UVa players get enthusiastic welcome at Davenport Field

Considering that not even 24 hours had passed since Virginia’s baseball season came to a dramatic halt, it would have been understandable if the Cavaliers had hung their heads as their fans greeted them at Davenport Field on Thursday night.

Instead, it looked like the team had already put things into perspective after 49 wins and the most successful season in school history. The players were smiling and joking around as they were introduced by coach Brian O’Connor, and mixing it up with fans afterwards.

“This team will be remembered as the greatest team in UVa baseball history,” O’Connor told the Cavalier faithful. “That’s until next season.”

Throughout UVa’s College World Series adventure, O’Connor had hoped that his players would soak in as much as they could.

“It’s hard because you’re in the heat of battle,” O’Connor said. “And that’s what you’re out there for, but they got a very good taste of what Omaha is like and what the College World Series is like. I know they’ll be hungry to get back there in a short period of time.”

Of course, just because the squad can appreciate all they accomplished this season, it doesn’t mean that they’re over Wednesday night’s 4-3, 12-inning loss to Arkansas — there’s just no sense in dwelling on it.

“[After the game] I told them that I couldn’t take the pain and disappointment away from them,” O’Connor said, “but that they should be should be very proud of what they accomplished this season because it’s never been accomplished in the 100-year history of this baseball program.”

The Cavs have a lot to look forward to, as most of the biggest pieces of the squad will return next year — including fan favorite Keith Werman, who was awestruck by the environment.

“Growing up I had always dreamed of being out there and being a part of that famous atmosphere,” Werman said. “To actually go out there with the team and experience all of it was really just unreal. It was a dream. It didn’t hit me until we came back here.”

As for the seniors who’ve played their last game in a Cavaliers uniform, like pitcher Andrew Carraway, leaving Omaha was a little different than it was for his younger teammates.

“Guys like [fellow senior Robert] Poutier and myself have been through hosting two regionals and not

advancing through that,” Carraway said. “We’ve been through the difficulty of making it through the postseason. When you start learning first hand how hard it is to win these things, you appreciate just being there so much more. It means a lot to get to Omaha in the first place. Being older, we know this is something we’re going to really cherish.”

And while it might be tough to watch LSU and Arkansas go at it today, there is one comfort the Cavaliers will enjoy — a familiar mattress.

“Our hotels were our homes,” Werman said. “Ever since we played Virginia Tech [in mid-May], it seems like we’ve been on the road. We never slept in our own beds. In that sense, we’re excited to be home.”