The Virginia baseball team gears up to play its first home series in more than two weeks this weekend, as the squad hosts N.C. State in a three-game series starting tonight at Davenport Field.

The Cavaliers (32-8-1, 11-7-1 ACC) eased past Georgetown 9-3 Wednesday in their return to Charlottesville following a long hiatus because of away games and rain-outs. Sophomore center fielder Jarrett Parker smashed his 12th home run of the season against the Hoyas, tying him for the eighth most home runs in Virginia single-season history.

Parker emerged out of his worst slump of the season with his performance yesterday. After going two for his previous 17, including 10 strikeouts last weekend against Boston College, Parker went 3-for-4 with two RBIs against the Hoyas.

Sophomore second baseman Phil Gosselin also added a three-run shot of his own — his fifth on the year ­— to help boost Virginia to its midweek win.

The Cavaliers will look to continue the success of their heavy-hitting lineup this weekend against the Wolfpack (19-22, 7-14 ACC), who hope to rebound from a recent late-season spiral. Slumping into the weekend on a five-game losing streak, N.C. State will need the help of Friday starter and junior southpaw Jimmy Gillheeney if the visiting squad hopes to pounce on Virginia early.

Although the Wolfpack might not boast as impressive numbers as conference powerhouses Miami and North Carolina, Virginia coach Brian O’Connor said there is still a lot at stake for Virginia this weekend.

“It’s a big weekend,” O’Connor said. “I feel like we’ve done the job and done what we need to on the road to put ourselves in this position to have this home series and then Duke a couple of weeks from now, and we’ve got to take advantage of that.”

In addition to Gillheeney, who has averaged close to seven innings per outing this season while notching a 3.48 ERA and a 5-2 record in nine starts on the spring, N.C. State has also depended on a powerful bullpen. Senior righthander Kyle Rutter is one of five Wolfpack relievers with at least one save this spring; he has also notched a 2-2 record with a 4.30 ERA.

“They’ve got a few real good arms,” Gosselin said.

Virginia will likely see junior lefty John Lambert toeing the mound to start either Saturday or Sunday; Lambert has a 4.50 ERA while striking out 37 batters in 34 innings pitched. Sophomore righthander Jake Buchanan has been the Wolfpack’s third starter for much of the season, but after using Buchanan in relief last Saturday against Florida State — against which he gave up a grand slam en route to a 4-2 Seminole victory — freshman righthander Cory Mazzoni started on Sunday. Mazzoni, whose 9.82 ERA and 1-5 record are the team’s lowest numbers, allowed six earned runs in 2 2/3 innings in a 13-2 loss against the Seminoles.

At the plate, the Wolfpack have not been as impressive, as their .265 batting average is the worst in the ACC. Senior infielder Devon Cartwright leads the team with a .299 batting average and has added 25 RBIs. Leading the team with 31 RBIs, freshman catcher Pratt Maynard joins junior outfielder Drew Poulk as one of two Wolfpack players to have slugged five home runs.

In comparison to this weekend’s opponent, Virginia, has proven itself more capable at the plate this season. Eight starters are batting higher than .300, and together, the team has compiled an ACC-best .347 batting average and is currently averaging 8.8 runs per game.

Sophomore Dan Grovatt leads the offensive attack with a .390 batting average, while together, Parker and Gosselin have combined for 97 RBIs on the season. Freshman third baseman Steven Proscia has proven to be yet another Cavalier offensive threat. Proscia smacked a grand slam in the team’s 8-1 victory against Virginia Commonwealth Tuesday and is hitting .354.

Offense aside, staying focused on the mound will be a priority for Virginia. Freshman left-handed pitcher Danny Hultzen, who is scheduled to get the start Friday night in the series opener, has racked up a perfect 5-0 record and boasts a 2.36 ERA ­— the lowest amongst Cavalier starters. Senior righty Andrew Carraway has also put together an unblemished spring, going 4-0 on the year with a 3.46 ERA. Sophomore righty Robert Morey has emerged as a potentially dominant Sunday starter, after throwing 7 2/3 shutout innings in a 2-0 win last Sunday against Boston College.

“I think our pitching’s in a pretty good place right now in that ­— going down the stretch run and when we go into tournament time — we have a lot of versatile pitchers on the staff,” O’Connor said.

The Cavaliers also possess a number of impressive relievers, including sophomore right-hander Tyler Wilson. Wilson’s ERA of 2.82 has led to a 6-2 record this spring. Sophomore righthander Kevin Arico, meanwhile, has proven himself as a solid closer in the wake of junior lefty Matt Packer’s struggles in that role. Freshman righthander Shane Halley, freshman lefthander Sean Lucas and freshman righthander Justin Thompson also could prove to be good choices in late-game situations this season.

Following a Tuesday matchup against Liberty after the weekend series, Virginia will take an extended rest period during exams. After the Cavaliers take on Duke at home, the team will conclude its regular season schedule with a series against in-state rival Virginia Tech on the road. Both Duke and Virginia Tech sit at the bottom of the ACC Coastal Division.