Former Maryland pitcher Hunter Parsons frustratingly exited his start at North Carolina’s Boshamer Stadium after just 1.2 innings on March 14, 2017. 

The then-No. 11 Tar Heels tagged Parsons for three early runs. A fourth later scored and was charged to his final line as well in what ultimately ballooned into a 9-2 defeat for the Terps. The result is seldom remembered now, but that seemingly insignificant midweek has been accumulating importance ever since. 

Nearly eight years later, that loss to UNC stands as the last time Maryland faced a ranked opponent in a midweek. But that’s now set to change. 

The Dirty Terps — 2,919 days on from that midweek in Chapel Hill — will finally receive a ranked test in the midweek when they face a previous Atlantic Coast Conference rival in No. 23 Virginia on Tuesday night.      

The matchup is being held at Virginia Credit Union Stadium in Fredericksburg, home of the Washington Nationals’ Single-A affiliate. Maryland will act as the road team in the neutral-site contest. First pitch is scheduled for 5:35 p.m. 

Following Maryland’s disappointing 11-5 loss to UCLA on Sunday, head coach Matt Swope described his team’s current play as “average.” The Terps — who sit at 8-7 on the season — have the chance to flip that label in what will undoubtedly be one of their toughest tests this year. 

With all of that in mind, here’s what to expect from the Cavaliers as Maryland and Virginia meet for the first time since the 2015 Charlottesville Super Regional.      

No. 23 Virginia Cavaliers (9-5)

Last Season 

Virginia opened last year between No. 10 and No. 15 in pretty much every Division 1 baseball poll. The Cavaliers delivered on those expectations, remaining within the top 20 for the entire season en route to a seventh College World Series appearance. 

Prior to their birth in Omaha, the Cavaliers finished their regular season with a 46-17 record but posted a more modest 18-12 in the ultra-competitive ACC. Virginia earned the fourth seed in last year’s conference tournament but suffered a slightly premature exit after finishing behind Florida State in pool play.

The Cavaliers were then seeded 12th in the NCAA tournament. As a double-host, Virginia swept through the Charlottesville Regional, before defeating Kansas State in both games of the Charlottesville Super Regional. But the Cavaliers ran into a figurative wall against a pair of conference opponents in Omaha. 

North Carolina’s Vance Honeycutt ripped a walk-off base hit that sealed a 3-2 defeat for Virginia in the opening round. Florida State then ended the Cavaliers’ season with a 7-3 loss in the following game.   

This Season

Virginia entered the 2025 season with ambitious aspirations following last year’s quick exit in Omaha. 

Those lofty expectations culminated in the Cavaliers earning a No. 2 national ranking in the preseason poll — second only to Texas A&M. But much like the Aggies, Virginia has struggled to live up to its season-opening evaluation. 

The Cavaliers have now slid to No. 23 after an underwhelming 9-5 start. They haven’t suffered any egregious non-conference losses, with those three defeats coming at the hands of Michigan, No. 8 Oregon State, and No. 12 Oklahoma. But a series loss at home to Boston College this past weekend saw Virginia plummet from ninth to 23rd in Monday’s updated rankings.    

Hitters to Watch

The fundamentally sound Virginia lineup doesn’t feature much power, but the Cavalier collective has produced an impressively high .312 team batting average so far this season. Sophomore utilityman Henry Ford paces the team with a .397 average, while fellow sophomore Eric Becker is a close second at .373. 

Virginia also features four other qualifying hitters who currently tote averages at or above the .300 mark — one of those names is two-way player Chris Arroyo. The junior has slugged a team-leading five home runs; the Cavaliers have just 12 on the season.

The contact-focused approach hasn’t translated into consistent offensive output though. Virginia’s 109 total runs put it in a six-way tie for the 94th-highest mark in Division 1. For context, Maryland is tied for 13th in the country with 158 runs scored.     

Pitchers to Watch

The Terps are likely to miss Virginia’s top-end starters given the midweek nature of Tuesday’s matchup. But the Cavaliers bullpen still features a trio of imposing arms. 

Right-hander Kevin Jaxel has produced a complete turnaround on a brutal 2024 season, which saw him pitch to a 10.38 ERA. That figure is now astoundingly down to 0.84 through 10.2 innings of work in 2025. Jaxel has also allowed just four hits while striking out 10 in his six appearances.

Despite their physical differences, Matt Lanzendorfor and Drew Koenen have manufactured the exact same 1.80 ERA in an identical 10 innings pitched. The former — a 6-foot-1, 180-pound left-hander — leads Virginia relievers with 19 strikeouts. Koenen — a 6-foot-3, 235-pound righty — relies on weak contact for the majority of his outs.  

Probable Starting Pitchers

Jake Yeager vs. Evan Blanco

Blanco has made two appearances this season — both being short midweek starts. He tossed a lone inning against VMI in an opener role on Feb. 25, before extending further for 2.1 innings against William & Mary last Tuesday.