The No. 12 UVA baseball team heads to Blacksburg, Va., Thursday through Saturday (April 13-15) for a three-game ACC series with Virginia Tech as part of the Commonwealth Clash presented by Virginia529. The teams play at 5:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday before the series concludes at 1 p.m. Saturday.
VIRGINIA CAVALIERS (27-8, 8-7 ACC)
Probable Starting Rotation
Thu. – Jr. RHP Derek Casey (3-0, 1.88 ERA)
Fri. – Fr. RHP Noah Murdock (1-1, 5.40 ERA)
Sat. – Jr. LHP Adam Haseley (5-1, 3.54 ERA)
VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES (17-16, 6-9 ACC)
Probable Starting Rotation
Thu. – Jr. RHP Connor Coward (5-1, 2.60 ERA)
Fri. – R-Sr. LHP Kit Scheetz (3-0, 3.44 ERA)
Sat. – R-Jr. RHP Nick Anderson (5-3, 3.45 ERA)
Broadcast Information
The Thursday and Friday games will air on ACC Network Extra, which is available to authenticated subscribers of ESPN3 through WatchESPN and the ESPN app. WINA 1070-AM/98.9-FM has the radio broadcast for the full series, with online links available at VirginiaSports.com and WINA.com. A link to live statistics also can be found on VirginiaSports.com.
Things to Know
• UVA is 127-28-1, including 6-0 this year, against in-state opponents under Brian O’Connor (since 2004).
• UVA is playing for the second time this year on FieldTurf (George Washington, March 7).
• Robbie Coman and Cameron Simmons each are sporting eight-game hit streaks.
• UVA is No. 7 in the latest RPI (Virginia Tech is No. 107).
• Virginia ranks second nationally in hits (395).
• UVA leads the ACC in batting in all games (.325) and ACC games (.302) and is seventh nationally.
• Adam Haseley tops the ACC in batting (.402) and runs (43).
• UVA has faced four of the ACC’s top five teams in ERA (Louisville, UNC, Clemson, Pitt).
The Basics
Virginia has won six straight games, its longest win streak since a 10-game stretch to open the season. The Cavaliers are ranked as high as 12th nationally this week in the USA Today Coaches poll. UVA leads the ACC and ranks seventh nationally in batting average (.325), while the team has a 4.11 ERA, which is eighth among conference teams. UVA is fielding at a .975 clip, which is fourth among ACC teams.
Virginia and Virginia Tech Meet Again
Virginia holds a 98-82 advantage in the all-time series with the Hokies. UVA swept Virginia Tech in a three-game series in Charlottesville to conclude the 2016 regular season. UVA has lost three of its last four series in Blacksburg. UVA head coach Brian O’Connor is 25-10 against Virginia Tech.
Adam Haseley has hit .360 (9-25) in six career games against the Hokies, while Ernie Clement has gone 8-for-24 (.333).
Haseley, Smith Named to Midseason Golden Spikes Watch List
Virginia’s junior duo of Adam Haseley and Pavin Smith has been named to the 40-man midseason watch list for the Golden Spikes Award. UVA is one of six schools to have two players on the list. Haseley was named to the midseason watch list for the second year in a row. The semifinalists will be named May 31, with the finalists unveiled on June 14. The trophy will be presented June 29 in Los Angeles.
Noting Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech leads the nation in home runs (63) this season. Led by Jack Owens (.368), the Hokies have four of the ACC’s top 20 batters and rank fifth in the ACC in team batting (.290) with a league-high 143 extra-base hits. The Hokies are 13th in the league in fielding (.966) and 14th in ERA (5.65).
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 22 individual event points on the line. The school that accumulates 11.5 points or more will be crowned the winner and take home the Virginia529 Commonwealth Clash trophy. Visit TheCommonwealthClash.com for more information and updated standings.
Up Next
Virginia returns home next week to start a six-game homestand, taking on Longwood (Tuesday), James Madison (Wednesday) and Notre Dame (Friday through Sunday).
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Chris Graham
