Virginia Travels to Myrtle Beach for Three Weekend Games

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Feb. 26, 2015

Virginia Cavaliers (7-0)
Probable Starting Rotation
Fri. – Jr. LHP Nathan Kirby (2-0, 0.73 ERA)
Sat. – So. RHP Connor Jones (2-0, 0.00 ERA)
Sun. – Jr. LHP Brandon Waddell (0-0, 1.80 ERA)

Hartford Hawks (2-1)
Probable Starting Pitcher
Fri. – Jr. RHP Kyle Gauthier (1-0, 1.29)

Seton Hall Pirates (0-3)
Probable Starting Pitcher
Sat. – Jr. RHP Luke Cahill (0-1, 20.25 ERA)

Cornell Big Red (0-3)
Probable Starting Pitcher
Sun. – Sr. RHP Kellen Urbon (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia baseball team heads to Myrtle Beach, S.C., this weekend for a trio of neutral-site games at The Ripken Experience. Ranked as high as No. 1 nationally, the Cavaliers (7-0) once again were forced to alter their regularly scheduled weekend round robin tournament because of inclement weather and field conditions in Charlottesville.

The round-robin tournament added Cornell, which had its weekend series at George Mason cancelled because of the weather. UVa now will play at 1 p.m. Friday against Hartford, 3 p.m. Saturday versus Seton Hall and 11 a.m. Sunday against Cornell.

The Friday games will be held at Ebbets Field, while the Saturday and Sunday contests will take place at Griffith Field. Admission is free.

The new weekend schedule (home team listed second):
Friday (Feb. 27), 1 p.m. – Hartford vs. Virginia
Friday (Feb. 27), 4 p.m. – Cornell vs. Seton Hall
Saturday (Feb. 28), 11 a.m. – Hartford vs. Cornell
Saturday (Feb. 28), 3 p.m. – Seton Hall vs. Virginia
Saturday (Feb. 28), 7 p.m. – Seton Hall vs. Hartford
Sunday (March 1), 11 a.m. – Cornell vs. Virginia

Live Audio/Statistics
Live audio will be available online at VirginiaSports.com for each of the Virginia games as part of the Cavaliers Live subscription package. Live statistics (GameTracker) will be available for all six games in the tournament. The audio and live stats also can be accessed through the Virginia Sports app, which is available through iTunes.

Text Alerts
Fans may text UVABASE to 79516 to subscribe to alerts about Virginia baseball schedule changes and game updates because of inclement weather. Standard text message rates for your individual mobile plan apply. To cancel enrollment, text STOP to 79516.

Virginia in the Latest National Rankings
NCBWA – 1
Collegiate Baseball, USA Today Coaches, Perfect Game – 2
D1Baseball – 3
Baseball America – 4

Virginia vs. Weekend Foes
Virginia leads its series with Seton Hall, 33-20-1 as well its series with Cornell, 26-11-1. UVa is meeting Hartford for just the second time; the Cavaliers lost 17-7 to Hartford on March 19, 1989, in Charlottesville.

UVa and Seton Hall last played in 2012 in Charlottesville; as part of the Cavaliers’ round-robin tournament, the teams split their games, with UVa winning on Saturday, 10-4, and the Pirates taking the Sunday tilt, 5-2.

Virginia last played Cornell in 2011 as part of the Cavaliers’ round-robin tournament, with UVa taking both contests, 12-1 and 14-2.

Virginia Moves Series to Myrtle Beach
Because of the recent and projected inclement weather in Charlottesville, Virginia was forced to move the weekend tournament to Myrtle Beach. UVa last played in Myrtle Beach in 2012, going 1-1-1 in Coastal Carolina’s season opening tournament on Feb. 17 and 18. UVa was forced to shift its series with Marist last weekend to Charleston, S.C.

The Cavaliers now are slated to open their home schedule Tuesday vs. VMI. If the game is played as scheduled, it will mark the latest UVa opener since 2003 when the home slate started on March 4.

Pitching Remains at Forefront
Virginia’s pitching staff has been solid through the season’s first two weeks. UVa pitchers have a combined 1.12 ERA while limiting opponents to a .212 batting average. The ERA is No. 1 in the nation through Wednesday (Hartford is No. 14 nationally). The starting rotation has been particularly stingy, going 5-0 with a 0.70 ERA. UVa’s starters have allowed three earned runs in seven games.

Noting Hartford
Hartford started the season last weekend by going 2-1 in Duke’s round robin tournament. The Hawks scored a 12-1 win over Iona and a 6-0 victory over Delaware State, with a 5-1 defeat to the host Blue Devils sandwiched in between the wins.

Slated to start Friday against Virginia, RHP Kyle Gauthier is the reigning America East Pitcher of the Week after a seven-inning, eight-strikeout performance in a win over Iona last weekend. Ryan Lukach homered and drove in six runs during the three games.

Noting Seton Hall
Seton Hall is off to an 0-3 start after getting swept at North Carolina two weeks ago. The Pirates did not play last week after their series at Old Dominion was cancelled because of the winter weather. Seton Hall fell, 7-1, in the season opener, and 10-4 and 9-5 in a doubleheader the following day.

Seton Hall was picked to finish third in the Big East in the preseason conference coaches poll. Seniors Sal Annunziata and D.J. Ruhlman and juniors Luke Cahill and Derek Jenkins were named to the Preseason All-Big East Team.

Noting Cornell
Cornell got off to an 0-3 start last weekend despite allowing just seven runs and dropping three straight one-run games in its series at Gardner-Webb. The Big Red scored four runs in the series. Spencer Scorza led the team with four hits in the series.