The Matchup: Towson (2-12) @ Virginia (7-8)
Place: Davenport Field at Disharoon Park – Charlottesville, Va.
Games: March 17, 4 p.m.
Broadcast: ACC Network+ ($)
Live Stats: virginiasports.com
 
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Before a long homestand, the Towson University baseball team will challenge powerhouse Virginia in a mid-week contest on Wednesday, March 17 at 4 p.m. in Charlottesville.
 
The game will be on ACC Network+, available via subscription, with Channing Poole on the call from Davenport Field at Disharoon Park.
 
Following this contest, Towson's next six games will be at home after playing 14 of its first 15 contests on the road.
 
Towson, from the Colonial Athletic Association, fell in two of three in a weekend series at VCU to enter Wednesday at 2-12 overall.  Atlantic Coast Conference member Virginia was swept at home by Notre Dame over the weekend to be 7-8 overall and 2-7 in its league.
 
Towson and Virginia have played several mid-week games dating back to 1982.  UVA leads the all-time series 21-2 with all games in Charlottesville, winning the last 15 games including 8-4 on March 22, 2017.  Towson last win vs. UVA was Apr. 2, 2018, an 8-7 victory.
 
Projected Starting Pitcher - Towson:
Game 1 - Kody Reeser, RHP (0-1, 1.35 ERA, 6.2 IP, 4/2 K-BB)
Projected Starting Pitcher - Virginia:
Game 1 - Billy Price, LHP (0-0, 6.75 ERA, 4.0 IP, 5/3 K-BB)
 
FIELDS NAMED PRESEASON HM ALL-CAA
Javon Fields was selected as 2021 Preseason Honorable Mention All-CAA in the preseason coaches poll.  Fields was previously 2020 Preseason All-CAA and 2019 CAA All-Rookie Team.
 
He has started nearly every game in his Towson career as the team's centerfielder, hitting .293 last season.
 
LAST TIME: TOWSON EDGED IN SERIES AT VCU
Despite a Noah Cabrera two-run home run and Danny Becerra RBI single to come back in game two, Towson fell in two of three on the road at VCU.
Key stat:
--Towson comes back to win game 2 with 3-run 9th
Top Towson batter:
--#1 Nolan Young: .455, 4 RBI, 3 BB
Top Towson pitcher:
--#17 Danny Madden: 0-1, 3.00 ERA, 6 IP, 6 K
 
SEILS, CAMPER NAMED TOP-10 CAA DRAFT CLASS PROSPECTS
Two Tigers, Josh Seils and Burke Camper, were ranked in the top-10 among CAA players in their respective Major League Baseball classes by Perfect Game USA.  Among CAA players, Seils is ninth in the 2021 draft class while Camper is ninth in the 2022 draft class.
 
Seils was eligible for the MLB Draft last year but returned to Towson.  The junior pitcher is Towson's Friday starter, has 100 career strikeouts and threw 6.1 innings with two runs against #7 Miami last year.
 
Camper was one of the CAA's top freshmen last year, hitting .314 with three doubles and 11 RBI in 15 games, split between catcher and designated hitter.
 
GO!
Towson has had a strong start on the basepaths, stealing 30 bases in 24 attempts through the first few weekends.  Javon Fields is a perfect 7-for-7 on stolen bases while Danny Becerra is 6-for-7.  Going into the weekend, Towson has a stolen base in 12 of the last 13 games. As of March 15th, Towson is tied for sixth in DI in total stolen bases.
 
REPPING THE HOME STATE
14 who suit up for the Black & Gold hail from the Old Line State of Maryland.  This includes several players from the Baltimore metropolitan area: Nick Brown, Alex Parker, Trent Gast-Woodard, Bryce Frederick and Ryan Schechner.
 
BRING BACK THE STAFF...
Towson returns 12 pitchers who accounted for 127.2 of the 128 innings thrown during the 2020 season.  They combined for a 4.29 team ERA under pitching coach Miles Miller, 1.3 points better than in 2019.  Two Tigers, Austin Weber and Nick Ramanjulu, ranked top-10 in the CAA in ERA at 2.94 and 3.22 respectively.
 
...BUT THE LINEUP MAY BE DIFFERENT
Towson routinely shuffled its lineup during the 15 games of 2020 and returns nine of the 13 players who had at least five starts in the order last season.  Outfielder Matt Arceo finished fourth in the CAA with a .395 batting average while outfielder Javon Fields tied for fourth in the league with seven steals, hitting .293.  The biggest departure was starting first baseman Brad Powers, who was third in the CAA with 16 RBI.
 
TIGERS IN THE PROS
Towson has two players in the minor leagues.  Richie Palacios, a third round pick by Cleveland in 2018, is the #31 rated-prospect in the system, missing 2019 due to shoulder surgery.  Brady Policelli, a 13th round draft pick by the Detroit Tigers in 2016, was a spring training invite in 2019 and 2020 after earning FSL All-Star honors in 2019. Gavin Weyman pitched in the independent United Shore Professional Baseball League in 2020 for the second straight year.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT:
Virginia was predicted to finish second in the ACC Coastal Division in the preseason coaches poll.  The team stands last in the ACC with a .227 batting average but fourth in ERA at 3.85.  Graduate student catcher Logan Michaels is hitting .294 with 10 runs and four RBI while junior third baseman Zack Gelof was a .291 with four doubles, a home run and eight RBI.