CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – To open a four-game road stretch, the No. 13 Virginia baseball team (24-10, 8-7 ACC) heads west for a three-game ACC series with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (15-13, 6-9 ACC).
HOW TO FOLLOW
Watch: ACCNX
Listen: WINA (98.9 FM/1090 AM)
Live Stats: VirginiaSports.com
Probable Starting Pitchers:
FRIDAY – 5:30 PM
Virginia: LHP Kyle Johnson (0-1, 2.57 ERA, 7.0 IP, 1 BB, 9 SO)
Notre Dame: RHP Xavier Hirsh (2-2, 5.57 ERA, 22.0 IP, 2 BB, 21 SO)
SATURDAY – 2 PM
Virginia: LHP Max Stammel (2-3, 6.75 ERA, 33.1 IP, 13 BB, 31 SO)
Notre Dame: RHP Jack Radel (3-2, 2.58 ERA, 47.1 IP, 15 BB, 64 SO)
SUNDAY – 1 PM
Virginia: TBA
Notre Dame: TBA
LEADING OFF
- Entering the weekend, Virginia is averaging 9.2 runs per game, which ranks 13th in the country and fourth in the league behind Georgia Tech, Miami and Pittsburgh. Overall, UVA has scored the ninth-most runs in the country at 305.
- The power surge has been powered by 57 home runs through the first 34 games of the season. The 57 dingers rank 13th nationally and third in the ACC. In 2025, the Cavaliers did not hit their 56th home run of the year until game 43 on May 9.
AGAINST NOTRE DAME
- In a series that only dates back to 1991, the Cavaliers and Fighting Irish have only met on the baseball diamond 23 times, with Notre Dame leading the all-time series 12-11. The Fighting Irish enter the weekend having won the last three meetings between the two squads dating back to 2021.
- Since the start of the 2021 season, Notre Dame has taken seven of the eight meetings between the two teams.
- The two squads have not met since 2023, when Notre Dame swept Virginia at home. The two squads played a doubleheader on Sunday to conclude the weekend, marking the first time UVA had been swept in an ACC doubleheader since 2019.
- Virginia has not taken a series off of Notre Dame when the Cavaliers took the final two games of a three-game set in South Bend during the 2019 season.
ON THE MOUND
- The electrifying Kyle Johnson will get the ball to start the weekend for the Hoos. In his most recent start, Johnson fanned seven Florida State batters across four scoreless innings.
- Max Stammel will go on Saturday. Over the first seven starts of the season, Stammel is 2-3 with a 6.75 ERA in 33.1 innings with 31 strikeouts. In his start against North Carolina, Stammel tossed six innings of one-run ball to pick up his first quality start of the season.
- To close out the weekend, To Be Announced will be handed the rock on Sunday. To Be Announced is a highly touted hurler from an undisclosed location.
MIDSEASON HONORS FOR THE HOOS
- As the calendar turns to April, several Hoos have garnered national attention for their stellar play over the first half of the season.
- Four different Hoos found themselves on the various Perfect Game Midseason All-American teams when the publication announced its selections on Wednesday. AJ Gracia led the way on the first team while Lucas Hartman and Eric Becker landed on the second and third teams, respectively. Noah Yoder was named to the Freshman second team to round out the Virginia quartet.
- D1Baseball also announced its midseason accolades on Wednesday as Lucas Hartman earned second team Midseason All-American honors.
- To go along with his midseason All-American honors, Gracia was named to the Golden Spikes Midseason Watch List. The UVA outfielder was one of 45 amateur baseball players who were named to the watch list.
FRED NATED & BIRDBALLED
- Virginia bookended its four-game road swing with a pair of wins over Maryland in Fredericksburg and Boston College in the weekend series finale.
- During UVA’s annual contest with Maryland at Virginia Credit Union Stadium, UVA picked up its ninth comeback victory of the year while also collecting its fifth run-rule victory of the season.
- After dropping the first two games of the weekend series at Boston College, the Cavaliers notched a 3-1 victory to salvage the weekend. The win was UVA’s 10th comeback victory of the season and the first win of the year when Virginia trailed in the seventh inning or later.
DEFORESTATION AT THE DISH
- For its seventh-straight ACC series win dating back to the end of the 2025 season, Virginia took two of three from the then-No. 24 Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
- With the series win, UVA improves to 38-12 in the last 50 games that the Cavaliers have played on the baseball diamond.
- In the series opener, Kyle Johnson made his UVA debut on the mound and set the tone with an electric 10-pitch inning. In the bottom of the frame, the Virginia offense exploded for five runs and cruised to a 10-6 victory.
- Sunday’s rubber match saw Virginia collect its eighth come-from-behind victory behind another offensive eruption and 4.2 shutout relief innings from the bullpen duo of Noah Yoder and Lucas Hartman.
CLASH POINT SECURED
- For the opening home weekend of ACC play, Virginia took two of three games from in-commonwealth rival Virginia Tech at Disharoon Park.
- In game one, UVA rode a career-high performance from Henry Zatkowski as the lefty fanned 10 Hokies. The Virginia office exploded for eight runs over the middle third to take the series opener.
- To claim the series, four different Cavaliers homered, led by Sam Harris, who did it twice, as Virginia got a trio of shutdown innings from Kevin Jaxel and Noah Yoder in relief.
- The Saturday series clincher gave Virginia a share of the Smithfield Commonwealth Clash. UVA exited the weekend leading 11-4, with seven sports remaining.
CAROLINA CONQUERED
- For the opening weekend of ACC play, Virginia took two of three games from No. 8 North Carolina in Chapel Hill. The Cavaliers outscored the Tar Heels 29-13 during the weekend set.
- In game one, UVA rode monster offensive performances from Harrison Didawick, Noah Murray and Eric Becker to a 13-3 victory in seven innings. Henry Zatkowski held North Carolina to five hits over 5.1 innings of work.
- To claim the series, Max Stammel had his best game in a Virginia uniform, surrendering one run in six innings. Zach Jackson and Sam Harris each homered in the 9-2 victory.