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APRIL 2023 19 BY SCOTT FITZGERALD A fter a typical Virginia baseball game at home in the confines of Disha- roon Park or on the road at any of the various opposing stadiums visited throughout the season, the team will meet as a group in left field and after a post- game speech, head coach Brian O'Connor and a select few student-athletes will then meet with the media to recap the day's performance. With four to five games per week, messaging and answers often become routine for players and coaches throughout a 56-game regular season. There is one excep- tion to that trend, and that is Kyle Teel. Never one to shy away from the camera, Teel often leaves interviewers with something new that you did not know before. There was an instance after an 18-1 blowout win over Boston College last season in which Teel hit his third grand slam of the season. After the game, the media corps was shocked to learn that the grand slam was hit off his next-door neighbor in Mahwah, N.J., Eagles pitcher Sean Hard. "We've been hitting together since we were like 12 or 13 years old," Teel said after the game. "I was in his backyard, and we'd play baseball. He would throw to me and I'd hit, and then I'd throw to him and he'd hit. "We grew up playing the game together." After a 4-hit effort against Rhode Island early in the 2023 season, Teel revealed that "The Deli Guy," a popular social media account on TikTok and Instagram, was his actual godfather. The Park Wood Deli in Midland Park, N.J., is one of the state's most famous delica- tessens. The family- owned business produces wildly en- tertaining videos, and Teel credits the lunch menu for helping him attain his goal of put- ting on more weight prior to the season. "My go-to sandwich would have to be the New York Jet," Teel said about the deli spe- cialty that features chicken cutlets, cheddar cheese, buffalo sauce and ranch dressing. He credited the sandwiches at Park Wood for helping him achieve one of his offseason goals — putting on more weight to help him endure the rigors of a long baseball season. Teel's infectious personality often spills over onto the field, and his head coach loves it. "He is so fun to watch play," O'Connor said. "He leaves it all out on the field. He's got a smile on his face. He's like some of the kids that come to watch our games. It's like he's playing a Little League game, and I love it. "Because it's so pure, and he just loves being out there. He's prepared to be success- ful, and he has a heck of a lot of fun doing it. Just a really, really talented young man." A highly touted recruit out of Mahwah High School, Teel was named the 2020 New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year and was the No. 1 player in the state of New Jer- sey according to Perfect Game, one of the most respected amateur scouting services in the country. Teel's collegiate career had a bit of de- layed start as he sat out 10 of the team's first 11 games. In the second ACC series of the season, he came down with an illness in Tallahassee, Fla., limiting him to only one game and four at-bats on the weekend. He didn't become a regular in the Cavalier lineup until the third week of the season. The other roadblock his first year on Grounds was the incumbent catcher, Logan Michaels, who was slated to take the major- ity of the time behind the plate, with more than 50 starts in a Cavalier uniform. In the shortened 2020 season, Michaels was voted the winner of the Billy Word Memorial Award, which is given to the team's Most Valuable Player. To keep Teel's potent bat in the lineup, O'Connor and his staff needed to get cre- ative. Fortunately, Teel's athleticism allowed for him to start 19 games in right field, in addition to 15 at catcher and another 19 as the team's designated hitter. He went on to start 53 of the 54 games he appeared in as a true first-year on Virginia's fifth College World Series team. "Getting to Omaha our first year was a dream come true," Teel said. "That's what I have wanted to do since I was little. Virginia was always my dream school. They've obviously been doing it [going to the College World Series] in the past, and I wanted to be a part of that." But Teel wasn't just along for the ride as a bright-eyed first-year, he was a contributor. In fact, he delivered one of the most exciting moments in UVA baseball history in Game 3 of the 2021 Columbia Super Regional against Dallas Baptist. With Virginia trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Teel stepped into the batter's box with the bases loaded and drove a 2-2 breaking ball over the center field wall. The moment was certainly not too big for the then-rookie who has always tried to stay consistent with his approach at the plate and embrace moments of pressure. "I love the quote, 'No pressure, no dia- monds,'" Teel said after his historic blast. "It's my favorite quote. It's difficult, there was a lot of emotions involved but it's just controlling those emo- tions and just accept- ing all the pressure and doing the best you can is all that matters." Teel went on to garner Freshman All-America honors from D1Baseball.com (first team), Baseball America (first team), Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and Perfect Game (second team). He was the first UVA first-year player ever to earn first-team honors from D1Baseball.com and first since Danny Hultzen in 2009 to earn first-team accolades from Baseball America. " I've coached a lot of players over the years, and this kid is very, very special. He's gifted with the bat, certainly, but there aren't many players that have the competitive spirit that he has." UVA HEAD COACH BRIAN O'CONNOR GIFTED TED Third-Year Catcher Kyle Teel Is Breaking Out In A Big Way