The Virginia baseball team will open the second round of the 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Championship against Duke on May 20 at Truist Field. The Cavaliers, who hold a record of 35-20 overall and 14-16 in conference play, are set to face the Blue Devils (26-30, 10-20 ACC) with first pitch scheduled for Wednesday morning.
This matchup is significant as it marks Virginia’s continued streak of participating in every ACC Tournament since its inception in 1973. Only Virginia and Clemson have made appearances each year. The Cavaliers enter as the eighth seed for just the third time in program history and are looking to improve their all-time tournament record against Duke, which currently stands at two wins and seven losses.
On the mound for Virginia will be sophomore left-hander Henry Zatkowski, who leads his team with an impressive seven wins this season alongside a 4.12 earned run average and eighty-eight strikeouts over seventy-four innings pitched. His performance has placed him fifth among ACC pitchers in strikeouts and ninth in total wins this year.
Offensively, Virginia has demonstrated power throughout the season with ninety-one home runs—ranking them twenty-first nationally—and averaging nearly eight runs per game. Two players were recognized with All-ACC honors earlier this week: AJ Gracia was named to the second team while Eric Becker also received accolades for his contributions.
In recent series leading up to the tournament, key performances included freshman John Paone’s nine-strikeout outing during senior weekend and Joey Tiroly’s three-home-run game—the first such feat at home since Henry Ford achieved it two years prior. Additionally, midseason honors were awarded by Perfect Game and D1Baseball to several Cavaliers including Gracia, Lucas Hartman, Eric Becker, and Noah Yoder.
Looking ahead, Virginia aims to leverage its postseason experience and recent individual achievements as it seeks advancement through the championship bracket.
