Three Key Takeaways From Virginia Baseball’s 13–7 Win Over Wagner

The Virginia Cavaliers sealed their first win of the season.

Virginia Cavaliers third baseman Eric Becker | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

The Virginia Cavaliers baseball program played its season opener today against Wagner. Walking away with a 13-7 victory, the Cavaliers can now enter the second game of their three-game series with a slight boost in confidence.

Virginia hit the ground running during the first inning with four runs, but started to sputter shortly after, slowly bringing in two more. Once the sixth inning rolled around, the Cavaliers emerged once again for another seven runs, ultimately claiming a notable lead. From then on, it was a matter of warding off Wagner from scoring. UVA didn't add to its score in the eighth or ninth inning, but their surge in the sixth was just enough to edge out the Seahawks in the end.

Now having their first win under their belt, here are the three key takeaways from how their season opener unfolded.

Henry Zatkowski Has Slow Start But Bounces back

Duke pitcher Henry Zatkowski | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Southpaw Henry Zatkowski has to brush off some dust early on in the game after having a bit of a slow start on the mound. Virginia had taken a clean 4-0 lead in the first, but Zatkowski struggled through the second inning, ultimately recording five runs on four hits, with 3 walks. Wagner would soon bring the score to 5-4.

He didn't stay rusty, however, as he eventually started to bounce back before Joe Colucci took over. Zatkowski finished the night with a........ Last year, he registered a 4.83 ERA and 58 strikeouts across 59.2 innings pitched through 21 games, 11 of which he started.

Aiden Harris, Zach Jackson on the Rise

Third baseman Aiden Harris stole the show tonight with his first career home run out to left field, driving in three runs. Shortly after, outfielder Zach Jackson followed up with yet another homer, bringing Virginia up to 12-7.

While with UVA in 2025, Harris slashed .400/.500/.500 with a 1.000 OPS through 11 games. As for Jackson, he played for Duke last year and slashed .500/.714/.750 with a 1.464 OPS through 16 games. If their performances tonight are a hint as to what's to come, Virginia could be in for an incredible season.

UVA has been waiting for this one.

Aiden Harris might have one of the biggest bats in college baseball and gets his first career homer.
pic.twitter.com/PN5PCjUOzM

— Preston Willett (@PrestonWillett) February 13, 2026

Virginia Has Promising Start To Season

Virginia Cavaliers center fielder Harrison Didawick | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

This game marked the start of the Chris Pollard era, and what a way to kick off the season. Virginia has two more games in this three-game series against Wagner, but the Cavaliers proved themselves both at the plate and on the mound. Overall, this was a strong way to start their 2026 campaign, and fans are hoping that this is only a sneak peek of what's approaching this year.