Baseball Factory is privileged to work with programs from every level of college baseball. We strive to educate and guide our players when it comes to choosing the right school. The more information a player knows about a school, coach and program, the better. Recently, Woody Wingfield went one-on-one with Brian O’Connor, the head coach at the University of Virginia. From his mentors, to the type of players he recruits to his approach during fall ball, Coach O’Connor gave some insight into the outstanding program he’s developed in Charlottesville, Virginia. Check out our list of College Alumni and see what alumni  played last year at Virginia and other Division I programs.

1. How long have you been coaching? How long at the University of Virginia?
This is my 18th year coaching and 8th at Virginia

2. Who are some of your mentors or coaches that you look up to?
I have been fortunate to have two great mentors in baseball. The first would be Paul Mainieri (Head Coach at LSU) as we spent nine years together at Notre Dame. My other mentor is Jim Hendry (Chicago Cubs General Manager) as he was my college coach at Creighton University.

3. What is the first thing about your school and program that you’d want a recruit to know about?
The University of Virginia offers a unique opportunity for a player to play at the highest level of college baseball while also receiving one of the best college degrees in the country. Each year we compete to win one of college baseball’s toughest conferences in the ACC. In addition our players graduate in 4 years with a degree from the top public university in America.

4. What do you look for in a prospective recruit for your team?
Every player brings something different to the table as a baseball player when they come to the University of Virginia. Some players are great athletes who are good baseball players, others are very skilled baseball players. There is a wide variety of skills that each individual brings to the program but the constant trait in all of our recruits is that they are players who are going to be great teammates and are focused on making the team the best it can be. There are a lot of talented players throughout the country and we work very hard to identify the talented players who also want to be great teammates.

5. What qualities do you look for in a prospect on the field? Off the field?
We look for players who love to play the game and play the game hard. You can tell a lot about a player in the way he runs from home plate to first base and we want players who are going to run hard out of the batters box full speed whether they hit a ball off the fence or a pop up to an infielder. There is a certain level of talent that is necessary to play the game at this level, but you must also play the game the right way. Off the field a player must be committed to his teammates and carrying himself with respect and honesty at all times.

6. Where do you try to see a lot of your recruits?
There is not a true formula for where we see recruits. We are always looking for players who are the right fit for the University of Virginia and our baseball program. We don’t have a preference where we see them as long as we know they are eager to be a part of our program. We identify these players at several different tournaments, showcases, individual high school and summer games, and our camps.

7. Do you recruit from Junior Colleges?
We do recruit from junior colleges. Every year is different but typically we will bring in an average of one junior college player a year.

8. Can you break down your fall practice schedule? What do you try to accomplish?
Fall is the most important time of year for the development of our team. It is a time when we really establish the foundation of how our team is going to play the game. We have a fall team practice that lasts until mid October. After fall practice our focus turns toward strength and conditioning and individual player development with the focus on making our team the best it can be for the spring.

9. Do you have a strength and conditioning coach?
We have a full time strength and conditioning coach and even have our own 2,500 sq. foot baseball-only weight room at our stadium.

10. What is your favorite ballpark to play at?
There is nothing that beats our home – Davenport Field.

11. What part of the 2011 schedule/year are you looking forward to the most?
Once the season starts there is not any time to think about your schedule except the next game you play. When you look at the schedule in the fall you notice what teams are going to be coming to your ballpark and maybe a few of the road trips but college baseball games are so hard to win that if you start worrying about the schedule you will be very disappointed with the results.

12. What do you think of the new BBCOR bats?
You don’t have to look too hard at the statistics to see that the bats have an effect on the game but the field is level because every team is using them. The bats don’t change the fact that the team who throws strikes, plays defense and executes offensively will win the game so as a team you just continue to focus on the fundamentals and execution.

13. Anything planned for your facilities (upgrades, changes, etc.)?
We just completed a $5 million enhancement of our stadium that has made our facility one of the nicest in the country. The renovation included upgrades to our locker room, a new weight room and indoor hitting facility, team meeting room, training room – all designed for the best player development possible for our players. The project turned out great – there are a lot of Major League teams that wish they had the amenities that our players have.

We also have plans to expand our seating options and luxury suites. Our current stadium capacity is 4,800 with seven luxury suites. With our expansion project, we would have the ability to have over 5,000 fans and offer 15 luxury suites.

Baseball Factory players have had success at all levels of the college game. Did you know that 98% of all Division I college programs had a Baseball Factory alum on their roster in 2010? Check out where some of our players are competing on our college alumni page.

Check out more"Conversations with College Coaches"