Cox grad shines again in old role as U.Va. shortstop

Chris Taylor came into this season expecting to be the Virginia Cavaliers' everyday leadoff hitter. But he didn't think he would be their everyday shortstop.

While Taylor figured to see action at baseball's glory position, shortstop for the Cavaliers belonged to Stephen Bruno coming out of preseason practices.

But four games into the season, Bruno went down with a debilitating hamstring injury. And Taylor, who opened the year patrolling right field for the Cavaliers, stepped back into the position that made him a star growing up in Hampton Roads.

The 6-foot, 175-pound sophomore from Cox High School has held down the shortstop slot for the No. 1-ranked Cavaliers for 40 consecutive games now. And while he'll tell you he's just keeping the spot warm for Bruno - "Stephen's a remarkable hitter," Taylor said, "and we need his bat back in our lineup" - the longer the season goes, the less chance that happens.

"Chris is so versatile that we can play him at a lot of different positions," Virginia coach Brian O'Connor said. "I have extreme confidence in him. He's just so athletic. We love to recruit players like Chris who can play a lot of places on the field.

"But for now, Chris is our starting shortstop, no matter what happens. I don't even know if Bruno will be able to come back and play again this season, so it's not even worth talking about."

Shortstop and leadoff hitter on the team that tops both major national polls. Taylor is a centerpiece, no doubt.

Talk to him, however, and you'd never know it. He takes the self-deprecating route when the subject of his leadoff home run last week in a game at Radford was broached, throwing himself squarely under the bus.

"It was my first real home run," Taylor said. "I never hit one at Cox. Well, I did hit an inside-the-park homer, but they don't really count.

"I hit a couple in travel ball and fall ball games, but never in what I'd call a real game."

O'Connor said Taylor "could probably hit more home runs, but I'm not surprised that he doesn't. He plays within himself all the time. And if tried to hit more home runs, he'd strike out more."

Taylor's high school coach, Bill Conroy, is not surprised by Taylor's humbling approach.

"First to practice, last to leave," Conroy said. "And I never heard a peep from his parents. The kid was raised right and plays right. There aren't enough Chris Taylors in the world.

"I remember when there would be a snow day and Chris would be in the dome (batting cage) at Cox taking grounders and batting practice. And you want to talk about tough? Twice, Chris took bad-hop grounders right in the nose while playing for me.... Both times he not only stayed in the game after getting looked at by the trainer, he also had his nose right down on the ball on the next ball hit to him.

"If it had been me, I probably would have shied away from the next hard one hit at me. Not Chris."

Taylor was The Virginian-Pilot's All-Tidewater player of the year and the Group AAA state player of the year as a senior in 2009. But when he arrived at Virginia, he had to bide his time in a lineup filled with talented upperclassmen, including shortstop Tyler Cannon.

Cannon passed on leaving Virginia after being drafted as a junior, opting to return for a senior season. And Taylor's play was limited to half of Virginia's games as a freshman.

He made it count when he was in the lineup, however, and hit .305 with a .463 on-base percentage in spot time.

This season, he's batting .304 with a .392 on-base percentage and is one of only three Cavaliers to start and play in all 44 games, joining catcher/first baseman John Hicks and third baseman Steven Proscia.

As Virginia's regular-season campaign begins to wind down - the Cavaliers have one more home ACC series against Miami, May 13-15, sandwiched between trips to Boston College and North Carolina and a smattering of other single games - one thing is certain: When O'Connor fills out his lineup card, the first name he writes down is Chris Taylor's.

"I am not in the least bit surprised that he's played at such a high level this season," O'Connor said. "I expected it."

No matter where on the field Taylor landed.

Rich Radford, 757-446-2463, rich.radford@pilotonline.com