Let's get this out of the way at the beginning. Brian gave me permission to blog about the series instead of giving a stats recap. If you're looking for stats on the weekend, you're not going to find them here.
Secondly, I will say this now and not again. This past weekend sucked. The hitting sucked more than I have seen in quite a while. Some will argue that is because of the layoff from exams. Others will argue that the "coaches are asleep" and don't really know what they're doing. I swear to you, I've seen that argument; it's not pretty nor is it remotely close to the truth. Pitching was good as always and limited UNC to 11 runs (a stat, I know). The defense was decent but still had 3 errors on the weekend (one per game).
Now that that subject has been dealt with, I wanted to write about two things that have been irking me these last couple weeks in regards to UVa baseball. The first being UVa Baseball-fandom and some of the things I have heard/read about UVa baseball. The second will be what is currently going on with the team and what they are/have been doing.
As some of you know, I usually have the honor of sitting in the front row behind home plate when I am able to make it down to Charlottesville to see a game. Current manager, Rod Larsen has an extra seat and allows me to sit in it so we can talk baseball, life, how terrible the Mets are, how great the Braves are, our disdain for the lacrosse team, or what the draft projections are for the current Cavaliers. While down there I have heard some pretty amazing comments come out of people's mouths. You would think (or, at least, I did) that due to the amount of money these people pay for prime season tickets and how many games they have been to that they would have a clue; they don't. I understand making comments while at a game. I am more than guilty of doing it while at or watching football and basketball games. What I don't understand and get frustrated with is people making snide comments on the lack of execution. It is one thing to throw a pass to a guy that is clearly covered or taking a shot 3 feet behind the three point line with a guy in your face. Those are bad decisions, not bad execution. I have heard multiple times people comment on how someone can't get a hit like it is a simple action. Or, my all time favorite, "throw strikes" because our pitchers are on the mound trying to walk a guy. Seriously? I can promise you execution has been drilled into every player's head but, sometimes it just doesn't work out.
Over the past two weekends the 'Hoos have seemed to struggle at the plate against both Miami and Carolina. Almost everyone that has decided to comment on the matter has seemed to blame it on the exam break. The exam break for UVa is not all that different than any other week. The coaching staff gets the exam schedule for every player and schedules practices, scrimmages, and lifts around the player's exam schedule. They certainly don't take the full week off from baseball. They are at the field nearly everyday just like they are every other week of the year. Sometimes players and teams run into cold streaks at the plate. Unfortunately for UVa it is coming now. Fortunately, they have already amassed a 45-9 record, the #1 seed in the ACC tournament, and another week to truly get back to normalcy before games start to really matter.
The glass is half full everyone. This team knows how to play baseball at a high level and the coaching staff knows how to coach it at a high level. Have some faith in UVa sports. We own the spring.