VIRGINIA CAVALIERS (17-9, 5-4 ACC)
Probable Starting Rotation
Fri. – Jr. RHP Connor Jones (5-0, 1.71 ERA)
Sat. – So. LHP Adam Haseley (5-0, 1.75 ERA)
Sun. – So. RHP Tommy Doyle (1-3, 5.14 ERA)
NC STATE WOLFPACK (17-8, 3-4 ACC)
Probable Starting Rotation
Fri. – Jr. RHP Johnny Piedmonte (0-2, 2.45 ERA)
Sat. – So. LHP Brian Brown (3-0, 2.96)
Sun. – Jr. LHP Ryan Williamson (4-0, 2.33 ERA)
The No. 14 UVA baseball team plays host to No. 23 NC State Friday through Sunday (April 1-3) in a three-game ACC series at Davenport Field.
Broadcast Information
A live video broadcast is available for all three games with a Cavaliers Live subscription on VirigniaSports.com. Links to live statistics (GameTracker) also can be found on VirginiaSports.com.
Promotions
Fans can collect a new set of Cavalier trading cards during the Friday game.
Family packages are available for the Sunday game and include four general admission tickets and four $8 concessions vouchers, good for any food or drink item at Davenport Field (this offer is also available for the Saturday, May 21 game vs. Virginia Tech).
After the game, fans are invited down to the field where kids can run the bases and get autographs.
Cavaliers in the Rankings
14 – Baseball America, NCBWA, 16 – USA Today Coaches, 21 – D1Baseball
Things to Know
• UVA ranks third in the ACC in batting (.315) and first in hits (291).
• Matt Thaiss has struck out twice in 101 ABs (50.5 AB/K ranks first in nation).
• Ernie Clement (41) and Adam Haseley (37) rank first and fourth, respectively, in hits among ACC players.
• Virginia has started at least three freshmen in all but one game this year.
Virginia-NC State Series
NC State holds a 115-72-1 edge in the all-time series against Virginia. The teams played four times last year, with the Wolfpack winning two of three in Raleigh before scoring a 10-2 win in the ACC tournament. UVA swept the Wolfpack March 23 and 24, 2013, in the teams’ last series in Charlottesville.
Big Five Highlight Top of Order
Virginia has leaned on five veterans to anchor its batting order this year. Adam Haseley, Ernie Clement, Matt Thaiss, Pavin Smith and Daniel Pinero have hit 1-5, respectively, in all 25 games this season. They are batting a combined .343 thus far and have 174 of the team’s 291 hits (59.8 percent) and 120 of the 183 runs (65.6 percent).
Aggressive Cavaliers at the Plate
Virginia has shown an aggressive approach in its plate appearances, leading UVA to a .315 team batting average. The Cavaliers have walked the fewest times among ACC teams (77). UVA batters are putting the ball in play at a high rate, striking out 117 times (second fewest in ACC). UVA leads the ACC with 291 hits.
Haseley Moves Into Rotation
After making five midweek starts, Adam Haseley will make his 2016 debut in the weekend rotation Saturday. It marks his second career weekend start; he worked two scoreless innings in the Game 3 start at UNC last May. Haseley started in the ACC tournament against NC State last season, working 4 2/3 innings and allowing two runs in a no-decision.
Noting NC State
NC State has a 17-8 overall record and 3-4 mark in the ACC. Stephen Pitarra leads a potent lineup with a .391 batting average, while Andrew Knizner is batting .330. The Wolfpack has hit 23 home runs, led by Chance Shepard with seven, which ranks fourth in the ACC. He also has driven in a team-high 26 runs. NC State is batting .297 as a team and owns a .971 fielding percentage. The Wolfpack pitching staff holds a 3.60 ERA and has limited its opponents to a .243 batting average while averaging over nine strikeouts per nine innings.
Up Next
Virginia plays host to No. 23 NC State this weekend (Friday through Sunday) in a three-game ACC series. Game times are 6 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
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Chris Graham
