UVA Baseball coach Brian O’Connor was asked at his Tuesday post-season press avail about how many of his guys he thinks might hit the transfer portal in the offseason.
The answer, against the backdrop where it was being rumored, two days later, that O’Connor himself is supposedly considering hitting the transfer portal, with O’Connor said to be the top target for the job at Mississippi State, is telling.
ICYMI
- Is UVA Baseball coach Brian O’Connor going anywhere? I don’t think so
- Examining the money involved in the UVA Baseball, Brian O’Connor story
- I asked to speak with Brian O’Connor: He’s not being made available right now
“I mean, listen, we’ve got a group of young men that really believe and committed to what this program is about,” said O’Connor, who was hired at Virginia in 2003, has taken a program that was, at that time, a couple of years from being on the chopping block, to seven College World Series appearances, and won the national championship in 2015.
“They came here because they want to have an elite experience, to develop as a baseball player, get a great education and, candidly, be talked to and treated the right way,” O’Connor said.
This, again, was O’Connor, just back on Tuesday.
Let’s break down what he said his guys “really believe” and are “committed to.”
- Elite experience: O’Connor’s first CWS berth was in 2009. His teams have made seven trips in the last 17 years. Mississippi State has been to four World Series since 2009.
- Develop as a baseball player: O’Connor had eight former players on Opening Day MLB rosters at the start of the 2025 season. Mississippi State had six. Vandy had the most, with nine.
- Get a great education: UVA ranked 25th among national universities in the 2025 S. News and World Report rankings. Mississippi State ranked 214th.
Maybe O’Connor leaves for Mississippi State.
If he does, he’s going against what he’s been selling about himself for the past 22 years.
Share
Chris Graham
