CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Wagner has finalized its 2026 preparations and is set to take on the Virginia Cavaliers of the Atlantic Coast Conference for opening day.
Schedule Adjustments
With inclement weather set to hit the Charlottesville area on Sunday, the decision was made to move game three up to a doubleheader on Saturday. Wagner and Virginia will now play game two at noon on Saturday, then game three will begin 45 minutes after the conclusion of game two. Seating at Davenport Field has been shifted to general admission for all three games.
The Weekend Rotations
Wagner
Game 1 — Colin Trizuto (RHP)
Game 2 — Chase Brandt (LHP)
Game 3 — Gavin Townsend (RHP)
Virginia
Game 1 — Henry Zatkowski (LHP)
Game 2 — Max Stammel (LHP)
Game 3 — Michael Yeager (RHP)
Pitching Breakdown
Sophomore lefty Zatkowski takes the mound Friday, a transfer who spent 2025 at Duke. He was 5-2 in his rookie campaign with a 4.38 ERA in 21 appearances with 11 starts. In 59.2 innings of work, he struck out 58 and walked 12.
Stammel is a sophomore and the back half of the pair of lefties starting for the Cavaliers, another Duke transfer on the roster. He was 0-1 in 2025 with a 4.09 ERA across 18 appearances, with one start. In 22.0 innings, he struck out 25 and walked 12.
Yeager is a sophomore in his second season at Virginia, out of Greenwich, Connecticut. The righty finished 2025 with a 0.00 ERA through four bullpen appearances where he went 3.1 innings total.
Leadership Changes for UVA
Virginia went 32-18 in 2025 with a 16-11 record in the ACC, but head coach Brian O'Connor was named the head coach at Southeastern Conference member Mississippi State in June 2025.
Taking over for O'Connor in 2026 is Chris Pollard, who took the position June 10, 2025. Pollard spent the previous 13 seasons with the Duke Blue Devils, finishing with a 420-296 record, seven NCAA tournament appearances and two ACC Tournament titles. He holds the record for most wins by a head coach in Duke baseball history.
The Cavaliers field a roster mixed with returners from O'Connor's team, seven transfers who came with Pollard from Duke, freshmen who had initially committed to play for the Blue Devils and then a six-transfer class from around the country.
Cavaliers to Watch
Junior outfielder AJ Gracia and junior infielder Eric Becker were part of USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award Watch List, a preseason list that features 55 players initially.
Becker played in all 50 games for the Cavaliers last season, earning a spot on the All-ACC third team while leading the team in batting average, runs, RBIs, doubles and total bases. Garcia is a Duke transfer who played 60 games last season, batting .293 and setting a new program record for walks.
Graduate right-handed pitcher Lucas Hartman was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List, which features 104 players vying for a spot to be the top relief pitcher in the NCAA's Division I. Hartman is a transfer from Western Kentucky, where he was 5-1 in 2025 with a 2.70 ERA in 22 appearances. He was also named to the NCBWA's fourth team for the preason. Junior infielder Joe Tiroly joins him on that list.
Wagner's season begins Friday, Feb. 13 at 3 p.m. EST against the Virginia Cavaliers. The game will air on the ACC Network+.
