Virginia’s 8-3 victory East Carolina Sunday secured the Cavaliers a spot in the Super Regionals where they’ll host the winner of the Conway Regional at Disharoon Park.
Nine of the 11 spots on the All-Tournament team were awarded to players from Brian O’Connor’s squad who went undefeated in regional play.
Junior pitcher Connelly Early made the biggest splash of all the UVA players who earned a all-tournament team nod.
Early’s 10 strikeout outing on Sunday was so good it earned him the Charlottesville Regional’s Most Outstanding Player honor.
Junior Kyle Teel added to his already impressive season by being named the best catcher in the regional. Teel was a stellar 7 for 12 in three games and logged a 4-for-5 performance in Sunday’s game against ECU.
Teel was named to the All-ACC first team last month and was also named the ACC Player of the Year, UVA’s first since 2006.
Virginia Beach product Ethan Anderson (Cox High) was named the best first baseman in the regional. The sophomore was 3 for 12 from the plate but had two timely home runs in the first two games of the regional. Anderson also tallied four RBI and drew two walks.
Anderson was named to the All-ACC third team last month.
Junior Jake Gelof was named the best third baseman in the Charlottesville regional. Gelof, like Anderson was 3-for-12 over three games and also drew three walks. He hit a double in Saturday’s game against East Carolina that was inches away from being a home run, had the ball gone out he would have set the UVA single-season home run record.
More accolades could be coming for Gelof – an All-ACC first teamer – this season. He is currently a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and the Golden Spikes Award.
Virginia’s All-ACC shortstop Griff O’Farrell was named the regionals best shortstop. The sophomore was 5 for 14 over three games. In Virginia’s matchup against Army to open the regional O’Farrell was 3 for 4 and managed to gets two hits in the first inning after the Wahoos batted through the lineup.
Casey Saucke and Ethan O’Donnell were named to two of the three outfield spots on the all-regional team. Saucke went 6 for 12 from the plate and O’Donnell went 1 for 9. O’Donnell struggled from the plate in the regional, but a game changing home run late in Sunday’s matchup against ECU was enough for the first-team All-ACC player to land on the all-regional team.
Sophomore Anthony Stephan was named the regionals best designated hitter. Stephan had his best two games of the regional against East Carolina. He went 5 for 12, including a three-run home run in Sunday’s game to put the Cavaliers up big over the Pirates.
Early and graduate pitcher Nick Parker round out Virginia’s all-regional selections. Parker was just as dominant in his outing against ECU as Early was.
In the 2-1 win over the Pirates on Saturday, Parker threw 100 pitches over seven innings, striking out five batters and gave up just five hits.
Full Charlottesville Regional All-Tournament Team
C – Kyle Teel (Virginia)
1B – Ethan Anderson (Virginia)
2B – Jacob Starling (ECU)
3B – Jake Gelof (Virginia)
SS – Griff O’Ferrall (Virginia)
OF – Casey Saucke (Virginia)
OF – Bryce Madron (Oklahoma)
OF – Ethan O’Donnell (Virginia)
DH – Easton Carmichael (Oklahoma)/Anthony Stephan (Virginia)
P – Connelly Early (Virginia)
P – Nick Parker (Virginia)
Most Outstanding Player: Connelly Early (Virginia)
***Tie in the voting at DH makes it a 12-person team
Michael Sauls, [email protected], (757) 803-5775
