How to Watch: Virginia Baseball vs Jacksonville State In Hattiesburg Regional Matchup

The 2026 NCAA Baseball Tournament is going to get started today and Virginia Baseball is going to open up play today with a matchup against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks.

Virginia is back in the NCAA Tournament after missing out last season. Prior to missing out on the tournament last season, UVA had made three College World Series appearances in four years, including a 5th-place finish in 2021. In his first season at the helm, head coach Chris Pollard has a talented enough team to make it to the next round, but consistency has not been the Hoos' speciality, especially towards the back end of the season.

All it takes is one good weekend though and Virginia will be moving on to the Super Regionals to face the winner of the Gainesville regional.

Game Information

Current Record: Virginia (36-21, 14-16 ACC) vs Jacksonville State (46-13, 23-7 C-USA)

Where: Hattiesburg, MS (Pete Taylor Park)

Date and Times: Friday, May 29th at 7:00 p.m. ET

TV/Streaming: ESPN+

Radio: WINA (98.9 FM/1070 AM/WINA.com)

Expected Pitching Matchup

LHP Henry Zatkowski (8-1, 4.03 ERA, 80.1 IP, 23 BB, 92 SO) is going to be on the mound for UVA while LHP Beau Bryans (7-1, 3.63 ERA, 62.0 IP, 40 BB, 73 SO) is going to be on the mound for JSU.

Odds via Fanduel Sportsbook

Jacksonville State is favored by 1.5 runs in the game, while Virginia is +100 to win the game. The over/under has been set at 11.5

Game Preview

This is going to be a fascinating matchup. The Gamecocks have the better record, but UVA has faced the 11th-hardest schedule in the country, while Jacksonville State has faced the No. 133 schedule in the country. The two teams are right next to each other in RPI, though and this is expected to be a close game in one of the most interesting regionals.

I think the most interesting aspect of this game is going to be the UVA offense against the JSU pitching staff. The Gamecocks are 7th in runs allowed per game, 15th in K%, 23rd in K-BB%, 13th in WHIP, 10th in ERA, and 22nd in FIP. The strikeout percentage is particularly intriguing.

Virginia has arguably the most talented lineup in the regional, but their biggest weakness is they are 232nd in the country in K%. Their raw talent and power could come through in this game, but they cannot be swinging and missing as they often have in big games this season. They have to be disciplined and patient and take advantage of the opportunities that they are given.

It is a good thing that they showed signs of life against Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament, despite the loss. The Cavaliers scored 10 runs and the top six of Eric Becker, AJ Gracis, Joe Tiroly, Harrison Didawick, Sam Harris, and Jake Weatherspoon can take over this game and UVA may need them to.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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