Virginia’s accomplishments deserve recognition

The phrase “Back home in Omaha” has a special meaning to many. It’s even more special to Virginia coach Brian O’Connor.

O’Connor wants to lead Virginia to its first College World Series, but he knows Omaha well. The Cavs’ sixth-year coach grew up in the city every team wants to visit and played his college ball at hometown Creighton.

In 1991 he played in the CWS. He’s even been there as an assistant.

This might be the season he returns as a head coach.

Virginia and O’Connor tripping to the CWS is contingent on one thing. They must find a way to get past Ole Miss at the Oxford Super Regional. Easier said than done.

If he does make it back to Omaha, the city will welcome its native son back with open arms. If not, well, there’s next season. Eventually it’ll happen.

Either way, the fact we’re talking about Virginia reaching the CWS should send chills up the spines of O’Connor and anyone associated with the university.

Opinions on O’Connor and the Cavaliers vary. Some believe O’Connor hasn’t done enough in his six seasons. Others believe he has done a wealth of good for Virginia and has the program in perfect shape.

“It really doesn’t frustrate me what others might think,” O’Connor said. “I know the qualities of our program and I know we’re doing things the right way. If it doesn’t happen this year, I know it’ll happen next year. Believe me, nobody wants to get back to Omaha as much as I do.”

As hard as it can be to not get wrapped up in the hoopla that if you don’t make it to Omaha, you’re essentially nothing as a program, let’s take a trip into Virginia’s history books. Well, the limited history it has, that is.

Before O’Connor arrived in 2003, the Cavaliers hadn’t reached an NCAA regional since 1996. Previously, the Cavaliers made regional appearances in 1972 and 1985. Not exactly impressive.

With that in mind, realize what O’Connor accomplished his first season and since that point. In his first year, O’Connor went 44-15 and earned an NCAA regional berth. That year has set an amazing trend and the Cavaliers – this season included – have now reached six-straight NCAA regionals. Before this season, only 16 programs had reached five consecutive regionals. For six consecutive regionals, the number dwindles to 14 with N.C. State and Pepperdine not making this year’s field.

“My No. 1 goal when I took over this program was to build consistency and tradition,” O’Connor said. “Rather than being a program that wins 45 games one year and 25 the next, I wanted our program to be a 40-game winner every season. To me, that’s the ultimate sign of a consistent program.”

Under O’Connor’s definition, consistency has been achieved. The Cavaliers won 44 games in ’04, 41 in ’05, 47 in ’06, 45 in ’07, 39 in ’08 and they’ve recorded 46 victories entering the super regional.

Unfair and disappointing as it is, there’s still a train of thought out there that O’Connor, because he hadn’t reached a super regional before this season or made a trip to the CWS, was an underachieving coach that did little with a lot.

Reality shows us O’Connor’s situation has been the opposite.

“People are always wanting to look at what someone hasn’t done,” he said. “I think it’s very important to see what we’ve accomplished. We now have six consecutive regional berths, and I’m not sure there are many schools that can say that.”

Before last week, detractors used Virginia’s lack of a super regional appearance against it. But after handling the Irvine Regional field last week with ease, that argument is gone.

“We’re still work in progress, but we’ve definitely made strides the past few weeks,” O’Connor said. “There’s no question making a super regional is a huge step for this program.”

Now Omaha is the expectation and O’Connor welcomes the challenge.

“It’s never enough for some and it’s really never enough for me,” O’Connor said. “You want people to recognize what you do, but also realize that it’s pretty hard to get to Omaha. I mean, just look at Irvine last week. There’s no question things really have to go your way to get to get to the CWS.”

There’s a chance Virginia advances to the CWS for the first time in school history later this week. There’s also a chance the Cavaliers head home with just a super regional berth to put on the O’Connor resume.

But for a school that had experienced little success on the baseball diamond for many years, Virginia sure has done a nice job of establishing consistency and becoming one of the nation’s elite programs.

Virginia has O’Connor to thank for that.