"The unselfishness of this team is one of our great qualities." -@UVACoachOConnor pic.twitter.com/ixIQktB6KF
— Virginia Baseball (@UVABaseball) June 5, 2023
Virginia is two wins away from advancing to the College World Series for the sixth time since 2009. The Cavaliers open a best-of-three series with Duke University on Friday at noon in a sold-out Disharoon Park.

Senior pitcher Brian Edgington, a third-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection, is among the Cavaliers who have worn The Jacket most often. (Photo by Matt Riley, UVA Athletics)
For the Hoos, each game represents another chance for someone to wear The Jacket.
The Jacket is something you might have seen on the racks at Mincer’s in the 1990s. Vintage from the rib knit cuffs and collar to the snap buttons, the predominantly navy nylon garment with orange accents is punctuated by the old-school Cavalier face logo on the left chest.
A tradition that began after UVA’s season-opening victory over Navy on Feb. 17, O’Connor hands the “game ball” to a player he felt best positioned the team to win that day. That player then gets the honor of wearing The Jacket in the ensuing press conference and until the next game on the schedule.
So far, O’Connor has handed out 48 game balls, aligning with UVA’s 48-12 record.
“It’s to reward who steps up for us and shows toughness and grittiness,” O’Connor said. “It might be somebody who hit a big home run or a pitcher who had a great bounce-back start or somebody who made great defensive plays in the game.
“It’s not necessarily the star of the game. It’s just someone who served us well and helped us win.”
Bryce Rosenberg, a two-time UVA alumnus and the baseball team’s recruiting and operations assistant, is The Jacket’s keeper. During home games, he takes The Jacket from its designated locker in the clubhouse and brings it to the dugout. Should the Cavaliers win, Rosenberg carries The Jacket to the post-game huddle, listens for O’Connor’s game ball announcement, slaps a sticker of that player’s number on the back and then presents that player his reward.