CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 17 Virginia softball team (32-6, 9-5 ACC) continues to play at home this weekend with a three-game series against No. 11 Virginia Tech (34-5, 9-3 ACC) at Palmer Park. The series, which begins with game one at 6 p.m. on Friday (April 10), counts towards the Commonwealth Clash.
Admission to all regular-season Virginia softball home games is free to the public.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTION
All three games of the weekend will be streamed through ESPN.com and the ESPN app, while Sunday’s game will also be broadcast on ACC Network. Live stats are also available for all three games and linked at VirginiaSports.com. Fans can also get updates by following the program’s official account on X (@UVASoftball).
NOTING THE HOOS
- Virginia enters the weekend having won four-of-five ACC series and is coming off a series loss at No. 23 Duke and posting a midweek win over Louisiana on Wednesday
- The Cavaliers are ranked in all four polls, leading off at No. 17 in the NFCA Coaches poll and also holding positions in D1Softball (19), ESPN/USA Softball (21) and Softball America (21)
- With the win over Louisiana on Wednesday night, UVA improved to 20-1 at home and 6-1 in one-run games
- This weekend’s series with Virginia Tech marks back-to-back years with both teams ranked when meeting
- Virginia comes in at No. 26 in the RPI having played 14 games against the RPI top 50 and are 16-6 vs. the top 100 - the next six games for the Hoos come against teams in the top 50 of the RPI
- Jade Hylton is closing in on another career record for the Hoos as she has 177 runs scored in her career and needs two more to take over the top spot in the UVA record book currently held by Heather Field (2001-2004)
- Macee Eaton has etched her name into the record book twice already with her 53 RBI so far this season ranking 4th in the UVA single-season list after setting the single-season mark of 63 RBI a year ago
- Eaton - who leads the team at the plate with a .464 average and ranks sixth in the ACC - is also climbing the UVA career record books with 132 RBI (6th) and with 38 multiple-RBI games (4th)
- The junior also ranks third in the ACC in doubles (14), third in RBI (53) and 11th in home runs (10)
- Jaiden Griffith and Eaton are both tough outs, ranking 4th and 8th in the ACC in toughest to strike out, respectively
- The pitching staff continues to deliver for the Hoos, ranking second in the league in ERA (2.76) and leading the league in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.62), WHIP (1.20) and ranks second in hits allowed per 7.0 innings (5.52)
- Courtney Layne leads the ACC in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.12) and WHIP (0.96), and ranks third in ERA (1.96), while three Virginia pitchers rank in the top seven in the ACC in fewest hits allowed per 7.0 inning
THE SMITHFIELD COMMONWEALTH CLASH - The series is part of the Smithfield Commonwealth Clash, with one point going to the winner of the series.
- The Smithfield Commonwealth Clash, originally called the Commonwealth Challenge (2005-2007), has been a part of the UVA-Virginia Tech rivalry since 2014. It is an all-sports, points-based program with the Commonwealth Clash trophy presented to the winning school each year for its dominance in head-to-head competitions. The Cavaliers currently lead the Hokies 10-4 this season.