The Afternoon Break: Three Hoos Drafted Early

By: Kris Wright |
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The Cleveland Indians selected Mike Papi with the 38th pick of the MLB Draft. ~ Ian Rogol

For the first time in school history, the Virginia baseball program produced three first-round draft picks in the same season. Nick Howard, Derek Fisher, and Mike Papi all had their names called in the Major League Baseball Draft on Thursday night. UVa stood as the only college program to have three picks in the 2014 opening round. The Cavaliers joined Georgia Tech (1994) and Miami (2008) as previous ACC teams with three first-round selections.

Howard became the second Virginia pitcher selected in the first round in three years when the Cincinnati Reds used the 19th overall pick to take the Cavalier closer. Seattle selected Danny Hultzen second overall in 2011. Howard set a new school record for saves this season with 19, which has tied the ACC single season record for saves. He has recorded 50 strikeouts so far this season with opponents batting just .184 against him. He also has 20 RBI at the plate this year.

Those numbers have earned him more than a draft slot. He received Louisville Slugger Third-Team All-American recognition. Howard was also named first-team All-ACC.

As part of the competitive balance portion of the draft, Fisher and Papi joined Howard in the first round on back-to-back picks. The Houston Astros took Fisher at No. 37, while the Cleveland Indians chose Papi at No. 38.

Fisher, who missed time with a broken hammate bone and surgery earlier this season, averages .288 at the plate. He has belted three home runs, seven doubles, and 23 RBI. Fisher currently owns a 12-game hitting streak.

Papi earned a spot on the All-ACC first team for the second time this season. He averages .297 at the plate. Papi led the ACC with 11 home runs and 53 walks. He leads the Cavaliers with 51 RBI and runs scored with 51.

Read the official news release here.

Reynolds Helps French Team Win Title

Cavalier basketball standout J.R. Reynolds helped Limoges claim the French Pro A Championship. This link (it’s in French so the quote below is Google’s translation!) features a photo of Reynolds with the trophy and includes a quote.

“It’s incredible. I’m happy for the whole organization, for staff, for the team,” Reynolds said. “This has not been an easy season, we had some ups and downs, we had to talk, to adjust to each other, to really play together during the playoffs. Everyone has taken upon itself to live this moment. No I do not know where I’ll be next year, let me just enjoy it now.”

Reynolds posted 10 points and three assists in the clinching win as Limoges swept the series 3-0. He registered 10 points and one assist in game one and 15 points in game two.

Vitesse, Team USA Roll

In its third game at the Rabobank Hockey World Cup, Team USA defeated China 5-0 to climb to the top of Pool B. Virginia standout Michelle Vitesse, who will pick up her 100th cap in her next game for Team USA, played a key role in the win. She sprinted past the Chinese defense to set up the first goal of the game for Katie O’Donnell, who finished with a hat trick. Vitesse then added a goal of her own when she corralled a loose ball and turned on a shot that beat the keeper.

Worth Quoting

In this Washington Post article, Redskins Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams had this to say about UVa draft pick Morgan Moses:

“Moses is great. Gifted athlete, huge, obviously, he can move people off their feet and move his feet as well. Very long arms. I told him once he gets the mental part down, he’ll play in this league for a long time.”

Tweets of the Day

Hoo-Tube Video of the Day

On the 70th anniversary of D-Day in World War II, it seems appropriate for Friday’s video to honor that sacrifice. So here is the Cavalier Marching Band’s Military Appreciation Day show from the 2013 VMI game.