Headed to Omaha. Oklahoma players celebrate their 11-0 victory over Virginia.
PHOTO BY DAVE MCNAIR

Some say playing baseball is about learning how to lose. After playing their impressive season (51-14) without back-to-back losses, the Cavs ended their season tonight and dashed their hopes of making it to the College World Series for a second year in a row. That’s one tough lesson.

Oklahoma simply overpowered Virginia in game three of the NCAA baseball Charlottesville Super Regional tonight, scoring 11 runs on 12 hits, while the Cavs managed only 5 hits in the 11-0 pounding.

The Cavs just never got anything started, hitting into inning-killing double plays in the fifth and seventh, and never once getting a man into scoring position. Defensively they didn’t look sharp either. After seven, with the score 8-0 and two  innings left to play, Cav fans began heading for the gates. When Sunday’s Sooner slugger Cody Reine belted yet another three-run homer in the eighth after knocking one out of the park in the first, fans couldn’t get out of the stadium fast enough.

Still, enough stormy weather fans stayed through the ninth to give the embattled Cavs some solace. Some chanted U-V-A, U-V-A, U-V-A as Sooner players celebrated in the infield, but then applauded the rivals later for making it to the College World Series.  The faithful stayed and continued to cheer the Cav players, some choking back tears as they trotted to the locker room from a post-game outfield huddle.