CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 18 Virginia softball team (33-11) returns home to host JMU (21-22) in a 5 p.m. contest at Palmer Park on Tuesday (April 21). It kicks off a week of home games for the Cavaliers who will host NC State this weekend in the final ACC series of the season.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTION
Tuesday’s contest with the Dukes will be streamed on ACCNX through ESPN.com and the ESPN app. Live stats are also available for the contest and linked at VirigniaSports.com. Fans can also get updates by following the program’s official account on X (@UVASoftball).
NOTING THE HOOS
- Tuesday night’s contest against JMU is the final regular-season non-conference game at home for the Cavaliers and the first in a stretch of four home games to close out the regular-season home schedule.
- The Cavaliers have been successful playing at home this season, posting a 21-3 record at Palmer Park.
- Virginia enters the week with an RBI of 27 as teams work to solidify resumes and position themselves for the postseason. UVA is the sixth-highest rated ACC team in the RPI and has played 19 games against teams in the top 50 of the RPI.
- Jade Hylton added her 50th career home run on Sunday against Clemson, hitting a solo shot in the series finale against the Tigers.
- The Virginia pitching staff continues to deliver in the circle, ranking second in the ACC in ERA (3.00) and hits allowed per 7.0 innings (5.85), while leading the league in WHIP (1.30) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.22). The UVA bullpen is top 30 nationally in all four categories.
- Courtney Layne ranks third in the ACC in ERA (2.38) entering the week and ranks first in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.19) and second in WHIP (1.08) as she has been effective in limiting baserunners this season.
- Four Virginia pitchers rank in the top 12 in the league in strikeouts per 7.0 innings pitched: Taylor Smith (1st – 9.9), Julia Cuozzo (7th – 7.1), Layne (8th – 7.0) and Eden Bigham (12th – 6.7). Smith and Cuozzo rank fifth and sixth in the ACC in ERA to join Layne in the top 10.
- Bella Cabral returned to the lineup for the Cavaliers at Clemson, hitting her team-leading 11th home run in game one against the Tigers.
ON DECK FOR THE HOOS - Virginia continues to play at home this weekend with a three-game series against NC State.
- Game one of the series is set for 6 p.m. on Friday night at Palmer Park.
• Sunday will be Senior Day for the Hoos and five seniors will be honored following the game.