The Dirty Terps enter a difficult midweek matchup following a frustrating weekend series in Los Angeles.

The No. 1 UCLA Bruins swept Maryland, winning via run-rule on both Friday and Sunday. The Terps struggled to convert scoring opportunities, stranding 24 runners on base over the three days. The nation’s top squad didn’t hand Maryland any favors on the offensive side either, scoring at least eight runs each game.

Maryland, now below .500 at 11-12 and currently in the midst of a four-game losing skid, travels down I-95 to play a midweek against another top-10 opponent. The Terps will head to Virginia Credit Union Stadium, home of the Washington Nationals’ low-A affiliate, the Fredericksburg Nationals, to take on the Virginia Cavaliers on Tuesday.

#9 Virginia Cavaliers (20-5, 6-3 ACC)

Last Season

Virginia finished 32-18 last year with a 16-11 mark in ACC play, placing the Cavaliers sixth in the conference. Virginia earned a first round bye in the ACC tournament. Still, it shockingly lost 12-8 against 14-seed Boston College in the second round, eliminating the Cavaliers from the conference title chase and pushing Virginia out of the College World Series picture.

The Cavaliers faced the Terps in a midweek game at the home of the FredNats last year as well. Virginia entered the game ranked 23rd in the country, but Maryland pushed the Cavaliers to the brink. The Terps trailed 6-3 in the top of the ninth, but former Maryland stars Chris Hacopian and Alex Calarco worked together to tie up the game. Hacopian hit an RBI double, Calarco drove in another run on a groundout and Hacopian scored from third on a passed ball to tie the game.

But in the bottom of the ninth, future-second round pick Henry Godbout scored from third on a wild pitch to walk off the game for Virginia, 7-6.

This Season

The Cavaliers are back at the top of the ACC and the country this season, sporting a 20-5 overall record with four top-25 wins.

Virginia and Maryland have had a few common opponents so far this season. The Cavaliers opened their 2026 campaign with a three-game set against Wagner. Virginia scored 69 runs in just three games to earn the sweep. The Terps would go on to sweep the Seahawks a few weeks later in College Park, albeit scoring fewer total runs with 46 in their three-game set.

The other common opponent is the Georgetown Hoyas. The Cavaliers struggled to put away Georgetown, gutting out a 6-4 midweek win in Charlottesville on St. Patrick’s Day. Maryland had no issues with the Hoyas in College Park, thumping Georgetown 16-3 in the Terps’ home opener on Feb 17.

Most recently, Virginia hosted No. 24 Wake Forest in a weekend series, claiming two out of three against the Demon Deacons. The Cavaliers ended the series with a statement, picking up a run-rule win in the Sunday finale.

Hitters to Watch

Virginia’s offense runs through Sam Harris. The junior transferred from ACC rival Duke ahead of the 2026 season and immediately took the reins of the Cavaliers’ hitting core. Harris has started 24 of Virginia’s 25 games, leading the team with a .364 average, 1.209 OPS and eight home runs.

Also look out for Harrison Didawick. The four-year Cavalier is a contact hitter, currently averaging .357 at the plate. Once he reaches, Didawick is a major threat along the basepaths. Virginia’s senior leads the team with seven steals on 10 tries this season.

Pitchers to Watch

Jayden Stroman is the Cavaliers’ primary midweek starter as of late, and he’s been dangerous in 2026. The 6-foot-1 freshman has a 2.70 ERA in 16.2 innings this season. He’s struck out 21 of the 75 hitters he’s faced has only surrendered one home run so far this year.

Then in the bullpen, look out for Lucas Hartman. The graduate student transferred to Virginia after earning first-team C-USA honors in his final year at Western Kentucky. This season, against a much tougher ACC schedule, the Cavaliers’ right-hander has a 1.47 ERA over 15 appearances. He’s second on Virginia with 32 K’s and tied for the team lead with 30.2 innings of work.

Probable Pitchers

Nic Morlang vs. Jayden Stroman

Other Notable Points

The Terps have not beaten a top-25 opponent since the first half of a double header with then-No. 15 Oregon last April. Since then, Maryland has lost five straight games to top-ranked schools, including last weekend’s sweep at the hands of UCLA.

The Terps want to mix up history a bit in this midweek and pick up a marquee win for the 2026 resume.