2,072 MLB PLAYERS | 14,476 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
College  | Story  | 2/21/2019

Scout Take: Virginia

Mike Rooney     
Photo: Noah Murdock (Sarah Sacks/UVA Media Relations)

Scout Takes: Vanderbilt | College Notes: UCI vs. Washington | College Player Database


Virginia Cavaliers

What Happened: 0-3 at the MLB4 tournament in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Cavaliers tested themselves right away in what was arguably the stiffest opening weekend competition nationally. While Virginia should have won their Sunday game versus Cal State Fullerton (they coughed up a two-run lead in the top of the ninth), there is reasonable cause for concern following a 2018 season that saw them finish tied for 10th in the ACC. There is no shame in losing to the likes of TCU, Vandy and Fullerton, but yielding 30 runs in three games was alarming.

Carrying Tool: A tradition of toughness. This Virginia program was built upon a competitive streak germane to the multitude of players it recruited from the Northeast part of the country. From day one of Brian O’Connor’s tenure in Charlottesville, this was a program that would fight you for nine innings. Last year’s group was decimated by injuries and that seemed to crack open the door for a tinge of capitulation that we hadn’t seen before. Well, the most important piece of good news from opening weekend is that the scrap is back. The Cavaliers played with great attitude and looked much more like themselves in these three games.

Concerns: Starting pitching. The Virginia rotation possesses tremendous arm strength but pitchability is a present challenge. To be fair, Noah Murdock was pushed to Sunday because of a hamstring tweak so that must be accounted for. He will be a force on Friday nights in the ACC. Freshman Mike Vasil struggled from a statistical standpoint (5 earned runs in 3.1 innings) but the pedigree is clear to see. Griff McGarry also offers big arm talent but he similarly struggled. This talented duo yielded 21 baserunners in just 6 2/3 innings and their stuff is better than that.

Best Player on the Field: Andrew Abbott. This is ironic because Abbott’s blown save was the root cause of the Virginia’s Sunday loss to Fullerton. That said, Abbott is an intimidating option at the end of the game. The live-wire lefthander features a 91-92 mph fastball that explodes on hitters and his breaking stuff is equally nasty. He is an outstanding athlete who handles the inside game well and he suffocates the strike zone. It would not be surprising if that was his only blown save of 2019.

Fearless Forecast: Brian O’Connor’s 14-year Regional streak was snapped last season but the Cavaliers will begin a new streak in 2019. This group looks and feels like a Regional team. The combination of Noah Murdock and Andrew Abbott will be very difficult to beat on Friday nights. Freshman third baseman Zack Gelof could be the next great one at Virginia and he plays like an old school Cavalier. Once veterans Cameron Simmons, Nate Eikhoff and Alex Tappen find their groove this team should be on its way.


Player covered: Tanner Morris, Cameron Simmons, Zack Gelof, Griff McGarry, Mike Vasil, Noah Murdock, Andrew Abbott.




Tanner Morris
Morris is a draft-eligible sophomore who plays shortstop and hits third in Virginia’s lineup. While he doesn’t have one particular tool that jumps off the page, his track record of performance is loud. Morris played every day as a freshman a year ago and finished second on the team with a .298 batting average. He followed that up by being named a Cape Cod All-Star, a feat rarely accomplished by a freshman.  


This is PG 'DiamondKast' Level content.
You must be either an DiamondKast, Crosschecker Rankings & Scouting Reports, or Scout subscriber to read the rest.
Sign in
DiamondKast
PG Special Events
Travel, Lodging, Entertainment
PG Partners
Recommended
About Perfect Game :: Contact us :: Terms of Use :: Privacy Policy :: Testimonials :: Job Opportunities
Copyright 1994-2024 by Perfect Game. All rights reserved. No portion of this information may be reprinted or reproduced without the written consent of Perfect Game.