"Hoos on First?" ROOT, ROOT, ROOT FOR U.VA.'S HOME TEAM by Tommy Goodman graphic by Michelle Fields Are you tired of offseason basketball soap operas? Shocked and upset over the "loss" of Ronald Curry? Bored with spring football scrimmages? Well, believe it or not, there exists a remedy for your spring Cavalier athletics withdrawal. No, it's not club miniature golf or women's equestrian. It's the Virginia baseball team. Indeed, sports fans, this university has a real, live baseball team that plays actual baseball games. They even use bats, gloves, and balls. And if you have an ounce of sense about you, you will pick up a baseball schedule and head to U.Va. Baseball Field to check out this year's squad. But you may encounter a slight problem upon beginning this quest: where the hell do you find any information on the team? The scarcity of publicity for the baseball team seems to be one of the major problems behind the lack of student interest. "Unlike almost all other sports at the university, we do not have a team poster," said second-year pitcher Kevin Shrout. "People don't even know the location of the field." However, some individuals do know the field's whereabouts, as the university recently helped fund $300,000 in renovations to the field. This included installation of a new grass surface as well as an irrigation and draining system. While this may not sound like a drastic move, every little thing counts for a team trying to assert itself among the basketball and football giants of the athletic department. It is also indicative of the school's increased willingness to invest more in the program. Fourth-year second baseman Ryan Gilleland has noticed a marked improvement during his four years playing on the team. "I'd say the program here is definitely on the upswing," said Gilleland, one of the team's veteran leaders and top all-around offensive players. "Since my freshman year, I think we have received more financial support. Also, although this is mainly a football and basketball school, the crowds have slowly gotten larger at our games." In addition, the team's recent success has helped establish U.Va. baseball as one of the Atlantic Coast Conference's up-and-coming programs. Last season, the squad posted a record of 32-22, breaking the 30-win plateau for the second consecutive season. Previously, in 1996, the team won the ACC Tournament for the first time and advanced to the regional round of the NCAA tournament. Lack of performance can hardly be considered an excuse for not following the team. This season the team got off to a sizzling start in Houston, where the Cavaliers participated in the Big Ball Classic and posted wins over national powerhouses Rice and Oklahoma State. These wins helped lead the team to a 10-1 start. Not bad for a team picked to finish second-to-last in the ACC. However, that's not to say that the Cavaliers have not had their fair share of trouble within the conference. The team opened conference play losing six of its first seven games; nevertheless, all but one of the losses was close. It is this strength of competition within the ACC that is a major reason why the U.Va. baseball program continues to improve and attract better athletes. With as many as four ACC teams having been ranked in Baseball America's Top 25 this season, the conference in which the squad competes poses a challenge to players and offers an opportunity for individual improvement. For example, first-year pitcher Greg Withelder, a third-round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins in last year's amateur draft and an invitee to the USA Baseball National Team Trials last November, turned down a lucrative offer from the Twins in order to play ball for U.Va. "I came to U.Va. for the opportunity to improve both on and off the field," said Withelder. "I thought the program here, and playing in the ACC, would be a great chance to accomplish both." Withelder is just one example of the talent that the baseball program has attracted throughout its history. I bet you didn't know that there's a former U.Va. player in the Baseball Hall of Fame -- pitcher Eppa Rixey. In total, there have been 19 major league players who attended the university. The most recent major leaguer is pitcher Doug Johns, who played with the Oakland A's for two seasons and is now attempting to join another major league club. As another sign of the improvement in talent, the Cavaliers had their first two players, pitchers Seth Greisinger and Jason Sekany, selected in the opening two rounds of the 1996 draft. Thus, the program has produced -- and continues to produce -- players capable of competing at a higher level. And many players are beginning to take notice. "When looking at U.Va.'s program, I saw the chance to come in and play right away with a core group of players who were great athletes," said second-year pitcher Casey Kennedy, who picked U.Va. over a number of highly competitive baseball schools. As more people outside of the program recognize U.Va. baseball, it's time for the university community to start paying more attention to the team. Take the time on one of those beautiful spring days to come out and support U.Va. baseball. After all, it's free. And, who knows, you may even catch a glimpse of a future Eppa Rixey.

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