U.Va. facing Oklahoma at sold-out Davenport
When the University of Virginia women’s lacrosse team played for the first time after the murder of Yeardley Love, the game drew a program-record 2,270 fans, an outpouring of support for the grieving squad.
But just behind the grandstand, in contrast to the somber scene at Klockner Stadium, more than twice as many fans — 4,825 — were watching the Cavaliers’ baseball team beat North Carolina, 5-3, at Davenport Field.
After achieving a No. 1 ranking for the first time in program history, it has been a spring of celebration for the Virginia baseball team. Consequently, more fans than ever are coming along for the ride.
With Virginia set to host Oklahoma this weekend in the NCAA Super Regionals, the school announced Thursday that the best-of-three series is sold out.
“If our seating capacity was seven, eight thousand this weekend, we’d sell every ticket,” coach Brian O’Connor said Wednesday on a Charlottesville radio station.
The popularity has been such that the school has added nearly 1,600 seats this season to meet increased demand. It’s a big change from the friends-and-family “crowd” of 147 that turned out for O’Connor’s Charlottesville debut when he took over in 2004.
“It’s a great environment the fans have created,” O’Connor said. “What an advantage for our club.”
It’s an edge Virginia (50-12) hopes to exploit against Oklahoma (47-15) as it seeks its second straight trip to the College World Series. The two-time NCAA champion Sooners have made the tournament five of six years under coach Sunny Golloway. He has yet to get them to the World Series but doesn’t lack for confidence.
“Going to Virginia and winning on the road is only going to prepare us for Omaha and what lies ahead,” Golloway told The Oklahoman. “No matter where we were sent, we’d like our chances at this point and like our chances getting to Omaha and competing well in Omaha for a national title.”
Oklahoma has won 12 of its last 13, including three straight by one run last weekend in Norman. Sophomore Garrett Buechele, the son of former Texas Rangers third baseman Steve Buechele, leads the Sooners in batting (.387), home runs (16) and RBI (62). Infielders Cameron Seitzer and Max White have 14 home runs each.
Virginia junior outfielder Jarrett Parker (10 home runs) was a second-round draft choice of the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday. Infielder Phil Gosselin (nine home runs) was picked in the fifth round by the Atlanta Braves, one of a record nine Cavaliers selected in the MLB draft.
