Baseball
What: No. 19 Virginia (5-3, 0-0 ACC) vs. Monmouth (2-5, 0-0 MAAC)
Where: Charlottesville, Va.
When: Friday 3:00 p.m., Saturday 1:00 p.m., Sunday 1:00 p.m.
The Skinny: Despite a tough weekend that included two losses against No. 16 East Carolina (6-1, 0-0 AAC), No. 19 Virginia rebounded this past Tuesday with a 16-8 blowout of William & Mary (5-3, 0-0 CAA), in which an astounding 10 different Cavaliers recorded a hit. Led by sophomore second baseman Justin Novak (2-7, 4 RBI), who recorded two hits and a team high three RBIs while batting in the nine spot, Virginia jumped out to an early 9-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back.
Now the Cavaliers will try to carry this momentum into the weekend, when they are slated to play a three-game series against the Monmouth. Thus far, the Hawks have struggled, to say the least.
After picking up a quick win in its season opener against Penn State (2-5, 0-0 Big Ten), Monmouth has only managed to notch one other win — against UNC-Asheville (2-5, 0-0 Big South). Through seven games, the Hawks have been outscored 52-29 and not a single one of their starters is batting over .300.
To add to the Hawks’ woes, only senior pitcher Frank Trimarco (1-0, 3.27 ERA) has a sub-four ERA, but he has also given up 12 hits in just 11 innings.
The Cavaliers on the other hand are still hitting the cover off of the ball, with five starters hitting over .300 thus far, including sophomore first basemen Pavin Smith (12-27, 13 RBI), who also leads the team with a .704 SLG%.
And despite some trouble in the bullpen, the Cavaliers’ starting rotation continues to dominate, giving up just 15 combined runs over the first eight games.
With hot bats and dominant starting pitching, Virginia is looking like an utter match-up nightmare for the floundering Hawks.
—compiled by Will Fahy
Women’s Golf
What: Darius Rucker Intercollegiate
When: Friday-Sunday; all day
Where: Long Cove Club; Hilton Head Island, S.C.
The Skinny: The No. 32 Virginia women’s golf team heads to South Carolina to compete in the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate event hosted by No. 4 South Carolina.
The Cavaliers will face some of the nation’s strongest teams — a telling moment for this spring season. No. 2 Duke, and 16 other top teams from around the country, including three ACC opponents in the Blue Devils, North Carolina and Wake Forest, will meet to compete in one of the top collegiate golf events of the year.
Going into its third tournament of the spring season, Virginia looks to redeem its 11th-place finish in its most recent endeavor, the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate Championship. After an inconsistent fall season, the Cavaliers spring start has not showed much promise thus far.
This tournament will be another chance for senior Elizabeth Szokol to shine after leading the way for Virginia in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Duke sophomore Leona Maguire will return to defend her title as the top-ranked women's amateur golfer. The stakes are high and the competition will be tough this weekend in Hilton Head, S.C.
—compiled by Emily Caron
Men’s Tennis
What: No. 2 Virginia (8-2) vs. Louisville (6-5), Virginia Tech
When: Friday, 5 p.m.; Sunday, 6 p.m.
Where: Louisville, Ky.; Blacksburg, Va.
The Skinny: After a disappointing 4-3 loss to Illinois last Saturday, the Cavaliers will look to regain form this Friday, as they head off to Kentucky to take on Louisville. The match is set to take place at 5 p.m. in the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center in Louisville, Ky.
With an 8-2 record in nonconference play, the Cavaliers look to get off to a hot start against ACC foes and hopefully start a new winning streak, after Virginia’s 140-game ACC winning streak was snapped earlier this season against North Carolina. The Cavaliers will be heavy favorites against unranked Louisville, even if senior standout Ryan Shane is unable to play.
The Cavaliers will then move on to Blacksburg to take on rival Virginia Tech Sunday. The Hokies are ranked No. 53 in the nation, but the Cavaliers ought to still be favored to move on with a win.
—compiled by Hunter Ostad
Women’s Lacrosse
What: No. 7 Virginia (4-1) vs. No. 2 Syracuse (5-1)
When: Saturday, noon
Where: Klöckner Stadium
The Skinny: The No. 7 Virginia women’s lacrosse team (4-1) will attempt to extend its win streak to four games Saturday when it faces No. 2 Syracuse (5-1) at Klöckner Stadium.
Since losing to Princeton, 14-7, in its second game of the season, Virginia’s offense has been on a roll. The Cavaliers have averaged almost 17 goals per game during their three-game win streak, with victories against Richmond, then-No. 6 Penn State and William & Mary. Junior midfielder Posey Valis leads the team with 11 goals during this stretch.
Syracuse, however, also possesses an exceptionally strong offensive attack. The Orange are currently tied at No. 12 in the nation in scoring offense at 14 goals per game. A lot of their scoring success comes from their unselfish style of play, as the Orange are also fourth-best nationally with 8 assists per game.
The two teams battled last season in a back-and-forth contest that resulted in a 14-13 Syracuse win. Both sides return key players from that match.
For Syracuse, current senior attacker Kayla Treanor returns after scoring five goals against Virginia last season. Senior attacker Kelly Boyd and sophomore goalie Rachel Vander Kolk scored four goals and recorded 10 saves in the game, respectively.
This will be Virginia’s first conference game of the season and its fourth against a ranked opponent.
—compiled by Jack Gallagher
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