Cavaliers Close Home Stand Tuesday Against Liberty

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (19-19) will play its final game of a four-game home stand on Tuesday (April 27) when it hosts Liberty (27-10) in non-conference action at Disharoon Park. The contest will air live on ACC Network and is scheduled for a 3 p.m. first pitch.

Game Coverage: ACC network is available through participating TV providers. For more information on how to get ACC Network, visit GetACCN.com. In addition, the game can be heard locally in Charlottesville on WINA 98.9 FM/1070 AM and anywhere on WINA.com. Links for broadcasts and in-game live stats are available on VirginiaSports.com. Fans can also follow the Virginia baseball official twitter account (@UVABaseball) for in-game updates.

TICKET INFORMATION

Due to the limited number of tickets, the current attendance policy includes pre-sale ticket access for UVA students, 2020 baseball donors and season ticket holders.  If any tickets remain after the pre-sale process, they will made available to the general public on Tuesday (April 27) at 10 a.m.

Fans must purchase a pair of tickets. All tickets regardless of location will be $5. Tickets can be purchased on UVATix.com or from Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. by calling the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office at 434-924-8821.

PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
Tuesday – 3 p.m.
Liberty: RHP Dylan Cumming (1-1, 7.66 ERA, 22.1 IP, 7 BB, 20 SO)
Virginia: RHP Zach Messinger (2-1, 5.29 ERA, 32.1 IP, 16 BB, 38 SO)

LEADING OFF

• Virginia has played five of its last six games at home and will not leave the Commonwealth of Virginia until its final weekend series of the year at Boston College beginning May 20.
• The Cavaliers are 8-3 in non-conference games this year 6-2 in the midweek in 2021.
• Liberty won the first half of the home-and-home series against Virginia, 10-2 back on March 24.

LAST TIME OUT

• The Flames halted Virginia’s 20-game win streak against midweek opponents with a 10-2 win on March 24 in Lynchburg. The streak started after a 13-6 Liberty win in Lynchburg on March 19, 2019.
• Liberty scored five runs in the first inning and four pitchers limited Virginia to just four hits on the day, two off the bat of freshman Kyle Teel.
• The Cavaliers used a season-high eight pitchers in the contest and combined to walk nine Liberty batters, its second-highest total of the season. Matt Wyatt took the loss after being charged with all five runs in the first inning.

AGAINST LIBERTY

• Virginia owns a 39-22-1 record all-time against Liberty and are 15-3 against the Flames under head coach Brian O’Connor.
• The two teams split the season midweek series in 2019, each team victorious in its respective home ballpark.
• The Cavaliers are 10-1 against the Flames at Disharoon Park under O’Connor. The only blemish coming on Feb. 28, 2012, an 8-0 Liberty victory.

WEEKEND IN REVIEW

• O’Connor won his 300^th ACC game on Friday night, a 9-3 series opening win over Duke. He is the eighth coach in the history of the league to win 300 conference games.
• Nic Kent hit a grand slam as part of a six-run fourth inning and Andrew Abbott matched a career-high with 14 strikeouts to win the series opener for the second-straight week.
• The Cavaliers clinched the series on Sunday, holding off Duke 4-3. A four-run, two-out rally in the second inning proved to be the difference in the game.
• Duke hit four home runs in the series finale, the most by a Virginia opponent this season. In the three games, the Blue Devils scored 12 of hits 13 runs off of a total of eight home runs in the series.

ON THE MOUND

• The Virginia pitching staff comes into the weekend with a 4.02 ERA, the third lowest in the ACC and its 400 strikeouts are the 10^th most in the country.
• Virginia has struck out 10 or more batters in four-straight games and a total of 24 times this season. The Cavaliers are 14-10 when compiling 10 or more strikeouts in a game.
• Zach Messinger will make his second start of the season and his ninth start of his career. Virginia is 7-1 in the eight games he’s started. His second career start came against Liberty on March 13, 2019, a 14-5 Flames victory. He allowed two runs over four innings of work.
• Since 2000, no UVA reliever had ever struck out 10 batters in a game until Messinger fanned 10 in 4.1 innings at VCU last Tuesday. He is the only other pitcher on the staff with a 10+ strikeout game this season besides Andrew Abbott (3 10+ K games in 2021).
• Closer Stephen Schoch recorded his 12th save as a Cavalier in Saturday’s series-clinching win over Duke, moving him into a tie for 10^th place on UVA’s all-time save list. His 25 career saves are tied for the third most of any active NCAA pitcher.
• Virginia has a pitcher in the top-2 in the ACC in wins (Mike Vasil – 1^st), strikeouts (Andrew Abbott – 1^st), innings pitched (Abbott – 2^nd) and saves (Schoch – 2^nd).

NOTES/TRENDS

• Virginia leads the ACC in sacrifice bunts with 20. Sophomore Max Cotier five sac hits are the second most of any player in the league.
• Since moving to the leadoff spot, Zack Gelof is hitting .354 (23-for-65) with five doubles, three home runs and 15 RBI. The junior is currently riding a team-best 12-game hit streak and had reached base safely 15-straight. He also leads the team with nine multi-RBI games.
• Nic Kent hit his second grand slam of the season on Friday against Duke becoming just the fifth Cavalier since 2000 with two grand slams in the same year. Four Cavaliers on the current roster – Kent (2) Chris Newell (2), Devin Ortiz (2) and Alex Tappen have grand slams in their careers.
• Kent reached base in all four games this week and totaled five hits, five RBI, four walks and two runs.
• Brendan Rivoli continues to add hits in bunches, leading the team with 15 multi-hit efforts. He hit safely in all four games last week including a pair of two-hit performances.
• Freshman Kyle Teel made his first four starts in right field last week and has appeared in the starting lineup for the last 27 games at either DH, catcher or right field. Against Duke he was 4-for-10 with two runs and two RBI. He swiped two bases in the series finale on Sunday.
• Devin Ortiz had his 14-game hit streak come to an end on Tuesday at VCU. It was the longest by a Cavalier since 2018. Over the course of the streak Ortiz is batted .411 (23-for-56) with 15 runs scored, five doubles, three homers and 13 RBI.