#12 UVA baseball hosts #7 Louisville in ACC weekend series

VIRGINIA CAVALIERS (19-9, 6-6 ACC)
Probable Starting Rotation
Sat. – Jr. LHP Nathan Kirby (4-1, 1.01 ERA)
Sun. – So. RHP Connor Jones (4-1, 2.88 ERA)
Mon. – Jr. LHP Brandon Waddell (2-1, 3.47 ERA)

LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (22-7, 11-1 ACC)
Probable Starting Rotation
Sat. – Jr. RHP Kyle Funkhouser (3-2, 2.40 ERA)
Sun. – Fr. LHP Brendan McKay (4-0, 1.36 ERA)
Mon. – So. LHP Josh Rogers (4-1, 3.96 ERA)

The No. 12 Virginia baseball team takes on No. 7 Louisville Saturday through Monday in a three-game ACC series at Davenport Field. It marks the first-ever games between the programs. The series consists of games at 4 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday and 7 p.m. Monday.

 

Broadcast Information
Live video will be available for the Saturday and Sunday games online at VirginiaSports.com as part of the Cavaliers Live subscription package; audio for the Monday game also will be available at VirginiaSports.com. Live statistics (GameTracker) will be available for all three games at VirginiaSports.com. The video, audio and live stats can be accessed through the Virginia Sports app, which is available through iTunes.

The Monday game will air on ESPNU and the WatchESPN app. WINA 1070-AM will have the local radio broadcast of all three games, while the Saturday game will air along the Virginia Sports Radio Network. These stations will carry the game:

Richmond- WRNL 910 AM
Charlottesville- WINA 1070 AM
Martinsville- WHEE 1370 AM
Staunton- WTON 94.3 FM
Mt. Jackson- WSVG 790 AM

Tickets/Gates
Gates open one hour prior to each game. Fans may purchase tickets by logging on to VirginiaSports.com, calling (800) 542-UVA1 or by visiting the ticket office in Bryant Hall during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tickets will also be sold at the Davenport Field ticket windows beginning one hour prior to each home game.

Text Alerts
Fans may text UVABASE to 79516 to subscribe to alerts about Virginia baseball schedule changes and game updates because of inclement weather. Standard text message rates for your individual mobile plan apply. To cancel enrollment, text STOP to 79516.

Virginia in the Latest National Rankings
NCBWA – 9
Perfect Game – 11
USA Today Coaches – 12
D1Baseball – 13
Baseball America – 16
Collegiate Baseball – 20

Virginia and Louisville Meet for First Time
Virginia and Louisville are meeting in baseball for the first time. The programs each have gone to three College World Series – all coming since the 2007 season. Both teams were in the 2014 College World Series, although they played in opposite brackets.

Rotation Anchors Pitching Staff
The weekend rotation of Nathan Kirby, Connor Jones and Brandon Waddell has been strong, going 10-3 with a 2.37 ERA. They have combined to pitch into at least the sixth inning in 15 of their 21 starts this season.

The threesome is averaging 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings. Last weekend the trio combined to work 19 innings and allow four earned runs and six walks in the sweep at Notre Dame.

Noting Louisville
Louisville enters the weekend series with a 22-7 record, including an 11-1 record in ACC play. The Cardinals lead the ACC Atlantic Division after winning their last 11 ACC games, including three straight series sweeps (Boston College, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech). The Cardinals have a strong and deep pitching staff which owns the lowest ERA in the ACC (2.61) and is anchored by All-America right-hander Kyle Funkhouser. Louisville leads the ACC and ranks among the top 10 teams nationally in stolen bases.

Up Next
Virginia plays host to James Madison at 5 p.m. Wednesday, then heads on the road next weekend, traveling to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech in a three-game series.