Virginia Opens MCWS Play on Friday

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Makings its seventh appearance at the Men’s College World Series, Virginia (46-15) will play North Carolina (47-14) in the opening game at Charles Schwab Field. First pitch on ESPN is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET.

HOW TO FOLLOW
Watch: ESPN
Listen: WINA – 98.9 FM/1070 AM/WINA.com/Virginia Sports App
Live Stats: VirginiaSports.com

PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS

Friday – 2 p.m. ET
Virginia: LHP Evan Blanco (7-3, 3.57 ERA, 85.2 IP, 24 BB, 86 SO)
North Carolina: RHP Jason DeCaro (6-1, 3.89 ERA, 85.2 IP, 40 BB, 72 SO)

LEADING OFF

• The Cavaliers swept through the Charlottesville Regional and Super Regional to earn their third trip to the men’s college world series in the last four years and seventh overall. It is the second time UVA has entered MCWS play with a 5-0 mark (2015 & 2024).
• All seven of Virginia’s trips to Omaha have come since 2009, the second most of any college baseball program in that span.
• Virginia, Tennessee and Stanford are the only three schools to play in three of the last four MCWS.
• Virginia (2015) and Florida (2017) are the only two remaining teams in the tournament with that have won a national championship. The Cavaliers are 13-12 all-time in college world series action.
• Virginia and North Carolina will meet for the first time ever in NCAA postseason action. The matchup between two ACC schools is the first at the MCWS since 2013.
• UVA leads the country in hits with 737 and boasts the second-highest batting average in the country. In total the Cavaliers rank in the top 10 in seven different categories.
• The Cavaliers are 66-41 in the NCAA Tournament under Brian O’Connor. The 66 NCAA Tournament wins are the most of any active ACC coach and fourth-most in league history, two shy of matching Jack Leggett (Clemson) for third.

VIRGINIA THE PROGRAM

• Virginia has reached the 40-win plateau for the 14th time in program history, 13 of which have come under head coach Brian O’Connor’s direction.
• UVA has been to two of the last three College World Series in Omaha. Stanford (3x), Tennessee and Texas are the only other schools that can make that claim.
• All seven of UVA’s College World Series appearances have been in the last 15 years, the most in the ACC and the most of any college baseball program. Only Florida (8 CWS appearances) has more in that span.
• The Cavaliers have won 60 NCAA Tournament games since 2009, the most of any ACC school and the fifth-most in the country.
• Virginia has racked up 885 wins since Brian O’Connor’s first year in Charlottesville in 2004. The 885 wins are the fourth most of any college baseball program in that span.
• Including a 50-win campaign in 2023, the Cavaliers have posted five, 50-win seasons since 2010, tied for the second most of any school in the country.
• Since 2010, Virginia has won 259 ACC games, the most of any team in the conference.
• In 21 seasons at UVA, O’Connor has coached an astounding 31 MLB players, 10 of which played on the 2015 National Championship team. A total of 12 Cavaliers were in the big leagues last season including Josh Sborz who struck out the final batter of the 2023 World Series, clinching the Texas Rangers first ever World Championship.
• Including Kyle Teel last season (14th overall – Red Sox), Virginia has produced 10 first round draft picks, the most of any ACC program and the third-most of any program in college baseball.

TRENDING

• Virginia has posted back-to-back 45-win seasons since 2013 & 2014.
• Virginia has lost back-to-back games once this season, the first two games of an ACC series at Miami.
• The Cavaliers are 4-2 in MCWS opening games, its only two losses coming in 2009 and 2023.

IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT

• 18 of Virginia’s 21 NCAA Tournament appearances have come under the direction of head coach Brian O’Connor.
• Virginia is the only program in the college baseball to host a Super Regional the last two years. The Cavaliers were one of five teams in this year’s field that have hosted NCAA Regionals in 2023 and 2024 (Clemson, Arkansas, Kentucky, Okla. St.). It marks the first time since the 2013 and 2014 (National Runner-Up) seasons that the Cavaliers have hosted a regional in back-to-back years.
• The Cavaliers have hosted NCAA Regionals 11 times in the 20 possible NCAA Tournaments in the O’Connor era (2004-present).
• Virginia is one of six teams in the country with 46 or more wins. Only North Carolina and Florida State have more wins among ACC schools with 47.