Brian O’Connor knows that it will be a challenge to take on host South Carolina in its own backyard when Virginia opens the NCAA Columbia regional on Friday at noon.

Virginia’s baseball team has been selected as the No. 3 seed in the Columbia, S.C., Regional, and will face No. 2 seed South Carolina at noon Friday on ESPN2.

Brian O’Connor predicted UVA’s semifinals matchup with Duke would be a bloodbath between two of the hottest teams in the league.

Earlier in the season, Virginia’s ace pitcher Andrew Abbott couldn’t buy run support from his teammates. The second half of the season has been a change of fortune for the senior left-hander.

When the ACC Tournament schedule was announced last weekend, Virginia’s players were excited when they saw the opponents they would face in pool play.

Zach Messinger hadn’t thrown this deep into a game this season, but the anticipation of starting for the first time in an ACC Tournament inspired him.

Virginia has been one of the ACC’s hottest team since early April and hopes to continue that momentum in Tuesday’s opening of pool play in the conference championships.

Andrew Abbott, Zack Gelof and Kyle Teel were each recognized as All-ACC performers on Monday after a vote of the league’s head coaches.

Virginia earned the eighth seed in the upcoming Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball tournament at Truist Field in Charlotte, N.C.

Boston College avoided the series sweep with an 8-6 victory over Virginia in the series finale on Saturday at Harrington Athletics Village.

Virginia scored the game’s first seven runs in a 7-1 series-opening win at Boston College on Thursday.

Andrew Abbott was recognized as a National Player of the Week by Perfect Game, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and the NCBWA.

Andrew Abbott was named the ACC Pitcher of the Week on Monday after keying Virginia’s no-hitter against Wake Forest this past Friday.

Senior Christian Hlinka doubled home the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth of a 5-4 comeback win over Wake Forest.

Freshman Jake Gelof singled home the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth to secure a 6-5 win over Wake Forest on Saturday.

Senior Andrew Abbott, freshman Jake Berry and senior Griff McGarry combined for a no-hitter in a 17-0 win over Wake Forest on Friday at Disharoon Park.

VCU won its 12th-straight game in dramatic fashion, scoring four runs in the top of the ninth inning in a 7-5 come-from-behind win over Virginia on Tuesday.

Left-handed pitcher Daniel Lynch, the No. 24 overall prospect in Major League Baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, will make his MLB debut on Monday.

Virginia (22-20, 13-17 ACC) won its third-straight ACC sroad series with a 6-1 victory in Sunday’s rubber match at Virginia Tech (23-17, 16-14 ACC).