Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/852280
10 ◆ CAVALIER CORNER CAVALIER SPORTS Growing up in Baltimore, Henry "Punch" Peterson got hooked on lacrosse. At St. Paul's School he was mentored in the game by former Virginia athletics director and ACC commissioner Gene Corrigan. "My Latin teacher and lacrosse coach in high school was Corrigan," Peterson said. Corrigan left for Washington and Lee in 1955, and Peter- son had designs on being an engineer and went to UVA. As fate would have it, the two men were reunited in 1958. "Corrigan left Washington and Lee and came to Char- lottesville as the head lacrosse coach so I played for him for three years," Peterson explained. "He also coached my brother, Dick Peterson, who was a 1965 UVA graduate and a lacrosse All-American. Basically, I've had a friendship with Corrigan that goes back 65 years. To me, that's a very inter- esting part to my story." "Punch," as he is known, graduated from Virginia in 1961 and said, "I've been a very loyal alumnus for all of these years. In particular, a benefactor to the lacrosse program." Not only has he been supporting the Virginia Athletics Foundation since 1971, he's passed along the UVA tradition to his family as well. "I have three kids that all went [to Virginia], a stepson and a granddaughter that went there," he said. "This fall, my twin granddaughters will be entering the University as part of the class of 2021." In addition to his generosity to men's and women's lacrosse, Peterson was an integral part in the selection of Hall of Fame lacrosse coach Dom Starsia. "Corrigan asked me if I would be on the selection committee and I told him I'd be happy to serve," Peterson recalled. "Craig Littlepage served on that com- mittee as well. So, we ended up hiring Dom, who went on to win four national championships. I don't think I missed many lacrosse games after they hired Dom." Peterson has also gotten to know Starsia's successor, Lars Tiffany, and said he sees a great future for Starsia's former pupil. "He'll win some ACC and some national championships," Pe- terson predicted. "His team will be really fun to watch because they don't like the ball to be on the ground. They like it moving." Peterson's confidence in what Tiffany can do stems from his belief that there is a difference in how the University approaches athletics since his days on Grounds. He sees a more holistic approach, one that considers athletics part of the overall education process. "I think that realization came along with President Frank Hereford," Peterson said. "Gene was then the athletics direc- tor and he wrote a very extensive report on where UVA was in athletics, where they needed to go and why it's important. It concluded that we needed to be competitive in all areas." Peterson also gives credit to Littlepage for raising the success level of UVA athletics. On a recent visit to Virginia from his Florida home, Peterson recalls a conversation with Virginia's current athletics director. "I went in his office and said, 'Craig, you've got to have your chest sticking out a foot. Because of how competitive we are, winning championships, in all of these non-revenue sports. To me, what you've done is truly incredible,'" he relayed. "That was never even a thought back when I was a student-athlete." — Greg Waters Peterson, a former UVA la- crosse player, served on the committee that hired Hall of Fame coach Dom Star- sia and predicts Starsia's successor, Lars Tiffany, will have similar success. PHOTO COURTESY HENRY PETERSON WAHOO NATION HENRY "PUNCH" PETERSON For the seventh time in the last 11 seasons, Vir- ginia baseball saw six or more players selected in the Major League Baseball Draft. UVA is one of just two college programs to boast a first-round draft pick in each of the last four years. In fact, Virginia first baseman Pavin Smith and outfielder Adam Haseley were selected seventh and eighth, respectfully, in the opening round of the draft. The third-year duo became the first set of position players from the same college to be se- lected in the top 10 of an MLB Draft since Oklahoma State's Monty Fariss and Robin Ventura 29 years ago. Smith was picked by the Arizona Diamondbacks and signed with the club for $5,016,300 in late June. He began his career with the short-season Class A Hillsboro Hops, and was hitting .373 with 10 RBI in 21 games through July 18. Diamondbacks scouting director Deric Ladnier told The Arizona Republic that the team was elated that Smith made it to their slot at No. 7 and "he called [Smith's] pitch recognition and strike zone awareness 'elite.'" "He just tries to do damage," Ladnier said. "He's not necessarily trying to go up there and hit home runs. But he's aware that he does have power." Haseley signed for a bonus of $5.1 million and reported to the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters, who opened their season June 26. Through July 18, he was batting .304 with one home run and seven RBI in 15 games. Philadelphia scout Paul Murphy suggests the Phillies will have Haseley on a fast track to the big leagues. "Over three years, I'd seen him 35 to 40 times … and his trajectory was upward from his freshman year," Murphy told CSNPhilly. "You're getting a great makeup kid from a good college baseball program." Three other Cavaliers were selected in the first 10 rounds — including pitcher Tommy Doyle, who was picked in the second round (70th overall) by the Col- orado Rockies. The Cleveland Indians snagged short- stop Ernie Clement in the fourth round (132nd), while the Milwaukee Brewers claimed right-handed pitcher Alec Bettinger in the 10th round (294th). Doyle repor ted to the Rookie -level Grand Junction Rockies in June and, according a state- ment from Rockies' vice president of scouting Bill Schmidt, will pitch out of the bullpen this year. In his first six relief outing through July 18, he had allowed four earned runs in five innings of work. According to The Denver Post, "Doyle could be on the quickest track to the majors." The paper said that during a meet and greet with Rockies man- ager Bud Black the Colorado skipper asked, "Who's the big pitcher from Virginia? Tommy Doyle? I'm gonna follow Tommy. Big arm." Clement is a solid hitter who goes against the grain of the high strikeout totals common in the major leagues today. As a Cavalier, Clement struck out just 31 times in 841 career plate appearances, which equates to a 3.7-percent strikeout rate, far below the major league average. He began his career with the short-season Class A Mahoning Valley Scrappers and was hitting .217 with four RBI in 14 games through July 18. "Those are things that we obviously value and look for," Indians' senior director of amateur scout- ing Brad Grant told MLB.com. "You don't see it very often, but it's a great, great trait to have." Bettinger officially signed with the Brewers June 24 and had already made six appearances with a 1-1 record for the Helena Brewers through July 18. Junior southpaw hurler Bennett Sousa was se- lected by the Washington Nationals on the final day of the draft in the 34th round, but announced that he will be returning to Charlottesville to com- pete as a fourth-year. — Greg Waters BEHIND THE SCENES VIRGINIA IN THE MLB DRAFT First baseman Pavin Smith (left) and out- fielder Adam Haseley (right) became the first set of position players from one col- lege to be taken in the top 10 of the same MLB Draft since 1988. PHOTO COURTESY UVA