This team has made a habit of defying the odds going all the way back to the ACC Tournament. Not a lot of folks thought the Cavs would come out of Durham with an ACC Championship. But they did.

Then they got placed in what was arguably the toughest NCAA Regional in the country in Irvine, California. All they did was win three straight games to advance to their first-ever Super Regional.

Again, back on the road playing a long ways from home, an underdog for sure in Oxford, Mississippi against the Ole Miss Rebels.
Virginia lost the opener in the best-of three series in 12 innings. So this would be the end of the road, right?

Wrong. The never-say-die Cavs win the next two in Mississippi to earn a first-ever trip to the College World Series. Regardless of what happens in Omaha, this young team has made history and taken incredible strides for UVa baseball.

Way to go Cavaliers!

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While Virginia has been a great surprise, the Lakers winning the NBA Championship, not so much.

Before the Finals started, I picked the Lakers in six. It only took five, but truth be told, the Magic let a couple of those games slip away. Games two and four could easily have been Orlando wins, the Magic just didn't finish.

Kobe wins his fourth title, I'm glad he can shut up Shaq and bury the rap song about Kobe never winning a title without O'Neal. And Phil Jackson wins a record 10th title, passing the late Red Auerbach on the all-time list. No coach in NBA history has won more championships than Phil Jackson.

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Another high school sports year is in the books. Congrats to our area's state champions, including Altavista softball, Chatham baseball and Blacksburg boys soccer.

Rustburg baseball and Tunstall softball came oh so close in their state title games. The Red Devils dropped a 4-3 decision to Poquoson, the Islanders scoring in the bottom of the seventh. And Tunstall was unbeaten until the state title game before dropping an 11-inning heartbreaker to Broad Run 2-1. It was the last game in a great career for Tunstall coach Roger Cook, who guided the Trojans for 26 years. He's a class act and will be sorely missed.

And you've got to give JF boys soccer its props. The Cavs were perfect on the year until the state semis when Blacksburg finally beat them in penalty kicks. 22-and-1 is a phenomenal season!

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Congratulations to Eric Davenport for repeating as champion of the Central Virginia Invitational Golf Tournament.
And I hope you got to enjoy some of the CVITT action at Oakwood over the weekend. Those tennis guys in the open division are amazing!

One of the founders of the tourney 49 years ago, Bill Fix, was back again this year enjoying the tennis. I enjoyed catching up with Bill. I'm sure organizers will really pull out all the stops next year for the 50th anniversary! Should be a blast!

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I'd like to hear from you. Please send me your comments and any story suggestions you might have for the summer. 

Dennis Carter

ABC 13 Sports Director