Meet the Cavaliers… A team looking for a 3rd trip to Omaha in 4 years
Who’s the Pack playing?
Opponent: Virginia
Mascot: Indifferents | School Location: Charlottesville, VA | Conference: ACC
2024 Record: 36-12 (14-10, T-2nd Coastal) | 2024 RPI Rank: 12
2023 Record: 50-15 (19-11, 1st Coastal) | 2023 RPI Rank: 11
2022 Record: 39-19 (17-13, 3rd Coastal) | 2022 RPI Rank: 28
When? Where? How do I watch?
Location: Davenport Field at Disharoon Park (Charlottesville, VA)
Game Time(s): Fri, May 10 @ 7:00pm | Sat, May 11 @ 4:00pm | Sun, May 12 @ 1:00pm
TV: Friday (ACC Network), Saturday (ACCNX), Sunday (ACCNX)
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast
Tell me about this team
When Virginia hired Brian O’Connor off Paul Mainieri’s Notre Dame staff in 2004 to be just the third head coach for the program since 1962, there’s no way they could have imagined things going as well as they have. With all of three NCAA postseason appearances in school history, O’Connor has blown that away with what is soon to be his 18th NCAA Regional appearance since taking over in Charlottesville. During that span, the Cavaliers have reached eight Super Regionals and made six trips to the College World Series in Omaha, including winning the National Championship in 2015.
Things have gone well for Virginia under O’Connor’s guidance, and 2024 is no different.
There’s not a hitter this Cavaliers team will send to the plate who isn’t a threat in some form or fashion. Collectively they’re hitting .337/.429/.566 with an 11.6 BB% and 15.4 K%, while stealing 66 bases in 87 attempts (NC State comparatively: .279/.390/.470, 13.2 BB%, 15.6 K%, 31-40 SB).
While the lineup is every bit as potent as last year’s CWS squad – and maybe even a bit better – the pitching staff isn’t a strong as in year’s past. Evan Blanco has held down a weekend rotation spot all season, but the other two spots have been a bit of a patchwork effort. Losing Jack O’Connor hurt, for sure.
Regardless of how the pitching performs, this is one of the most potent lineups in the country and one plenty capable of pushing the team to a second straight trip to Omaha. The team lacks the starting pitching to do too much more from there, but “dangerous” and “scary” are appropriate words to describe this team.
(Probable) Pitching Matchups
Friday: RHP Sam Highfill (SR) — LHP Evan Blanco (SO)
Saturday: LHP Dominic Fritton (SO) — LHP Owen Coady (SR)
Sunday: LHP Cooper Consiglio (FR) — RHP Joe Savino (SR)
Key Players:
Offense
[Note: Yes, I put all 11 hitters below who have more than 13 PA on the season – they each have over 125 – just to show how absurdly stacked this lineup is.]
C/DH Ethan Anderson (JR) – .333/.431/.500, 12.9 BB%, 8.6 K%, 5-7 SB. No worse than a 3rd round pick in the upcoming draft, but likely working his way into the 2nd round. Moved to catcher this year after being a 3rd Team All-ACC selection at first base last year. Has multiple hits in six of last 11 games.
SS Griff O’Ferrall (JR) – .327/.362/.445, 6.1 BB%, 7.3 K%, 15-18 SB. No worse than a 2nd round pick in the upcoming draft, but could be drafted at the tail end of the first round. Team USA Collegiate National Team member last year. 2023 1st Team All-ACC and 3rd Team All-American. 2022 Freshman All-American.
1B Henry Ford (FR) – .355/.441/.677, 12.2 BB%, 17.6 K%, 2-2 SB. Makes one hell of a car, also crushes the hell out of baseballs. The 6’5, 220 pound freshman righty from Tennessee is officially on every team’s 2025 Draft board, currently projected as a 1st rounder.
LF/CF Harrison Didawick (SO) – .293/.420/.647, 14.6 BB%, 23.5 K%, 12-17 SB. Has mashed 18 HR this year after just 4 a year ago. The lefty is a draft-eligible sophomore and looking like a 3rd rounder right now with his blend of speed and pop. He’s been a fast riser this year on draft boards across the league.
RF Casey Saucke (JR) – .359/.420/.569, 9.3 BB%, 17.8 K%, 7-8 SB. The 2022 Freshman All-American is a three-year starter. His biggest improvement since his first year has been cutting down the strikeout rate. Probably a 3rd-to-5th round guy in this year’s draft.
C/DH Jacob Ference (SR) – .377/.483/.760, 12.4 BB%, 16.3 K%, 8-11 SB. The grad transfer from D3 Salisbury doesn’t have the Draft hype like the guys above, but he leads the team in OPS. He is somehow hitting better in the ACC than he did at D3 (.364/.460/.773), which is a crazy statement. Has also thrown out 10-of-30 attempted base stealers this year. He’s top six in the ACC in each of BA, OBP, and SLG. He’ll be drafted.
2B Henry Godbout (SO) – .392/.477/.667, 11.3 BB%, 9.9 K%, 4-6 SB. Is 9-for-13 over his last three games with 3 2B and 2 HR, so he’s hot right now. Projected 1st rounder for the 2025 Draft. Also has the ability to play third base. Great hitter with advanced feel for the barrel.
LF Anthony Stephan (JR) – .298/.435/.452, 16.5 BB%, 14.6 K%, 7-10 SB. An on-base machine with a great eye at the plate. Has not committed an error in a Virginia uniform.
