Few players, if any ever, have been able to officially report to a Major League team with a drive shorter than the one Jacob Thompson will make.

In June, the Atlanta Braves selected Thompson in the fifth round, much lower than expected, with the 160th pick overall. For now, Virginia’s all-time wins leader is waiting on a suitable offer from the organization to forgo his final year of eligibility as a Cavalier.

The area scout from the New York Yankees told former Virginia second baseman David Adams that the organization had just used their third round pick, the No. 106 overall selection, to secure his services.

Players associated with Virginia’s baseball program, and at least one local prep standout, will likely run the gauntlet, covering all the scenarios during the draft process that kicks off today at 2 p.m. (ESPN2) and concludes Friday in rapid-fire style during the final 45 rounds.

Given the enormity of games played in baseball, picking a season-defining moment is near impossible.

Today, O’Connor returns to the field officially as Virginia (38-21) opens play in the Fullerton regional against second-seeded UCLA (31-25) at 7 p.m. The winner of the contest will meet the Fullerton-Rider winner on Saturday at 11 p.m., and the two opening day losers will meet at 7 p.m. in an elimination game.

Jacob Thompson will start for Virginia against UCLA Friday night.

Virginia’s baseball team has a new favorite sound — or lack thereof. After Michael Schwimer successfully retired Florida State phenom Buster Posey on a liner to short in the ninth inning, a hush fell over the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.

The timing was completely off. The irony was eerily appropriate. As fans filed out of Davenport Field on Saturday, a song written by AC/DC describing a road trip to Satan’s home blasted through the stadium’s speakers.

Jacob Thompson has a beef with the baseball gods. For countless reasons, some of his own doing, Virginia’s ace pitcher has witnessed his share of tough luck one season after sporting a perfect record.

Franco Valdes was taken back by the encouraging words. Mired in a miserable slump at the plate and a relative unknown at the time, Virginia’s catcher heard encouragement from a smattering of fans fighting early-season chills in March at Davenport Stadium.

Despite being on a strict pitch count around 35, the junior tossed three scoreless innings with two strikeouts to help propel No. 16 Virginia to a 9-1 victory over Georgetown at Davenport Field in a game prolonged by a rain delay.

With 12 runs in the middle-third of the game, Wake Forest routed Virginia, 14-3, to even the three-game weekend series at Davenport Field.

For the second time in his young life, Pat McAnaney faced a life-altering dilemma - whether to pitch for the Pittsburgh Pirates or the Virginia Cavaliers.