Virginia Plays Host to East Carolina in Three-Game Series

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Feb. 25, 2016

VIRGINIA CAVALIERS (3-1)
Probable Starting Rotation
Fri. – Jr. RHP Connor Jones (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Sat. – Fr. LHP Daniel Lynch (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Sun. – So. RHP Tommy Doyle (0-0, 3.00 ERA)

EAST CAROLINA PIRATES (4-0)
Probable Starting Rotation
Fri. – Jr. LHP Evan Kruczynski (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Sat. – Jr. LHP Jacob Wolfe (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Sun. – Sr. RHP Jimmy Boyd (1-0, 3.60 ERA)

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — The Virginia baseball team takes on East Carolina in a three-game series Friday through Sunday at Davenport Field. Ranked fourth nationally by Baseball America, the Cavaliers are set to battle the Pirates in games at 3 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Broadcast Information
A video broadcast is available Friday and audio broadcasts are available Saturday and Sunday, all through a Cavaliers Live subscription on VirginiaSports.com. In the Charlottesville area, WINA 1070-AM and 98.9 FM will have the radio broadcast of Saturday game.

Links to live statistics for all three games also can be found on VirginiaSports.com.

Cavaliers in the Rankings
4 — Baseball America, 7 — USA Today/ESPN, 8 — NCBWA, 11 — D1Baseball

Tickets/Parking
Tickets can be ordered in person at the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office in Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium, by phone at (800) 542-8821 and online at VirginiaSports.com. Tickets are also available on game day at the Davenport Field ticket windows, subject to availability, beginning 1 hour prior to the game.

Parking is available in the University Hall, John Paul Jones Arena and McCue Center lots as well as the Emmet-Ivy Garage. Please note that on Saturday, all vehicles must vacate the University Hall, JPJ and McCue lots by 4:30 p.m. in preparation for the men’s basketball game.

Things to Know
• Virginia’s freshmen have accounted for 39 percent of UVA’s hits this year (22 of 56).
• Opponents have yet to attempt a stolen base this season.
• Catcher Matt Thaiss has picked off two runners in three games this year.
• Thaiss is batting .471 career against ECU (8-for-17, 2 HR, 5 RBI).
• UVA averaged 3,644 fans per game last year (second best in program history to 2014).

Virginia-East Carolina Series
Virginia holds a 31-18 lead in the all-time series with East Carolina and has won 13 of the programs’ 15 meetings since 2010. UVA has won its last nine games against ECU, dating to a 4-3 loss on Feb. 27, 2011, in Charlottesville.

The Cavaliers swept ECU in Greenville last season (3-1, 9-2, 4-2). Virginia’s pitching was strong in the 2015 series, allowing just 17 hits and eight walks while limiting ECU batters to a .181 batting average. The Cavaliers surrendered just five extra-base hits — all doubles.

Noting the Opening Weekend
Virginia opened its season by going 2-1 at the Caravelle Resort Tournament. UVA’s starting rotation of Connor Jones, Daniel Lynch and Tommy Doyle was sensational, allowing two earned runs over 18 innings. Ernie Clement recorded an ACC-high eight hits over the season’s opening weekend, going 8-for-15 (.533). Pavin Smith also was hot, going 7-for-11 (.636), while Matt Thaiss went 6-for-13 (.462). UVA’s defense also was stellar as the Cavaliers did not commit an error in any of the three contests.

Noting East Carolina
East Carolina is off to a 4-0 start after a three-game weekend series sweep of Longwood followed by a Tuesday win over North Carolina A&T. It marks the Pirates’ first 4-0 start since 2012. Coming off a 40-22 season and an NCAA tournament berth in 2015, the Pirates have a pair of weekend starting pitchers back in left-handed juniors Evan Kruczynski and Jacob Wolfe. ECU is batting .384 through four games.

Up Next
Virginia continues its 10-game homestand on Tuesday (March 1) with a 3 p.m. game against William & Mary.