Cavalier Corner

somebody stepped up, somebody stepped in. "Everybody seemed to kind of get it, everybody stretched themselves to be able to accomplish what they accomplished this year." Virginia's CWS championship also ended a du- bious mark for the ACC, with the Hoos securing the league's first NCAA title since Wake Forest in 1955. The Cavaliers are the 45th different team to reach Omaha since then as a member of the league. When asked about ending the streak, O'Connor gave credit to the conference. "It's amazing the text messages I received over the last couple of days from other coaches in our league rooting us on," he noted. "Our conference is year in, year out an outstanding conference with great coaches and great players, and committed administrations. "I think you'll see more teams up here out of our league sitting on here with the national cham- pionship trophy." Legendary FSU head coach Mike Martin, whose Seminoles have made 15 trips to the CWS without a title said, "If any coach in the ACC tells you he wasn't pulling hard for Virginia, there's something wrong with him. It's an incredible ac- complishment by UVa, Brian O'Connor and his entire staff. To accomplish what he did, I really don't know if there's an adjective to describe it. Just to think back to what they went through this year and to finish the way they did is an amazing feat." At the welcome home celebration at the John Paul Jones Arena, UVa president Theresa Sullivan called the season "magnificent." "I think it was wonderful for the team, but also for this university and I think for the community as well," she said. "You showed us what it means to have a lot of heart. "We suffered with you through the adversi- ties, now we want to rejoice with you in the triumph." ◆ "BIG GAME" BRANDON WADDELL LIVES UP TO HIS NICKNAME Third-year pitcher Brandon Waddell wasn't having a very good season. A staple of the Virginia pitching rotation for the last three seasons, the left-hander entered 2015 with a record of 16-6 and a 3.11 ERA in 34 starts. Last season, the Houston native started two games in the College World Series, recording the first complete game of his career in the Cavaliers' lone championship series win over Vanderbilt. Earlier in Omaha against TCU, Waddell went seven innings and allowed just one earned run as the Wahoos won 3-2 in 15 innings. But this year was different. On April 26, Waddell was 2-4 with a 5.18 ERA. Like his team, when the exam break came around, Waddell started to find his groove. In the six games that followed Waddell went seven or more innings in five contests and at least six in all of them. The final two outings were in the NCAA Tournament, where Waddell has thrived during his career. He tossed seven and one-third and eight innings, respectively, against San Diego State in Lake Elsinore Regional and the Super Regional against Maryland. He gave up four earned runs and fanned 12 hitters in those two outings and, though Waddell did not get a decision in either, the Hoos won both and advanced to the CWS in Omaha, where Waddell displayed how he earned the nickname "Big Game." Facing the potent Florida offense, Waddell worked seven scoreless innings, keeping the Gators in check by allow- ing two hits and striking out three for the win. Third-year closer Josh Sborz took care of business in the final two

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