CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WFXR) — Virginia Cavaliers head baseball coach Brian O’Connor has made UVA a baseball power as his Cavaliers will be playing in their 8th super regional in the past 15 years this weekend. One thing that hasn’t been lost in how O’Connor makes a living is the sacrifices the men and women serving our country make each and every day.
Honor and Respect…two things O’Connor has for the Army baseball program. They were the first team they played in the NCAA baseball regional in Charlottesville. It is something that sticks near and dear to him. Especially the words he said during a press conference after the game.
“It is an honor to play Army! I am extremely grateful. I know these guys are. Ethan’s father has been in the military. It is an honor to compete on the field with Army. We had an opportunity to play Navy. I am just grateful that there are men and women who are serving our country and put themselves in harms way still in this country and represent our country the right way. Those men that we competed with in the other dugout, they will go on to be some of the greatest leaders in our country and we a re very very thankful for them and their service so I just wanted to start off by saying that. It is impressive what they do every year,” said O’Connor.
The goal for Virginia each year is to make it to the regionals and the super regionals and out to Omaha for the College World Series. For O’Connor, he does it every single day showing respect for the men and women serving our country.
O’Connor and Virginia open up their best of three super regional series Friday at noon in Charlottesville against Duke.
