CWS NOTEBOOK: O’Connor wins coach’s honor

OMAHA, Neb. — Appearing on every single ballot, Virginia coach Brian O’Connor waltzed away with national coach of the year honors from the National College Baseball Writers Association on Saturday.

Voted on by the NCBWA Board of Directors, the list of candidates for the award included the eight coaches from the teams at the College World Series and every Division I coach honored as the conference coach of the year.

O’Connor received the award at the Omaha Press Club.

“It is quite an honor,” said O’Connor, who was preparing for the Cavaliers CWS opener against LSU. “This award belongs as much to me as it does to my players and my assistant coaches.”

O’Connor led Virginia to its first ACC tournament championship since 1996, a program-best 48 wins and its first-ever berths in a super regional and the College World Series.

Hoos in the house

A host of former Virginia players made the trek to Omaha to watch the CWS.

That contingent included former UVa second baseman and assistant coach Kyle Werman, now an assistant coach at George Mason.

Werman had extra motivation — his younger brother, Keith, started at second base for the Cavaliers.

“I couldn’t miss this,” the elder Werman said. “This is such a great accomplishment for the program.”

Other former Virginia players in attendance for the opener included pitchers Jeff Kamrath and Shooter Starr and outfielders Tim Henry and Brandon Marsh.

Some dazzling dimensions

The measurements to the base of the wall at legendary Rosenblatt Stadium are eerily similar to those that Virginia’s players have enjoyed all year at Davenport Field.

Why so? They are a perfect match, something that O’Connor planned after moving in the fences in left and right field.

At Davenport and Rosenblatt, it is 408 feet to straightaway center and 335 down the lines in left and right field.