It’s always a tough feeling when a season comes to an end, and baseball can be a particularly cruel game. After all, if one or two plays here or there go the another way, everything could be dramatically different.
That was certainly the case for UVa in Omaha this year, as the Hoos dropped a pair of tight one-run games that each could’ve gone their way, but didn’t.
Virginia’s 6-5 loss to Florida on Friday and 4-3 loss to TCU on Sunday made the Cavaliers the first team knocked out of the eight-team field, and marked the first time they failed to win a game in a trip to the College World Series.
Despite two tough losses that ended the season, there’s no reason for this team to hang their heads following a very successful 50-15 campaign. The Hoos won the Coastal Division and returned NCAA Tournament play to Charlottesville for the first time since 2016. UVa had the opportunity to play both the regional and super regional rounds at Disharoon Park in front of loud and record-setting crowds that helped spur the Hoos back to Omaha for the second time in three seasons.
The toughest part of any postseason exit is that it marks the end of college careers for a bunch of players. And for this UVa team, the end of this season marks the completion of some great college baseball careers. Most notably, catcher Kyle Teel and 3rd baseman Jake Gelof are off to the pros after three great years at UVa that resulted in a pair of trips to Omaha. Teel won ACC Player of the Year this year and seems likely to go very high in next month’s MLB Draft. Gelof, meanwhile, set the UVa career and single-season home run records, capping his three years in Charlottesville with a fantastic 2023 season. Both Teel and Gelof probably feel like they left some good baseball on the table after a couple of rough outings in Omaha, but without them the Hoos don’t sniff the College World Series.
Despite some key losses from this year’s team, the product that Virginia put on the field in the postseason should make Cavalier fans very excited for the future of the program. The Wahoos played a lot of younger players this season who should return for 2024 and could make up the core of another very good baseball team that could make a postseason run.
Going down the lineup, this is what next year’s team could look like:
— Shortstop and lead-off man Griff O’Ferrall had a very nice sophomore season and should be a key cog in next year’s team. O’Ferrall was a First-Team All-ACC selection this year and led the team with 107 hits.
— Centerfielder Ethan O’Donnell is a junior, so he could come back for another year in Charlottesville if he chooses. The former Northwestern Wildcat is a very solid fielder in center and has come up with some big hits throughout the postseason, including the regional-winning home run against ECU.
— First baseman Ethan Anderson had a fantastic postseason, mashing a bunch of home runs at The Dish on the way to Omaha, and hitting another in Sunday’s loss to TCU. Anderson is a key switch-hitting bat that can hit for doubles and home runs and could easily slide up to the No. 3 spot in the lineup next year.
— Casey Saucke demonstrated a lot of potential in the postseason, getting a hit in seven of UVa’s eight postseason games and 15 in total. His highlight reel throw from right field to 3rd base against Florida demonstrates his prowess in the field, too. Saucke came to UVa as an infielder, so perhaps he could move in from the outfield next season, his third in Charlottesville.
— DH Anthony Stephan is another sophomore who had some big hits in UVa’s run this month. He made a big leap from 2022 to 2023, playing a lot more and increasing his average from .200 to .329, with five home runs and 35 RBI.
— Second baseman Henry Godbout won the job earlier in the season and made some key contributions down the stretch. He hit .290 this year with 38 RBI and three homers.
— Virginia platooned freshmen Harrison Didawick and Colin Tuft in left field, and both players should be back next season. Didawick in particular has a high ceiling with some physical tools both at the plate and in the field.
And Brian O’Connor has young guys waiting in the wings, too, like freshman infielder Luke Hanson, who hit .356 for the Hoos in 45 AB’s this season. Add to that, the Cavaliers have 23rd-ranked recruiting class coming in, according to Perfect Game.
The pitching staff will require a more substantial overhaul going into next season, though. Starters Nick Parker and Brian Edgington have exhausted their eligibility, though lefty Connelly Early has another year of eligibility should he decide to stay in school.
Freshman Jack O’Connor pitched out of the bullpen in the postseason, but started 11 times this year and could slide over into the weekend rotation. The rookie threw 65.1 innings this year, allowing 28 earned runs and striking out 64. He had a nine-strikeout performance against Miami back in April.
Left-handed freshman Bradley Hodges appeared in Sunday’s loss to TCU and had a quick but efficient outing. The Sunshine State southpaw has shown flashes of great ability on the mound in limited action, but perhaps he could develop into a starter as his career plays out. If not, he’ll still be a valuable bullpen arm.
UVa’s primary relievers all have eligibility remaining. Closer Jay Woolfolk had an up-and-down end to the season to say the least, and it was great to see him come in and get two big outs against TCU after being put in a tough spot on Friday night against Florida. He is a sophomore, so assuming he decides to stick with playing baseball he’ll be a key member of the bullpen next year. Big lefty Jake Berry was UVa’ most relied-on reliever in the postseason, and despite a tough ending against Florida the 6-foot-10 Berry can be a tough matchup, particularly for opposing lefties. As a junior, he’s got one more year of eligibility.
And like the batting lineup, the bullpen has some young arms on their way up, like freshman Kevin Jaxel, who struck out 30 batters in 26 innings of work this season.
Then of course, there’s the transfer portal. The Cavaliers benefited from portal acquisitions this season, with Early, Edgington, Parker and O’Donnell playing key roles on this year’s 50-win team. Perhaps O’Connor looks to add another player or two to come in and contribute on a team that should be pretty good; in particular, the Cavaliers could be attractive to pitchers in the portal looking to come to a big program and start on the weekends.
While it was a tough early exit for the Wahoos in Omaha, and Teel, Gelof and others will be missed, there’s also plenty of reason to think the Cavaliers will be very good again next year given not only O’Connor’s program and its pedigree but also how the projected returners played in this postseason.
