For the first time since 2019, the Virginia Cavaliers (32-18, 16-11 ACC) baseball team will not participate in the NCAA tournament. This team was ranked No. 2 nationally coming into the year, with more than a few returning stars. The hopes were high for this team, and the goals were not lofty in the least bit, with a highly skilled team and with Brian O’Connor as the skipper.
It was an Omaha or bust season and one of Virginia baseball’s more hyped preseasons. Not even being selected in a 64-team field is a massive failure, a failure that is easy to blame on the selection committee. But in reality, it is a failure for which you need to buy a mirror.
UVA misses the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.
3rd time in Brian O’Connor’s 22 seasons that Virginia misses the tournament field.
Selection committee had UVA as one of the First Four Out of the field. pic.twitter.com/6eBfJD3sSY
— Preston Willett (@PrestonWillett) May 26, 2025
The Cavaliers did get hot the last month and a half of the season, however, and gave themselves a fighting chance to extend their season. They ended the year on a 15-4 run winning series against the ACC regular season champs, sweeping Miami (FL) who earned a spot in the field, and ending the season winning a series on the road against their rival and a bubble team at the time, Virginia Tech, the early-season offensive and fielding struggles that leaked into the middle of the year and the mid-week losses to Richmond once and Liberty twice cost this team a chance at competing for a national championship.
Even with those struggles and how the ‘Hoos ended the regular season, their chances looked solid as long as they could win a game in the ACC tournament. They couldn’t get the job done against Boston College and got sent home from Charlotte early, though, with no control over their future.
The dice didn’t roll in their favor, and their season is over. For the Virginia faithful, the spring staple of the Virginia Cavaliers being in the postseason will have to wait until next year.