CF/RF Bobby Whalen (SR) – .395/.490/.521, 14.0 BB%, 13.3 K%, 6-8 SB. Grad transfer from Indiana where he was the starting CF for two years for the Hoosiers. Started his career at Louisville in 2020, but didn’t play a game in the covid-shortened season. Not a big power guy, but has become a much more well-rounded hitter since joining the Wahoos, cutting his K% by over 7.0% and upping his BB% by 3.3%.
3B Luke Hanson (SO) – .303/.403/.516, 9.7 BB%, 20.8 K%, 3-3 SB. Was a depth player on last year’s CWS team, but is the everyday third baseman this year. Strikeouts can be a problem at times. He’s been generally strong at the hot corner.
2B Eric Becker (FR) – .337/.444/.584, 10.3 BB%, 19.8 K%, 3-4 SB. Lefty-hitting New York native was a top 200 recruit in last year’s class. He’s had his ups and downs this year but the future is bright here.
Pitching
LHP Evan Blanco (SO) – 5-3, 4.38 ERA, 61.2 IP, 6.3 BB%, 24.6 K%. The lefty went from a reliever role to holding the Friday gig all season this year. His fastball isn’t going to blow anyone away, but it plays up thanks to an excellent changeup, while he also features a good slider. His last two ACC starts (11.0 IP, 10 ER vs GT and BC) didn’t go so hot, but his last outing was 5.0 shutout innings against Navy.
LHP Owen Coady (SR) – 1-0, 1 SV, 3.77 ERA, 28.2 IP, 13.3 BB%, 21.9 K%. Grad transfer from Penn who has stepped into the starting rotation over the last three weekends (11.1 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 11 BB, 1 HBP, 8 K). Interestingly, control wasn’t an issue when he was a reliever. Not overpowering stuff, but he was 2nd Team All-Ivy League in 2023.
RHP Joe Savino (SR) – 0-1, 1.12 ERA, 8.0 IP, 5.7 BB%, 17.1 K%. The Elon grad transfer has missed much of the season due to injury but has started the last two series finale games including 4.0 shutout innings against Boston College in his last outing. Has a three-pitch mix with an upper-80’s/low-90’s fastball.
RHP Chase Hungate (JR) – 6-0, 3.05 ERA, 38.1 IP, 6.2 BB%, 17.9 K%. The former VCU transfer leads the team in relief innings this year and has pitched as many as 5.0 innings in an outing (not a start). He’s a sidearmer whose funky delivery allows his stuff to play up.
RHP Jay Woolfolk (JR) – 2-1, 7.43 ERA, 36.1 IP, 15.9 BB%, 22.0 K%. Woolfolk is a former two-sport athlete, also serving as a QB on the Virginia football team. His brighter future is on the mound, though, and that’s where his focus is now. His fastball can hit the upper 90’s, but he mostly sits in the low-to-mid 90’s. There’s a ton of potential, but also a lot of control issues. Some team will fall in love with that potential, though, and spend a pretty pick on him.
LHP Angelo Tonas (SR) – 2-0, 1 SV, 4.33 ERA, 27.0 IP, 6.3 BB%, 19.0 K%. Two-pitch guy who pounds the zone. The former grad transfer from Georgetown has improved tremendously since arriving in Charlottesville and is tied for the team lead in relief appearances this year.
RHP Aidan Teel (rFR) – 2-2, 5 SV, 6.64 ERA, 20.1 IP, 14.6 BB%, 28.1 K%. Following the season-ending injury to RHP Jack O’Connor (the son of head coach Brian and a projected top 2 round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft), Teel (the younger brother of former Virginia standout and 2023 1st round draft pick Kyle Teel) has stepped into the closer role for the Wahoos. Teel missed last year while recovering from Tommy John Surgery, but features a heavy low-to-mid 90’s fastball that pairs with a really nice slider. Teel also hits occasionally, and he should obviously do so more often as he’s hitting .400/.455/1.300 with 3 of his 4 hits on the year being home runs. With a mid-90’s heater and a pair of breaking balls, he’s an intriguing arm for the 2025 draft and could do well to help himself in that regard as a starter next year.
Quick! Fun Facts!
Surprising considering they’re a prominent school in a border state, but Virginia has zero players from the State of North Carolina on their roster. Aside from one kid from California and three from Florida, everyone else is from the northeast.
FR RHP Charlie Oschell’s older brother, Fran, is a RHP at Duke.
Virginia had a players selected in the 1st round of the MLB Draft in five straight seasons from 2014-2018 (Nick Howard, 1.19 Reds 2014; Derek Fisher, 1.37 Astros 2014; Mike Papi, 1.38 Cleveland 2014; Nathan Kirby, 1.40 Brewers 2015; Matt Thaiss, 1.16 Angels 2016; Pavin Smith, 1.7 Diamondbacks 2017; Adam Haseley, 1.8 Phillies 2017; Daniel Lynch, 1.34 Royals 2018; Jake McCarthy, 1.39 Diamondbacks 2018).
In both overall and ACC-only stats, Wahoos batters lead the ACC in Batting Average and On-Base Percentage. They are 2nd in Slugging Percentage and Doubles.
The Key To A Series Win For State
This Virginia team can hit, so they’re going to score some runs. For NC State to come away with the series win, the key is simple: the Wolfpack bats have to show up early and often. This has to be a slugfest with the Pack bats rising to the challenge.
Prediction
Oof. Another tough one for State. There’s an opportunity for the Pack to slug out a pair of wins and come away with yet another big series win, but that’s hard to bet on.
Outcome: Virginia takes two of three.