Game Notes: Virginia hosts Rider in two-game midweek series

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Virginia (14-1) returns home on Tuesday for the first of two games against reigning MAAC champion Rider (6-7) at Disharoon Park. The second game of the series is scheduled for Wednesday (March 16). Both contests are slated for 4 p.m. starts and will be broadcast live on ACCNX.

GAME COVERAGE: ACCNX is available to authenticated subscribers of the ACC Network through the ESPN app and ESPN.com. Links to live stats are available on VirginiaSports.com. Fans can get in-game updates on the team’s official twitter page (@UVABaseball).

PROMOTIONS

Tuesday – Taco Tuesday! Tako Nako will have a food truck setup near the left field entrance.

Wednesday – The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a free green Virginia koozie to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

WEDNESDAY PARKING INFORMATION

Baseball fans can park in the JPJ South Lot on a first come, first served basis.  Due to the men’s basketball NIT game at John Paul Jones Arena, baseball patrons will have to vacate the JPJ garage and the JPJ West lot at 4 p.m. The JPJ East lot will have a 5:30 p.m. vacate time.

PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS

Tuesday

Rider: RHP Alec Sachais (0-0, 9.39 ERA, 7.2 IP, 11 BB, 6 SO)

Virginia: LHP Matthew Buchanan (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2.0 IP, 1 BB, 4 SO)

Wednesday

Rider: RHP Vincent Vitacco (0-0, 2.00 ERA, 9.IP, 0 BB, 10 SO)

Virginia: TBA

LEADING OFF

• Virginia is one of eight NCAA teams with either one or no losses. Purdue remains the only unbeaten team in college baseball. Mercer, Tennessee, Clemson, Old Dominion, SE Missouri St, Notre Dame and UVA each have one loss.
• UVA’s 14 wins are tied for the third most in the nation and its .933 winning percentage is tied for the fourth-highest in the country
• Virginia had its 14-game win streak snapped in the nightcap of a doubleheader at Duke on Sunday after a 7-6 loss. The win streak was tied for the second longest in school history. Both UVA’s school record 19-game win streak in 2009 and this year’s 14-game win streak ended with one-run losses.
• The Cavaliers are 9-0 at Disharoon Park this season and have won 12-straight games at home dating back to last season.
• Virginia has played three midweek contests this season and is outscoring its opponents 36-2 in those games. Two of those wins have been shutouts (VMI & William & Mary).

AGAINST RIDER

• The midweek series will be the first games between UVA and Rider since 2011. UVA has won all six meetings against the Broncs, including three under Brian O’Connor.
• UVA won both games in 2011 by a combined score of 16-11.
• The two schools squared off in an elimination game at the 2008 NCAA Regional in Fullerton, Calif. in which the Cavaliers came away with an 8-2 victory behind seven strong innings on the mound from Andrew Carraway.

NATIONAL RANKINGS

• Virginia is nationally ranked by D1Baseball for the first time, entering the poll this week at No. 19. The Cavaliers are now ranked in all six of the major collegiate top-25 polls and are ranked as high as No. 5 according to Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
• Virginia comes out of the first ACC weekend ranked No. 32 in the NCAA RPI.
• The Cavaliers go into Tuesday ranked in the top-10 in the country in ERA (3^rd– 1.75), fielding percentage (eighth- .987) and batting average (10th – .328). Virginia is the only program in the country to be ranked in the top 10 in all three categories.
• The Cavaliers have the No. 2 scoring offense in the country, averaging 11.3 runs per game. The 169 runs are second behind Tennessee’s 197.
• Virginia is the only pitching staff in the country with five shutouts this season.
• Jake Gelof leads the country in RBI (36) and slugging percentage (1.200). He ranks second in the NCAA in total bases (60) and third in home runs (9).

ON THE MOUND

• Freshman Matthew Buchanan is scheduled to make his first start on the mound. He has appeared in two games this season, both relief appearances in which he combined to strike out four batters over 2.2 innings.
• In addition to the nation’s third lowest ERA, the Cavalier pitching staff has allowed only 5.98 hits per nine innings the sixth-lowest rate in the NCAA this season. UVA hurlers have a 12.2 strikeout per nine innings ratio, the fourth best in the country.
• Of the 15 Cavalier pitchers that have appeared in a game this season, 10 have contributed to the five shutouts on the year. Reliever Devin Ortiz has pitched in three of the five shutouts this season, the most on the staff.

CAVALIER NOTABLES

• At the top of the lineup for all 15 games, shortstop Griff O’Ferrall has scored 23 runs, the 10th-most in the NCAA and the third most in the ACC. He co-leads the team with seven stolen bases, tied for the fourth most in the ACC.
• Freshman Casey Saucke has hit safely in all 13 games he’s appeared in, the longest streak on the team. He has extended the streak despite not starting in two of the 13 games including Sunday when he came on as a pinch-hitter and drove in two runs in UVA ninth-inning comeback attempt on Sunday at Duke.
• Catcher Kyle Teel was added to the Johnny Bench Award Watch List prior to last week’s series at Duke. He is one of 76 backstops from around the country to be included on the initial list.
• Chris Newell has drawn 13 walks in 12 games played this season. His 1.08 walks per game are the second-most of anyone in the country.