Baseball Set to Open Key Series in Blacksburg

The final series of the season is upon us and the Virginia Cavaliers’ baseball team is back from the dead after taking the series against Louisville last weekend and winning their 11th straight midweek out of conference game against VCU on Tuesday.

Though they only sit at 12-15 in the ACC and 30-21 overall, their RPI has improved to 45, which puts them squarely on the bubble for the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

This weekend, they’ll head to Blacksburg to take on a struggling Hokie team. VT is just 8-19 in the ACC and 25-25 overall with only one ACC series victory to their name this season (over Pitt in mid March).

Though their record isn’t great, the Hokies’ RPI comes in at 62 meaning a series victory for the Hoos on the road could push their RPI into the 30s. No to state the obvious, but an RPI in the 30s vs an RPI in the 40s could be huge for the selection committee.

This weekend will also solidify next weekend’s ACC Tournament. Heading into the weekend, here’s what the standings look like for the teams UVa can catch and who is behind them:

Unfortunately, the teams seeded 1-6 will all finish with more than 15 wins on the season, so the Hoos won’t be able to catch them, but if Duke is swept this weekend in Miami, the Hoos sweep the Hokies, and Wake takes two of three from Clemson, UVa will vault into the 7 seed!

UVa holds the tiebreaker over Notre Dame thanks to winning the series against the Irish in early April and should UVa and BC tie, the Hoos would likely hold the tiebreaker by taking two of three from Louisville, who won their series at BC.

Similarly, UVa would hold the tiebreaker over Wake since Wake was swept by Louisville, but Duke and Clemson would both likely have the tiebreakers over the Hoos.

Though certainly not the situation UVa fans hope for on the final weekend for the baseball team, over the years the program has responded with their backs against the wall heading into the final ACC weekend.