No. 21 Cavaliers Return to Action Wednesday vs. High Point

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Coming off an eight-day break for final exams, the 21st-ranked Virginia baseball team returns to play at 6 p.m. Wednesday when it takes on High Point in a non-conference tilt at Davenport Field. The game marks the first of five straight home contests for Virginia (31-14-1) to wrap up the regular-season home schedule.

WINA 1070-AM will have the live local radio broadcast, and the broadcast also will be streamed online at VirginiaSports.com (subscription required). Live statistics also will be available at VirginiaSports.com.

This is just the second meeting between High Point (23-24) and Virginia. UVa defeated the Panthers, 18-7, on March 12, 2001, in High Point, N.C. The teams were slated to play last season (May 17) before rain washed out the game.

The scheduled starting pitching matchup is UVa LHP Scott Silverstein (Sr., Olney, Md.) against HPU RHP Jacob Newberry.

The Cavaliers entered the exam period with a wave of momentum following a three-game series sweep at Miami. It pushed UVa’s win streak to a season-high seven straight games, with six of those victories coming on the road. The Cavaliers return to the friendly confines of Davenport Field, where they are 22-7 this season and 120-25 since 2009.

Stephen Bruno (Jr., Audubon, N.J.) was UVa’s hottest hitter at the time of the break. With hits in 17 of his last 18 games, Bruno has raised his batting average to .367, which ranks fifth in the ACC. Jared King (Sr., Radford, Va.) and Colin Harrington (Jr., Johnstown, Pa.) each are batting over .300 as well, at .316 and .310, respectively.

UVa continues to lead the ACC in batting at .302. After a strong weekend in the field at Miami, the Cavaliers have moved to the top of the conference in fielding at .974. UVa also ranks fourth in the ACC in ERA at 3.28.

High Point has hit a rough patch of late, dropping six straight games and 10 of 11 to fall below .500 for the year. Sal Pezzino leads the team with a .362 batting average, while Ryne Rush owns a .357 batting average as well as a team-best 60 hits. The Panthers are batting .271 as a team and own a .963 fielding percentage. They also boast a 4.41 team ERA.

Virginia holds its final ACC home series of the year this weekend when it entertains Georgia Tech for three games. The series begins at 6 p.m. Friday, with 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday games to follow.

On Sunday the men’s lacrosse team will face Princeton in a first-round NCAA tournament game at 1 p.m. at Klöckner Stadium. There is a $5 parking fee for all postseason events. As a result, there will be a $5 charge for all parking in the University Hall and John Paul Jones Arena lots on Sunday. This charge applies to baseball and men’s lacrosse fans. Free parking will be available in the Emmet/Ivy Garage on Sunday.