No. 7 Baseball Returns to Field This Weekend vs. Duke

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May 9, 2013

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Coming off a nine-day break for final exams, the seventh-ranked Virginia baseball team returns to the field this weekend as it plays host to Duke in a three-game ACC series at Davenport Field. Game times are 6 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.

Broadcast Information
Live video will be available for all three games through a Cavaliers Live subscription on VirginiaSports.com. GameTracker links also will be available at VirginiaSports.com.

WINA 1070-AM will have the live radio broadcast of the entire series. Select stations across the Virginia Sports Radio Network will air the UVa Baseball “Game of the Week” each Saturday. The following stations will carry UVA baseball this spring:

Charlottesville: WINA 1070-AM
Richmond: WRNL 910-AM
Lynchburg: WZZI 97.9-FM
Mount Jackson: WSVG 790-AM
Martinsville: WHEE 1370-AM
Petersburg: WHAP 1340-AM
Winchester: WXVA 610-AM

Virginia in the Latest National Rankings
Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball – 7
NCBWA, USA Today Coaches – 8

Virginia Cavaliers (39-8, 17-7 ACC)
Probable Starting Pitcher
Fri. – Fr. LHP Brandon Waddell (4-1, 3.98 ERA)
Sat. – R-Sr. LHP Scott Silverstein (7-1, 3.32 ERA)
Sun. – TBA

Duke Blue Devils (25-23, 9-15 ACC)
Probable Starting Rotation
Fri. – LHP Trent Swart (4-4, 2.45 ERA)
Sat. – RHP Michael Matuella (4-2, 2.94 ERA)
Sun. – RHP Robert Huber (5-5, 3.92 ERA)

Virginia-Duke Series
Virginia holds an 89-53-1 edge in its all-time series with Duke. UVa is 22-7 against Duke under the current coaching staff (since 2004) and has won 11 of the last 12 contests against the Blue Devils, dating to 2009.

The Cavaliers swept Duke in 2011 at Davenport Field and have not lost a home series to the Blue Devils since the ACC went to the three-game series format in 1990 (10-0-1). UVa has won its last four series overall against Duke, dating to a 2008 series defeat in Durham.

Virginia to Hold Senior Day Ceremonies Sunday
Virginia will conduct Senior Day ceremonies at 12:30 p.m. Sunday prior to the start of the final game against Duke.

UVa will honor seven fourth- and fifth-year student-athletes: Rob Amaro, Reed Gragnani, Colin Harrington, Jared King, Whit Mayberry, manager Taylor Myers and Scott Silverstein.

All seven will earn their degrees next Sunday (May 19).

Three Cavaliers Named to Award Watch Lists
Three Virginia players recently have been named to watch lists for various national awards. Branden Cogswell is one of 25 players to be named to the watch list for the Wallace Award, presented to the nation’s top shortstop.

Kyle Crockett is one of 51 players on the NCBWA’s watch list for the Stopper of the Year Award, which is given to the premier relief pitcher in NCAA baseball. Nick Howard stands as one of 25 players on the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award Watch List. UVa’s Danny Hultzen won this award in 2011.

Cavaliers Aim for 40-Win Season
Virginia is on the cusp of its eighth 40-win season since 2004. UVa has recorded 39 wins or more in all 10 years under the current coaching staff (39 wins in 2008 and 2012). UVa had one season of 40 wins or more prior to 2004 (1996).

Five teams own 40 wins this season – UNC (44), LSU (43), Vanderbilt (42), and Florida State and Campbell (40).

Coming Out of Exam Break
Virginia is 15-12 since 2004 in the weekend following its exam break. Those contests all were at home. UVa has won its last four series which immediately followed final exams, going 9-3 in those games.

Noting the Blue Devils
Duke last played on Saturday, falling 4-3 at Liberty. The Blue Devils were slated to play Tuesday at Davidson, but the game was cancelled because of inclement weather. Duke owns ACC series wins over Miami, Boston College and Georgia Tech this year.

Andy Perez leads the team with a .313 batting average, while Grant McCabe and Kenny Koplove each are batting .300 for Duke, which is hitting .272 as a team (10th in ACC). The Blue Devils’ pitching rotation is highlighted by Friday hurler Trent Swart, who is 4-4 with a strong 2.45 ERA. Duke owns a 4.06 team ERA, which is eighth in the league. The Blue Devils are fourth in the ACC with a .971 fielding percentage.

Offense Puts Up Big Innings Regularly
Virginia has scored three or more runs in an inning 56 times this year. UVa has recorded three runs in an inning on 27 occasions this year.

UVa has outscored foes 188-52 in the fifth through eighth innings: 38-11 in fifth, 42-18 in sixth, 43-15 in seventh and 65-8 in eighth. UVa averages 7.8 runs per game, outscoring its opponents 370-168.

Plenty of Close Games in April
Twelve of Virginia’s 19 April games were decided by three runs or fewer, including five one-run games; UVa was 8-4 in those games. Four of UVa’s seven April midweek games were determined by two runs or fewer. UVa had nine games decided by three runs or fewer in February and March.

Up Next
Virginia plays its final regular-season home game at 6 p.m. Tuesday against VCU. UVa then heads to top-ranked North Carolina next Thursday through Saturday (May 16-18) to wrap up the regular season. The ACC Baseball Championship will be contested May 22-26 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, N.C.