CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 14 Virginia softball team (23-2, 2-1 ACC) continues to play at home this weekend and jumps back into ACC play with a three-game series against Georgia Tech (16-11, 4-2 ACC).
The series begins at 5 p.m. on Friday (March 13), continues with game two at 2 p.m. on Saturday (March 14) and concludes with the finale on Sunday (March 15) at 1 p.m.
Admission to all regular-season home games is free to the public.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTION
All three games of the series will be streamed through ESPN.com and the ESPN app. Friday and Saturday will be streamed on ACCNX, while Sunday’s game will be broadcast on the ACC Network. Live stats are also available for all games and linked at VirginiaSports.com. Fans can also get updates by following the program’s official account on X (@UVASoftball).
PROMOTIONS FOR THE WEEKEND
- Saturday is Heroes Appreciation Day with active duty and military veterans and first responders being recognized at the game and free koozies will be given out while supplies last
- Sunday’s game is Fan Appreciation Day and free rally towels will be given out to fans as supplies last
- Fans can also participate in an autograph session on the field following Saturday’s game
NOTING THE HOOS
- Virginia enters the weekend coming off a rousing series win at North Carolina last weekend and a midweek win over Hampton at home on Tuesday in which the Cavaliers run-ruled the Pirates behind a 10-run first inning
- The Cavaliers’ offense delivered through the last four games with Virginia scoring 45 runs over the last four contests and hitting nine home runs in that span
- Seven different Hoos accounted for home runs over the last four games, including three HR from Macee Eaton
- Eaton leads UVA at the plate, hitting .476 with a team-leading 39 RBI and tied for the team lead in HR (9)
- The top five in the Virginia lineup have been prolific, combining for 116 of the 191 runs scored and 117 RBI
- As a squad, Virginia ranks third in the ACC in home runs (40), RBI (177) and scoring (7.64 runs per game)
- Cabral and Eaton are tied for second in the league in home runs, while ranking second and fifth in the league in RBI heading into the weekend
- The UVA pitching staff has also been locked in this season, and ranking third in the ACC in ERA (2.81) while leading the league in fewest hits allowed/7.0 IP (1.54) and strikeout to walk ratio (2.80)
- Layne leads the league in ERA (1.25), WHIP (0.75) and strikeout-to-walk ration (7.13)
- The NCAA released the first RPI of the season this week and the Cavaliers came in at No. 19 which is fourth highest in the ACC heading into the week of competition
- Virginia is ranked in all four of the national polls, topping out at No. 12 in the latest Softball America rankings, No. 14 in the NFCA coaches poll, No. 16 in D1Softball and No. 18 in the USASoftball/ESPN.com poll
- Five Hoos are in the Softball America position rankings, Bella Cabral (No. 5 at 3B), Jade Hylton (No. 7 at SS), Macee Eaton (No. 8 at 1B) and pitchers Courtney Layne (No. 16) and Eden Bigham (No. 19)