Virginia Opens ACC Schedule Saturday and Sunday vs. Pitt in Cary, N.C.

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March 6, 2015

Virginia Cavaliers (10-0, 0-0 ACC)
Probable Starting Rotation
G1 – Jr. LHP Nathan Kirby (3-0, 0.49 ERA)
G2 – So. RHP Connor Jones (3-0, 0.56 ERA)
G3 – Jr. LHP Brandon Waddell (0-0, 1.93 ERA)

Pitt Panthers (3-6, 0-0 ACC)
Probable Starting Rotation
G1 – So. RHP TJ Zeuch (1-1, 1.86 ERA)
G2 – Jr. RHP Aaron Sandefur (1-0, 2.57 ERA)
G3 – TBA

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia baseball team begins ACC play this weekend as it plays host Pittsburgh in a three-game series at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C. Ranked as high as No. 1 nationally, Virginia (10-0) was forced to relocate the series following inclement weather in Charlottesville on Thursday.

UVa and Pitt (3-6) will play a doubleheader at 2 p.m. Saturday and conclude the series with a 1 p.m. game on Sunday.

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

WINA 1070-AM will have the radio broadcast of the first game Saturday as well as the Sunday contest.

Tickets
There is no admission charge for the games in Cary. Fans should click HERE for more details on tickets for the games at Davenport Field.

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
USA Today Coaches, NCBWA – 1
Collegiate Baseball, Perfect Game – 2
D1Baseball, Baseball America – 3

Virginia-Pitt Series
Virginia owns a 7-2 edge in the series after winning two of three games last season in Pittsburgh in the teams’ first games as ACC foes. The teams combined for 10 runs in the 2014 series, with both of UVa’s wins coming by shutout, including Nathan Kirby’s no-hitter in Game 1.

UVa has won its last six ACC season-opening series, dating to a 2008 series loss at Duke.

Virginia Starts Season 10-0 for Fourth Time
Virginia is off to a 10-0 start for the fourth time in program history – all during Brian O’Connor’s 12 seasons as head coach. UVa won 19 consecutive games to begin the 2009 season. That remains the longest win streak at any point in program history. UVa won 11 straight to open the 2008 season and 14 straight to begin the 2013 campaign.

The Cavaliers are one of two unbeaten teams thus far, joining Texas A&M (12-0); five schools have yet to play their first game.

Freshmen Make Early Impact
Virginia has started six freshmen during the first three weeks of the season. UVa has put at least four freshmen in each lineup, including six games with five and one with six. Ernie Clement (CF), Adam Haseley (RF), Justin Novak (2B) and Pavin Smith (1B/DH) have started all 10 games.

UVa’s first-year players have combined to record 52.2 percent of the position player starts as well as 51.5 percent of the hits – 55 percent of the extra-base hits have come from freshmen.

Weather Wreaks Havoc on Home Schedule
Inclement weather has forced Virginia to postpone three midweek games and relocate three weekend series, now including the Pitt series. In all, Virginia has had 13 home games altered because of inclement weather (UVa was scheduled to be in the midst of a 14-game homestand). UVa also was forced to shift its series with Marist (Feb. 20-22) to Charleston, S.C., and its round-robin tournament with Hartford and Seton Hall to Myrtle Beach.

Noting Pitt
Pitt holds a 3-6 record as it enters its second season in ACC play. The Panthers dropped two of three games last weekend to VCU in Myrtle Beach; ironically, their series also was relocated to the Ripken Experience, where UVa played as well. Aaron Schnurbusch leads the team with a .417 batting average, while Charles Leblanc is batting .371 with a team-best 13 hits. Like UVa, Pitt has leaned on its pitching staff and owns a solid 2.36 team ERA. Probable Game 1 starter T.J. Zeuch is 1-1 with a 1.86 ERA through 19 1/3 innings.

Up Next
Virginia tries again for its home opener at 4 p.m. Wednesday as it is scheduled to play host to Old Dominion at Davenport Field. The Cavaliers travel to Virginia Tech next weekend for a three-game conference series.