How unlikely was UVA baseball’s run to the 2015 national championship? Let’s look at the Cavs’ side of the box score.
Adam Haseley, leadoff, center field. A night after his fifth start on the mound in 2015, putting in a career-high five innings, scoreless innings, for the record, Haseley, a freshman, was 2-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored.
Daniel Pinero, shortstop. Actually is a shortstop. Odd, on this team, as you will see.
Matt Thaiss, catcher. Supposed to be the Sunday catcher and otherwise the everyday DH. Injury to Robbie Coman flipped the script. Severe leg cramp in the eighth, rubbed some dirt on it, went back out in the ninth, which was huge, huger than huge, considering he had no backup.
Kenny Towns, third base. Another anomaly. He’s actually a third baseman.
Pavin Smith, first base. First base, left and DH in 2015. Another frosh, two-run homer in the fourth changed the mojo, RBI single in the fifth proved to be the game-winning RBI for the national title. Whatever else happens in his life, he has that going for him.
Robbie Coman, DH. Supposed to be the #1 catcher. DH’d, caught a few and played some first.
Thomas Woodruff, pinch-runner. Before Tuesday’s Game 2, his last ABs were more than a month back. Goes 3-for-3 in surprise CWS start with a two-run single that provided important insurance in the 3-0 win. The kid didn’t hit for a freakin’ month.
Joe McCarthy, right field. Expected to bop in the middle of the order, missed two months after back surgery, never the same, but gutted it out to get back in the lineup, and his return, even without the numbers, turned the lineup around.
Kevin Doherty, left field. He’s a pitcher who had zero career at bats in two seasons prior to 2015, Had two game-winning hits in the 2015 postseason.
Ernie Clement, second base. He’s a center fielder, played second because of, yes, you got it, injuries.
Brandon Waddell, starting pitcher. Went 3-5 in the regular season, and it wasn’t even a good 3-5. Pitched five times in the postseason, and UVA won all five. Threw seven innings on 104 pitches on three days rest to win the national title. Statue being commissioned as we speak.
Nathan Kirby, one-night closer. All-America ace lefty went down with a lat injury on April 17, didn’t pitch again until June 19. Went two and two-thirds, took the loss against Florida, didn’t throw a single slider, saving them for the final two innings of the season. Struck out five in two innings to close out the natty. Who knew going into April 17 that Kirby had seven and two-thirds innings left in his UVA career, and that the last two would be these last two?
Josh Sborz (not pictured). Dominant closer (15 saves) was also 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA in three starts in 2015. Went 3-0 with a save in the CWS. Nineteen innings in the 2015 postseason, no earned runs. Not available for the biggest game of the season because he near threw his arm off trying to get them there (four innings of relief in Game 2, 77 pitches, spit, tape, smoke and mirrors, to get the win).
Connor Jones (not pictured). Struggling as the #2 starter, Jones grew into the #1 role when Kirby went down to injury. Virginia was 7-2 in his nine starts from April 18 on. And he’s the reason for all the camo.
Brian O’Connor (not pictured). If he pushed the button, it was the right button. O’Connor had a team with two starting pitchers, one relief pitcher, a DH at catcher, a center fielder at second, a right fielder with a bad back, a left fielder who was his eighth-inning setup man, and a few kids from the JV team, and won 10 NCAA Tournament games.
He got important innings out of David Rosenberger to win the regional and Alec Bettinger to win the Super Regional. He used a CWS game with Florida as a rehab start for Kirby to get the ace lefty the work he needed to be able to close out the national championship.
He coaxed along Waddell and Sborz into two of the more memorable pitching performances in CWS history.
He won five games in Omaha with his ace, Jones, getting a no-decision and an L in his two starts.
Make him president, and he fixes the country, but that would be too easy, compared to what he just did.
To answer the question at the lede of this column: pretty unlikely.
– Column by Chris Graham
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