the duo went a combined 2-for-22 with six strikeouts, with Becker going hitless over that stretch. As a team, the Cavaliers managed just five total runs and twelve hits in their two losses.
Head coach Chris Pollard has implemented a more patient hitting approach to the program, and while swing decisions and walk rates have in turn increased, so have strikeout rates. In essence, the transition from Brian O’Connor’s philosophy to Pollard’s has seen a trade off of better quality of contact with more prolonged slumps when the hitters are not seeing the ball well.
It is unlikely that this persists long-term, though. Especially considering that the ‘Hoos tacked on 16 runs in seven innings against Old Dominion in the midweek, you can realistically chalk this up to quality pitching. With that said, it the ACC is loaded with quality pitchers, so the Becker-Gracia tandem need to lead the lineup out of this rut.
The back end of the bullpen remains a major strength for the ‘Hoos
Thursday’s finish was an example of just how reliable Virginia’s high leverage arms have been over the first few months of the season. The opener-follower combo of Johnson and Henry Zatkowski combined for seven innings, and with a one-run lead and six outs to secure, Lucas Hartman and Tyler Kapa each retired the side in order to secure the W.
Kapa grabbed his 9th save in 11 opportunities to improve his season ERA to 1.10. The Eastern Michigan transfer has retired his last 23 batters faced.
Hartman has been perhaps even more valuable, with the versatility to be the setup man to Kapa, or stabilize things in a shootout by providing multiple innings as the swing guy. The D1Baseball mid-season all-American is second on the team with 36.1 innings, with a 1.73 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP.
With that tandem, combined with Noah Yoder (18.2 IP, 1.45 ERA), Kevin Jaxel (22.1 IP, 3.63 ERA), and other upperclassmen like Matt Augustin, Virginia has an incredibly strong crop of right-handed relivers.
Kyle Johnson’s outing provides optimistic outlook for the rotation
These lasts two weekends, we saw further evidence of how underclassmen starters Max Stammel and John Paone have high ceilings, but are also not quite ready for a more prominent role. However, the merely flawless piggy back of Johnson and Zatkoswki in the series opener was extremely encouraging.
Johnson in particular was dominant, tossing four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and one walk, and striking out seven. Johnson’s stuff, as well as his confidence to challenge hitters and generate whiffs made him look like a true ace.
Once Johnson eventually ramps up into a full-time starter role, the rotation all of a sudden looks a lot more scary.
A bulk of the season still lies ahead
Virginia now sits at 24-9 and 8-7 in ACC play, which is overall a solid spot all things considered. No currently ranked teams remain on the upcoming schedule, so the Cavaliers have the opportunity to stack series wins, but of course, nothing is easy in a conference like the ACC.
Between a stacked lineup and a deep pitching staff full of defined roles this team’s ceiling is off the charts; it is simply a matter of how well things continue to piece together in year one of an almost entirely new staff and roster.
