In his postgame remarks following the 5-4, 12-inning loss to Oklahoma in the Karbach Round Rock Classic, UVA Baseball coach Brian O’Connor stated “I can’t recall a year in my 22 years at Virginia that we’ve played our first six games on the road. Usually, one of those weekends we have at home. I did that [this year] to challenge the team and to prepare them and hopefully we can take the learns from it and grow and be a better ball club moving forward.”
I am certain if coach had a few moments to reflect, he would recall that UVA opened its 2015 season with nine consecutive road games and 12 of their first 13 games were played outside of Disharoon Park because it was full of snow. That season didn’t have too bad of ending.
After exam break, UVA went into May’s schedule with a 27-18 overall record and a 10-14 ACC mark. The ‘Hoos went 6-1 to close out the ACC regular season at 15-15, and despite losing three of four ACC Tournament games, made the NCAA Tournament, going 5-0 in the Regional and Super Regional rounds and 5-2 in Omaha to claim the 2015 College World Series Title.
I mention this for the chicken littles who are panicking that the former No. 2 team in the nation from 11 days ago is currently playing .500 baseball. Coming off a 1-2 trip to Round Rock, Texas, with the Oklahoma loss, a loss to No. 7 Oregon State and victory over Minnesota, the ‘Hoos return to Charlottesville to play their first home game of the season.
Among a host of crazy occurrences in that 2015 season was after starting the campaign 10-0, Virginia went 9-6 through the month of March, including getting swept by Virginia Tech. Ultimately, the only thing that mattered was the Cavaliers lifting the heavy hardware on June 24, 2015.
Ks, RISP and fly outs, oh my!
Are there things that need to be refined with Virginia’s offense? You bet!
Offensively, O’Connor had no difficulty pinpointing what’s slowing down offense. His club needs more productive at bats.
Let’s start with 58 strikeouts in six games: 9.6 per game. Obviously, it is difficult to put pressure on opposing defenses when the ball is not put in play. The ‘Hoos have also had difficulty raking ground balls and line drives. In college baseball, fly balls are usually caught. Fifty-six of UVA’s 172 outs this season have been fly outs. That means 66.3 percent of UVA’s outs likely didn’t have a chance to be a hit.
These numbers explain the large fleet of runners left on base (48) and UVA’s 24 total runs scored, the 64th fewest in the country.
“We’re not stringing enough productive at bats together and we need more consistency of that throughout the lineup,” O’Connor acknowledged.
The numbers do not lie. The Cavaliers are hitting .229, the on base percentage is .324, and slugging percentage is .317. That is not a typo.
On a happy note, UVA has not grounded into a double play yet this season, and they are 10-for-12 in stolen bases.
Here is where the plate approach needs to be more consistent. Not changed, but more consistent. Virginia batters are hitting .194 against left-handed pitching, .186 with runners in scoring position, and all six of UVA’s opponents have more extra-base hits than the Cavaliers.
O’Connor says the hurlers you encounter when you face Oklahoma, Oregon State or Minnesota compares to ACC weekend pitching.
“The two left-handers [Oklahoma] brought in after [starter Cameron Johnson] pitched well, [Gavyn Jones] and [James] Hitt,” explained O’Connor. “They were throwing their fastballs inside them, and they throw in the low 90s, they throw sliders for strikes and changeups, and they’ve got really good stuff.”
In UVA’s three losses over the last two weekends, execution was clearly the difference. The Sooners were flawless after getting the leadoff hitter Scott Mudler on in the bottom of the 12th in Sunday’s game with a walk. A single moved pinch runner Brayden Horton up to second, and the game ended with Dawson Willis’ sacrifice bunt and a throwing error by Virginia 3B Luke Hanson. Talking about execution, ironically, Willis’ bunt was his lone hit on a 1-for-5 afternoon.
These situations are the very reason Virginia’s skipper wants to play in this type of tournament.
“These kind of games against these great teams, it puts you in situations like that, and that’s good. Now, hopefully, you win more of them than you lose but there can be really good development and growth that comes from it,”
Osinski, Koenen, Lanzendorfer set pace for bullpen
O’Connor says his bullpen and the UVA defense have kept his club in every game thus far in 2025. He says he “he feels great about his bullpen.”
He has good reason to feel good about the relief pitchers. Three of the reliever corps have had impressive starts.
Drew Koenen, Matt Lanzendorfer and Ryan Osinski have been locked in the first two weekend of the season.
“They’ve done a tremendous job,” noted O’Connor. “I have a lot of confidence in the depth of our pitching staff.”
Against the Sooner, O’Connor was extremely impressed with Koenen.
“I was really proud of Drew Koenen,” Virginia’s skipper said. “He was making big pitches and getting ground balls and pitching with runners in scoring position.”
Against Oklahoma, Koenen went 4.2 innings, allowed zero runs, surrendered three hits, two base on balls, and induced two double plays. He has a 1-0 record and an ERA of 0.00.
“I don’t know if Koenen’s ever thrown 4.2 in his career,” O’Connor said. “He just kept going out there and going after them. I never would have imagined, I though he was going to be a one or two inning guy, and he was in complete control.”
Though he struggled against the Sooner on Sunday, Lanzendorfer has yet to allow a run in his four appearances in 2025.
“[Matt] Lanzendorfer didn’t have his stuff [Sunday] that he had yesterday,” O’Connor explained. “He threw 35 pitches and two innings [Saturday] and had a leadoff walk and fell behind 2-0 [against Oklahoma’s No. 3 hitter] and that’s why I felt it was important to make a change.”
Lanzendorfer is 1-1 in 3.2 innings pitched and has given up one run on two hits, has fanned seven and walked one.
“I think Lanzendorfer has been terrific,” O’Connor noted.
Though he has an 0-1 record, Ryan Osinski has also been a reliable call to the bullpen for the ‘Hoos, carrying a 1.69 ERA in 5.1 frames, has given up two hits, an earned run, he’s walked five but has struck out six. Hitters are hitting a weak .125 against Osinski.
Against this trio the ERA is a microscopic 0.59, opponents are hitting just .163, they’ve allowed eight hits, one earned run, fanned 15 and walked nine.
“I knew these two weekends we were going to play on the road would be a challenge,” admitted O’Connor. “I wanted to put this team in that type of situation against really high-caliber ball clubs on the road.”
He says this week his club is focused on getting a little bit better each day.
Share
