Virginia (16-13, 4-8 ACC), home for back-to-back ACC weekend series, will host Virginia Tech (12-15, 5-7 ACC) for a three-game set beginning with a doubleheader at 3:30 p.m. on Friday (April 6). The series will conclude on Sunday (April 8) at 1 p.m.
Game Coverage
All three games in the series will air on ACC Network Extra, a dedicated digital channel for ACC sports which is available to authenticated subscribers of ESPN3 through WatchESPN and the ESPN app at no additional charge.
Friday and Sunday’s games can also be heard locally on 1070 AM / 98.9 AM and on WINA.com. Friday’s radio broadcast will be joined in progress at 6 p.m. Links for the radio broadcast as well as the game’s live stats feed are available on VirginiaSports.com. Fans can follow in-game updates on the team’s official twitter page (@UVABaseball).
Promotions
The second ACC Family Day presented by Stick’s will take place on Sunday. The Family Ticket Package offers four General Admission tickets and four concession vouchers (each valid for $8 worth of concessions) for $40. Additional tickets (including $8 concessions voucher) are available for $10 for General Admission.
The second set of UVA baseball trading cards will be available on Sunday to first 1,000 fans. Kids can get postgame autographs and kids run the bases after the conclusion of Sunday’sgame.
Clear Bag Policy
Consistent with what is already in place at Scott Stadium, John Paul Jones Arena and Klöckner Stadium fans attending games at Disharoon Park this season must adhere to the department’s clear bag policy and entrance procedures. Details of the of the policy can be found here: www.virginiasports.com/facilities/clear_bag_Davenport_Klockner.html
Probable Pitching Matchups
Friday (Game 1)
- Virginia Tech: RHP Connor Coward (2-2, 3.04 ERA, 47.1 IP, 20 BB, 54 SO)
- Virginia: RHP Derek Casey (3-2, 4.02 ERA, 47.0 IP, 11 BB, 63 SO)
Friday (Game 2)
- Virginia Tech: Luke Scherzer (1-2, 7.36 ERA, 7.1 IP, 4 BB, 6 SO)
- Virginia: LHP Daniel Lynch (2-3, 3.64 ERA, 47.0 IP, 12 BB, 58 SO)
Sunday
- Virginia Tech: TBA
- Virginia: TBA
Leading Off
- Virginia leads the all-time series against Virginia Tech, 99-85 and have won five of the last six games.
- Head Coach Brian O’Connor is 17-2 against the Hokies at Disharoon Park and 28-11 overall.
- The Cavaliers are in the midst of their second, 10-game home stand of the season. So far Virginia owns a 12-4 mark at The Dish.
- This ACC home series for Virginia is the first since March 16-18 against Boston College.
- Virginia is 5-2 against teams from the Commonwealth this season.
- After back-to-back ACC road series losses, the Cavaliers trail the Hokies by a game in the ACC Coastal Division standings.
Commonwealth Clash History
- After getting swept in Blacksburg by the Hokies in 2015, Virginia went on to win 32 of its next 51 games to win the 2015 National Championship. Prior to Miami this season, it had been the last time the Cavaliers had been swept on the road.
- Five of the last nine meetings have been decided by one run, includinglast year’s 10-inning affair in Blacksburg. Adam Haseley hit the game-deciding, series clinching home run in the 10th inning of the middle game in Blacksburg.
- O’Connor won his first 11 games against the Hokies and 17 of the first 20 from 2004-2011.
Midweek Recap
- Virginia used five pitchers in a five-hit shutout of Old Dominionon Tuesday(April 3). It was the first time this season Old Dominion had been held without a run.
- Bobby Nicholson earned his third midweek win of the season and has allowed just two earned runs in four midweek starts. He pitched five innings and struck out five batters.
- Freshman Alex Tappen delivered the big hit in a three-run first inning for the Cavaliers. After the first four batters reached in front of him, he delivered a two-run single to make the score 3-0.
- Despite being responsible for five hit by pitches, Virginia pitchers did not walk a batter in the contest for the second time this season.
Mound Numbers
- Virginia pitchers come into the weekend ranked second in the country in strikeouts per nine innings (10.9). The Cavaliers have struck out 10 or more batters in 19 of the 29 games this season, including a school-record 21 against Duke on March 10.
- With 315 total strikeouts, Virginia is tied with Florida State for the league lead.
- Senior Derek Casey has already surpassed his career-high and ranks second in the ACC with 63 strikeouts.
- Fridaygame two starter, Daniel Lynch, has struck out 10 or more batters in his last three starts including a career-high 12 against Pitt last week.
- In ACC play this season Lynch is 2-1 with a 1.86 ERA. His 41 strikeouts are tied with Wake Forest’s Griffin Roberts for the most in league play.
ACC National Rankings
- Virginia has struck out 159 times, the lowest total in the ACC by 28 strikeouts.
- Andy Weber is tied for second in the league with 44 this and is sporting a .368 batting average, third highest in the ACC. He also leads the Cavaliers in runs (23), doubles (9), triples (2), home runs (2), RBIs (28).
- Caleb Knight has been hit by 13 pitches this season, the second-most to Virginia Tech’s Jack Owens in the ACC and tied for the fourth most in the country. He has reached base in 12-straight games and 26 of the 27 games he’s appeared.
Player Notes/Trends
- Reliever Mack Meyer has pitched in seven of Virginia’s last eight games. He leads the staff with 13 appearances
- Sophomore Cayman Richardson has four outfield assists in just 10 starts in center field.
- Weber has reached base safely in a career-high 15-straight games, the second longest streak of the season (Eikhoff – 21) by a Cavalier.
Noting Virginia Tech
- Virginia Tech is fresh off a season-high 19 runs in a 19-3 win over Dayton in the midweek. The Flyers used a total of 11 pitchers in the game.
- The Hokies have dropped three of their last four ACC series including two out of three at home against then No. 6 NC State last weekend.
- The pitching duo of Connor Coward and Ian Seymour both rank in the top-10 in the league in strikeouts with 54 and 51 respectively.
More on the Commonwealth Clash
The series will also signifies the baseball matchup between Virginia and Virginia Tech in the Commonwealth Clash. The Commonwealth Clash presented by Virginia529 is a head-to-head, points-based competition between the athletic teams at University of Virginia and Virginia Tech. The Commonwealth Clash encourages a friendly, statewide rivalry between the two schools across all school-sponsored sports with 21 individual event points on the line. The school that accumulates 11 points or more will be crowned the winner and take home the Virginia529 Commonwealth Clash trophy. Visit www.TheCommonwealthClash.com for more information and updated standings.
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