Virginia Baseball Travels to Atlanta for Final Series

Just three games remain on the schedule for the Virginia Cavaliers this season and after last weekend’s statement sweep of the Louisville Cardinals, UVA is hoping to end the season on a high note in Atlanta against Georgia Tech.

The Hoos are currently tied atop the ACC Coastal standings with Miami at 16-11, but due to UVA sweeping Miami earlier, the Cavaliers realistically own a half game lead over the Hurricanes. Just a half game behind UVA and Miami at 15-11 sits Duke, who travels to Miami this weekend for their ACC finales. And just a half game behind Duke and a full game behind UVA and Miami at 14-11 is UNC, who travels to Clemson, possibly the hottest team in the country, this weekend.

The Yellow Jackets meanwhile are 12-15 in the ACC. While they are four games behind UVA and Miami, so they can’t win the Coastal, they are still looking to clinch their spot in next week’s ACC Tournament in Durham. They have a three game lead in the standings over Louisville for the final spot, but lose a tiebreaker to the Cardinals after dropping a mid-March series in Louisville. A UVA sweep of Georgia Tech and a Louisville sweep of Florida State could spell disaster and the end of the season for the Yellow Jackets.

But UVA should not walk into Atlanta thinking a sweep is inevitable. Despite their losing record in conference play, Georgia Tech has won its last three series by sweeping their exam week series against Gardner-Webb, taking two of three from Pitt, and taking two of three from Duke last weekend in Durham.

While fighting for their spot in the ACC Tournament, Georgia Tech is also likely on the outside looking in for the NCAA Tournament. They own a 30-22 record overall and are ranked 45th in the RPI right now. They haven’t played particularly well against the top teams they’ve faced owning a 10-13 record against teams in the Top 50 of the RPI. Right now D1baseball has the Yellow Jackets as team 66 in the field of 64. A win this weekend over UVA is just what Georgia Tech needs to move itself to the right side of the bubble.

UVA on the other hand is looking good in both the ACC and their NCAA Tournament prospects. Obviously fighting for the No. 2 seed in next week’s ACC Tournament by winning the Coastal, they’ve already clinched a spot for Durham. The Louisville sweep greatly improved UVA’s standings for the NCAA Tournament. Right now they have the No. 10 overall RPI and are 11-4 against the RPI Top 50. After dropping their previous three series to Duke, Notre Dame, and Pitt, D1Baseball thought the Cavaliers had fallen from the ranks of the hosts, but were projected as the top No. 2 seed. After the sweep, they’ve vaulted to the No. 9 overall seed. To keep that seed and possibly move into National Seed (top 8) territory, the Hoos need to win this weekend’s series.

It’s shaping up to be a great weekend of college baseball with so much on the line and the Hoos can make a national statement yet again.