If you stayed up into the wee hours Monday morning to watch Virginia’s baseball team win the Lake Elsinore Regional of the NCAA Tournament, you weren’t alone.
TheSabre.com’s baseball message board was hopping as the Hoos rallied from a 9-5 deficit to eliminate Southern California 14-10 in 11 innings. How busy was it? From midnight to 5 a.m. Monday morning, the baseball message board logged 38,000 page views!
Over the course of the day Monday as it became clear that Virginia could host the Super Regional with a Maryland win that night, the excitement continued. The board ended up with more than 78,000 page views for the entire day. Keep in mind, the game was only available to view via ESPN3 in addition to the early morning time slot. Clearly, the Cavaliers captured the attention of their fans with a bit of an unexpected trip to another Super Regional – it’s the program’s sixth appearance in the last seven years – after a season full of injuries, scheduling quirks, and more.
That’s just another example of the continually growing interest level for the UVa baseball team. When Brian O’Connor took over in 2004, it would have been difficult to imagine hoards of Virginia fans watching a game bleary-eyed near sunrise on the East Coast. Over the past 12 seasons, however, interest has surged in a major way thanks to sustained success.
The Hoos posted the most wins in the nation from 2009-2014 with 298. They have won two ACC Championships. They have made the NCAA Tournament in each of O’Connor’s 12 seasons with six Super Regional berths and three trips to the College World Series in Omaha. Virginia hosts Maryland this Friday-Sunday (if necessary for game three) with another CWS spot on the line. The Wahoos lost in the National Championship series last season – if you’re wondering, the final game drew more than 160,000 page views to The Sabre’s baseball message board.
Along the way, the baseball team has drawn in a lot of fans. Davenport Field has seen record crowds in recent years leading to several stadium expansions. The stadium seating capacity is now at more than 5,000 seats. Virginia ranked among the top 20 nationally in attendance from 2009-2014, including a program-best 142,496 in 2014 as UVa finished 11th in attendance.
Another healthy crowd is expected at Davenport Field this weekend for an unlikely Charlottesville Super Regional. Maryland knocked off the tournament’s top seed UCLA to clear the path for UVa’s hosting bid. Can’t make it? Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of company on The Sabre’s baseball message board.
