Game Notes: #20 Virginia plays host in two midweek contests

No. 20 Virginia (4-3) will play VMI for the second time in seven days on Tuesday (Feb. 27) before taking on William & Mary on Wednesday (Feb. 28). First pitch for both games is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Game Coverage

Tuesday and Wednesday’s games will be carried live 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.

Live stats links for each contest are available on VirginiaSports.com and fans can follow in-game updates on the team’s official twitter page (@UVABaseball).

Clear Bag Policy

Consistent with what is already in place at Scott Stadium, John Paul Jones Arena and Klöckner Stadium fans attending games at Davenport Field 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

Promotions

Popcorn will be tomorrow’s featured item at the ballpark concession stands and be sold for $2 throughout the game as part of the “$2 Tuesday” promotion. At each Tuesday home game this season a designated concession item will be sold for $2.

Probable Pitching Matchups

Tuesday
VMI – TBA
Virginia – LHP Andrew Abbott (0-0, 6.23 ERA, 4.1 IP, 1 BB, 5 S))

Wednesday
W&M – TBA
Virginia – TBA

Leading Off

• Virginia and VMI will play each other twice in the same season for the first time since 2007 when the two teams split a home and home midweek series.
• Tuesdaywill be the 137th meeting between VMI and Virginia in a series that dates back to 1889, the first year of Cavalier baseball.
• Virginia owns a 104-32 advantage in the all-time series against VMI and a 76-30-2 edge against William & Mary.
• The Tribe and Cavaliers have met every year since 2007. Virginia has won nine of the last decisions against William & Mary.

Last Meeting vs VMI

• VMI scored the game’s first seven runs and held off Virginia in its home opener last Tuesday (Feb. 20)
• The Keydets capitalized on three first inning walks, a passed ball, an error and a wild pitch in a six-run first frame.
• VMI outfielders Matt Pita and Will Malbon combined for six hits and four runs in the contest.
• The loss for Virginia snapped an 11-game home win streak against non-conference opponents.
• Virginia set a new home opener attendance record with 3,709 fans at the newly expanded Davenport Field.

Last Meeting vs William & Mary

• Exactly one year ago fromWednesday, Virginia registered an 11-3 comeback win over the Tribe.
• The Cavalierswent from a 2-1 deficit in the seventh inning to a 7-2 lead in the span of six pitches over the course of four batters.
• Pavin Smith and Adam Haseley hit back-to-back home runs in the six-run, game-changing seventh inning.

Weekend Series Recap

• The Cavaliers rebounded from an opening game loss to Eastern Kentucky by taking the final two games by a combined score of 25-4.
• Virginia scored a season-high 13 runs in the series finale and held the Colonels scoreless over the first eight innings.
• Freshman Tanner Morris went 6-for-9 in the series with four runs, two doubles and three RBI.
• For the second week in-a-row, Virginia received superb starting pitcher efforts by Derek Casey and Evan Sperling in theSaturdayand Sunday contests respectively. Casey fanned a career-high 12 batters while Sperling tossed five innings of one-hit baseball on Sunday.
• Virginia scored 15 two-out runs in the three-game series.

In the ACC Ranks

• Virginia ranks third in the ACC it hits (76) and batting average (.308). The Cavaliers, NC State and Georgia Tech are the only three teams in the league batting over .300 as a collective group.
• Andy Weber’s team-best 13 hits are tied for the fourth most in the conference and his .433 batting average is the fifth-highest amongst his ACC cohorts.
• The Cavaliers have scored 51 runs this season and are scoring 7.3 runs per game, both fourth best in the ACC.

National Poll Updates

• Virginia moved up a spot in Baseball America’s top-25 poll to No. 14 while the Cavaliers dropped two spots in thed1baseball.com’s national rankings to No. 19
• The USA Today/Coaches Poll and NCBWA have yet to be released.

Player/Team Notes

• The Cavalier offense has compiled 10 or more hits in five of the seven games played this season.
• Weber and Justin Novak have each hit safely in their first seven games of the season. Dating back to last season, Weber is on an 11-game hit streak.
• Novak, Weber, Nate Eikhoff and Caleb Knight have each reached base in all seven games this season
• With two stolen baseson Sunday, Jake McCarthy upped his season total to four, the third most in the ACC.

Noting VMI

• VMI is coming off a series sweep of Lafayette at home this past weekend, outscoring the Leopards 29-12.
• The Keydets are off to their best start since 2014 at 7-2. The 2014 season was also the same year VMI beat an SEC opponent (Kentucky) and then Virginia in the month of February.
• Outfielder Matt Dunlevy was named the SoCON Player of the week after going 7-for-12 with two home runs and .688 OBP.

Noting William & Mary

• The Tribe were swept at home by Quinnipiac this weekend and have lost six of their first seven games of the year.
• William & Mary’s only win of the season was a 10-4 midweek victory over Maryland on Feb. 21.
• Zach Pearson leads the way at the plate for the Tribe with a .345 batting average (10-for-29).

Up Next

Virginia will continue its 10-game home stand this weekend with a three-game series against Yale. Friday is slated for a 3 p.m. start while first pitch on Saturday and Sunday are both scheduled for 3 p.m.