Hoos take down Heels 8-2, sweep the series

It's not as if the Virginia baseball team hadn't faced any adversity all season. With the Hoos leading the Tar Heels 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning, UNC right fielder Tyler Ramirez hit a line shot down the right field line. While UVA right-fielder Thomas Woodruff and the UVA bullpen could see the ball cross the foul pole on the foul side, and despite a protest from Coach Brian O'Connor, it was ruled a home run and North Carolina knotted the score at two. Virginia then came into the sixth and did what they have done all season when things have gotten a little difficult. They responded. The Hoos sent ten men to the plate and got RBI singles from Daniel Pinero, Matt Thaiss, Robbie Coman, and Joe McCarrthy with Kenny Towns adding an RBI sacrifice fly.

On the mound the Hoos received a complete team effort. Adam Hasely got the start and pitched 2.0 giving up no runs, on two hits, one walk, and a strike out. David Rosenberger picked up the Win going 4.0, giving up four hits, walking two, and striking out three. The lone runs he gave up came on the Ramirez two-run homer. Kevin Doherty finished things off with three innings of no-hit, shut out ball to earn the save.

The real story on the day was the Virginia offense. The Hoos came up with 16 hits and all nine Virginia starters reached base. Coman, McCarthy, and Thaiss all had three hits for the Hoos, while Pinero chipped in two. Thaiss has become a run producing machine over the last several weeks and contributed three RBIs. After returning from back surgery, McCarthy has taken a while to get in a groove, but today he hit the ball hard and came up with two RBIs of his own.

Virginia now sets it's sights on the ACC Tournament beginning Tuesday and most likely the NCAA Tournament the following week. Virginia will be the seventh seed and will face Georgia Tech on Tuesday at 11AM. If they win, they will begin pool play along with Miami, Notre Dame, and NC State on Wednesday.

From there Virginia will look to Selection Monday where they hope to hear their name called for the 12th consecutive year. The sweep over North Carolina has pushed their RPI to 19 and with a solid ACC Tournament Virginia could actually be looking at a two-seed in a regional.  With their record at 33-19 overall, 15-15 in the ACC, and 14-10 against the RPI Top 50 this team is playing its best baseball of the season and is poised to make some noise in the postseason.