ACC Baseball: UVA hosts Duke in key weekend series

VIRGINIA CAVALIERS (27-18, 10-14 ACC)
Probable Starting Rotation
Fri. – So. RHP Connor Jones (5-2, 3.53 ERA)
Sat. – Jr. LHP Brandon Waddell (2-4, 5.01 ERA)
Sun. – TBA

DUKE BLUE DEVILS (27-19, 7-16 ACC)
Probable Starting Rotation
Fri. – Sr. RHP Andrew Istler (5-3, 3.18 ERA)
Sat. – R-Sr. LHP Dillon Haviland (2-1, 3.41 ERA)
Sun. – So. RHP Bailey Clark (3-4, 2.98 ERA)

The UVA baseball team plays host to Duke Friday through Sunday in a three-game ACC series at Davenport Field. The series opens at 8 p.m. Friday in a game that will be televised by ESPNU. The Saturday game is scheduled for 4 p.m., while the finale is set for 1 p.m. Sunday on Mother’s Day.

Broadcast Information
In addition to the ESPNU broadcast Friday, the Saturday game will be streamed online through a Cavaliers Live subscription at VirginiaSports.com. Live audio broadcasts are available for the Friday and Sunday games through Cavaliers Live at VirginiaSports.com. Live statistics (GameTracker) also can be found on VirginiaSports.com.

WINA 1070-AM will have the live local radio broadcast of the Friday and Saturday games. The Saturday game will air across select stations on the Virginia Sports Radio Network:

Charlottesville – WINA 1070 AM
Staunton – WTON 94.3 FM
Martinsville – WHEE 1370 AM
Mt. Jackson – WSVG 790 AM

Virginia in the Latest National Rankings
USA Today Coaches – 24
NCBWA – 27

Odds and Ends
• UVa is 5-6 in its first game back following the exam break under Brian O’Connor.
• UVa is No. 33 in the latest NCAA RPI (Duke is No. 53).
• In the final six games leading to the break, UVa’s starting pitchers went 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA and .221 opponent batting average.
• UVa ranks 15th nationally in average home attendance (3,424/game).
• Virginia owns the fifth-most wins away from home (road/neutral) in Division I (19).
• UVa ranks seventh in the ACC in batting (.273) and ERA (3.48) and eighth in fielding (.967).

Virginia-Duke Series
Virginia holds a 94-54-1 edge in its all-time series with Duke. UVa is 27-8 against Duke under the current coaching staff (since 2004) and has won 16 of the last 18 contests against the Blue Devils dating to 2009. Since 2009 UVa has won its last six series against Duke. The Cavaliers have won eight straight home series against Duke; the Blue Devils split an abbreviated series in Charlottesville in 1997.

Senior Day Ceremonies Sunday
Virginia will conduct Senior Day ceremonies Sunday prior to the series finale. Fourth-years Kevin Radford, Kenny Towns and Thomas Woodruff each will be feted with their families. Radford (economics), Towns (history) and Woodruff (mechanical engineering) are slated to graduate next week, as is junior Brandon Waddell (economics), who is on track to graduate in three years.

Final Four Home Games on Tap
Virginia is slated for its final four home games of the regular season in the next week. Because of the wacky weather year, Virginia has played just 17 home games, which is fourth fewest among teams in the top 40 in the RPI (Bradley 12, Iowa 14, Missouri State 16). Virginia has played at least 30 home games in each of the last 11 seasons. UVa is on track to finish with just 21 home games – fewest since 1984 (20).

Noting Duke
Coming off a 10-inning win at Davidson on Tuesday, Duke holds a 26-19 record, including a 7-16 mark in conference play. Coming out of their exam break last week, the Blue Devils won a pair of home games against North Carolina Central. Led by third-year head coach Chris Pollard, Duke is 12th in the ACC in batting at .255 and is paced by Peter Zyla at .336. He ranks ninth in the conference in batting.
The Blue Devils own a solid 3.38 team ERA, which is sixth in the conference. Bailey Clark is 18th in the ACC with a 2.98 ERA.

Up Next
Virginia wraps up its home schedule at 6 p.m. Tuesday against Richmond. The Cavaliers then conclude the regular season Thursday through Saturday with a three-game series at No. 22 North Carolina.