Eight years later, as the Virginia baseball team prepares for its first appearance in the College World Series, Dennis Womack has the benefit of perspective.

He is a father, friend, husband and mentor. Luckily for Virginia, Brian O’Connor is also the head coach of the best baseball team in program history

LSU (51-16), the No. 3 national seed in the NCAA tournament, awaits its next test on Saturday. The pitching-rich Tigers open with sixth-ranked Virginia (48-13-1) at Rosenblatt Stadium at 7 p.m.

When the starting lineups for Virginia and LSU are introduced ala all-star game style on Saturday night, Brian O’Connor and his mentor, Paul Mainieri, will be standing side by side.

With their price tags known, the stock of Virginia juniors Tyler Cannon and Matt Packer dropped in the eyes of Major League Baseball scouts. That was evident Thursday in the draft.

A pair of right-handed senior pitchers, Andrew Carraway and Robert Poutier, were drafted Wednesday during the second day of the Major League Baseball draft. Virginia junior LHP Jeff Lorick was also picked in the 20th round of the draft.

Against the Rebels and anyone else, Virginia uses its speed and athleticism to its advantage. The Cavaliers have swiped 116 bases, ranking 13th in the nation and tops among ACC schools.

Now with a fine-tuned slider suddenly in his arsenal, Arico has emerged as the Cavaliers’ closer, a role that he will assume Saturday at 7 p.m. as No. 6 Virginia (48-13-1) opens play at the College World Series against top-ranked Louisiana State in Omaha, Neb.

In fitting fashion, the fifth-year senior was given the ball to start on the mound Sunday in the most important game in program history.

In historic fashion, Virginia and coach Brian O’Connor punched the program’s first-ever ticket for the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., registering a 5-1 victory over Ole Miss on Sunday at sun-splashed Swayze Field at Oxford-University Stadium.

Sophomore outfielder John Barr, who had just two hits in the postseason, was a surprise starter after making just five starts over the Cavaliers’ last 17 contests.

All but headed for a series-clinching victory, a costly error in the eighth inning by the Rebels opened the door for a 4-3 come-from-behind victory for Virginia in the Oxford Super Regional.

The Virginia baseball team took advantage of a late Mississippi error to win 4-3 and force a decisive third game in Super Regional play.

Ole Miss first baseman Matt Smith belted the first pitch he was thrown in the 12th inning from Virginia reliever Kevin Arico over the wall in left field, propelling the Rebels to a 4-3 walk-off win as 9,213 fans roared for the end of the first contest of the Oxford Super Regional.

Virginia won something on Thursday. Will it matter on Sunday? Time will tell. What was it?

Today, Virginia will look to add another chapter to the best season in program history — a Super Regional victory.

When Keith Werman entered his first practice, the rookie did so strictly as Keith Werman.

During Virginia’s meteoric rise over its past eight games, Franco Valdes has been a mainstay behind the plate.

In near flawless fashion, Virginia (46-12-1) escaped the Irvine Regional, giving coach Brian O’Connor’s program its first-ever Super Regional berth.

Second-seeded Virginia made program history Sunday night with a regional-clinching 4-1 victory over UC Irvine.

Virginia, the second-seeded team in the Irvine Regional, sat in the same position late Sunday evening as it awaited a championship round contest with third-seeded San Diego State or top-seeded UC Irvine.

UVa pitcher Danny Hultzen pitched 7.1 shutout innings as the Cavs advanced to today’s regional title game against the winner of the UC-Irvine vs. San Diego State matchup.

Outdueling future millionaire Stephen Strasburg and San Diego State, Morey lifted the second-seeded Cavaliers to an improbable 5-1 victory by registering nine strikeouts over six scoreless innings.

Virginia scored a pair of early runs off San Diego State All-American Stephen Strasburg — giving the phenom his first loss of the season — and the Cavaliers took a 5-1 victory in the opening game of the Irvine Regional.

In the days that led up to the opening clash, SDSU coach Tony Gwynn talked publicly about starting junior Tyler Lavigne instead of Strasburg, who is expected to be selected by the Washington Nationals with the No. 1 pick in June’s MLB Draft.

The multi-million dollar question remains unanswered: Will Stephen Strasburg toe the rubber tonight against Virginia?

To most in attendance at the ACC tournament, Tyler Wilson appeared to be running on fumes late in Sunday’s title game.

The party balloons were popped Monday — Virginia was rewarded for winning the league crown by shockingly being shipped to California for the second straight year.

Virginia, despite winning the ACC tournament, was shunned by the NCAA tournament selection committee — the Cavaliers (43-12-1) and their impressive top-10 RPI will not host a regional this weekend, instead hitting the road for the opening round of postseason play.

Perfect in four games, the Cavaliers (43-12-1) claimed just their second ACC tournament crown and their first under sixth-year coach Brian O’Connor.