The Stakes: An NCAA bid for Tech baseball?
It’s possible, but there’s a big if facing the Virginia Tech baseball program this weekend, in the form of a three-game series at North Carolina.
If … Virginia Tech (34-18, 11-16 ACC) can steal a series win in Chapel Hill, not only are the Hokies golden for a spot in next week’s ACC Tournament, but they might just be in line to punch a ticket to the NCAAs.
The other side of the if … if UNC (39-13, 19-8 ACC) holds serve and sweeps Tech, the Hokies might face the prospect of not even making the ACC Tournament, which would deal a body blow to the squad’s hopes of playing in the NCAA Tourney. Read more
#23 UVa. completes sweep of Wake Forest, 11-2
The 23rd-ranked Virginia baseball team finished off a three-game ACC series sweep of Wake Forest with an 11-2 victory Monday evening at Davenport Field. Virginia (22-10-1, 9-6 ACC) won its 14th-consecutive home game as well as its eighth-straight ACC home contest. UVa also claimed its 16th-consecutive ACC home series, dating to March 2009.
Virginia relief pitcher Kyle Crockett (So., Poquoson, Va.) gave the Cavaliers 4.0 scoreless innings, giving up just one hit while fanning two. Crockett earned the win to improve to 3-2 this season. Justin Thompson (Sr., Danville, Va.) worked out a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the eighth inning and pitched the final 1.2 innings to notch his sixth save. The UVa bullpen allowed just one run in 12.1 innings in the series. Read more
UVa. 4, Wake Forest 1
The Virginia baseball team clinched a series win over Wake Forest with a 4-1 victory Sunday afternoon at Davenport Field.
Winners of 13-consecutive games at home, the Cavaliers (21-10-1, 8-6 ACC) have now captured 16-consecutive ACC home series dating to 2009. UVa will go for the series sweep at 7 p.m. Monday in a game that will be televised on ESPNU as part of the network’s ACC Monday package. Read more
UVa. takes down Wake in series opener
The Virginia baseball team received a strong start from right-hander Branden Kline (Jr., Frederick, Md.) and rallied from an early three-run deficit to top Wake Forest, 9-4, Saturday afternoon in the first game of a three-game ACC series at Davenport Field. Virginia (20-10-1, 7-6 ACC) extended its home win streak to 12 games.
Game 2 is set for 1 p.m. Sunday, and the series culminates with a 7 p.m. Monday game that will be televised nationally on ESPNU as part of the network’s ACC Monday package. Read more
Scott voted first-team All-ACC
Virginia senior forward Mike Scott (Chesapeake, Va.) is a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection for the 2011-12 season and UVa junior guard Jontel Evans (Hampton, Va.) is a member of the ACC’s All-Defensive Team.
Members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association (ACSMA) selected the teams that were announced on Monday (March 5).
Scott, who finished second in the balloting, is the first Virginia player to earn first-team All-ACC honors since Sean Singletary in 2008. Read more
Chris Graham: My All-ACC Teams
All-ACC First Team
Mike Scott, Virginia
Tyler Zeller, North Carolina
Harrison Barnes, North Carolina
John Henson, North Carolina
Terrell Stoglin, Maryland
Second Team
Erick Green, Virginia Tech
Austin Rivers, Duke
Michael Snaer, Florida State
Lorenzo Brown, NC State
C.j. Leslie, NC State
Third Team
Durand Scott, Miami
Bernard James, Florida State
Seth Curry, Duke
Mason Plumlee, Duke
Kendall Marshall, North Carolina
All-Defensive Team
John Henson, North Carolina
Bernard James, Florida State
C.J. Leslie, NC State
Mason Plumlee, Duke
Jontel Evans, Virginia
All-Freshman Team
Austin Rivers, Duke
Lonnie Jackson, Boston College
Alex Len, Maryland
Ryan Anderson, Boston College
Dorian Finney-Smith, Virginia Tech
Player of the Year: Mike Scott, Virginia
Defensive Player of the Year: john Henson, North Carolina
Rookie of the Year: Austin Rivers, Duke
Coach of the Year: Leonard Hamilton, Florida State
Chris Graham: Ain’t never gonna happen
Teams not named Duke or North Carolina are never going to get a fair shake in ACC basketball. That’s not whining or lamenting; that’s describing reality.
It’s OK. We get it. The Duke-Carolina binary system is the linchpin of the ACC’s marketing efforts. In spite of the best John Swofford and the other suits in the ACC office have done to dilute the product in its ill-fated pursuit of BCS football dollars, basketball is what defines the ACC, and you don’t get better than Duke-Carolina. Read more
