It is the penultimate weekend of the regular season as ACC play winds down for the 2024 season. Eight teams have clinched a spot in Charlotte while Georgia Tech and Wake Forest are almost certain to do so this weekend. That leaves Miami, Notre Dame, Boston College, and Pittsburgh fighting for the final two spots.
Additionally, teams are fighting for national seeds, hosting opportunities, and just to get into the NCAA Tournament. Every game from this point on is critical and mistakes will be magnified as the postseason approaches. The ACC has two teams with non-conference breaks this weekend while the rest of the teams go head-to-head. With the depth of the conference, no series win is guaranteed.
Toledo 24-25 at Notre Dame 25-21
G1 Friday, 6:30 PM: LHP Grant Umberger (5-4, 3.94 ERA) vs RHP Matt Bedford (2-6, 4.91 ERA)
G2 Saturday 2:00 PM: LHP Noah Johnson (3-1, 5.37 ERA) vs RHP Jack Radel (4-2, 4.10 ERA)
G3 Sunday 1:00 PM: RHP Jackson Bergman (2-5, 4.14 ERA) vs RHP Rory Fox (2-1, 5.74 ERA)
After going 2-16 to start ACC play, Notre Dame went 7-2 over the last three weekends to put themselves into position to make the ACC Tournament. But even more than that, Notre Dame's RPI of 52 at the time of this writing somehow has the Irish on the bubble with an outside chance to make the NCAA Tournament. They'll want to sweep Toledo this weekend to minimize any potential RPI damage.
Maryland 32-18 at Boston College 21-25
G1 Saturday 2:00 PM: LHP Omar Melendez (4-1, 5.44 ERA) vs LHP AJ Colarusso (3-6, 7.35 ERA)
G2 Saturday 6:00 PM: RHP Joey McMannis (1-2, 4.99 ERA) vs RHP John West (1-3, 4.91 ERA)
G3 Sunday 2:00 PM: TBD vs RHP Michael Farinelli (0-5, 6.65 ERA)
Barring getting into the ACC Tournament and winning it, Boston College's hopes of returning to the NCAA Tournament are all but over. With Maryland in town and no ACC implications, the Eagles are playing spoiler this weekend as the Terps are on the bubble trying to get in. BC is 1-5 over their last two weekends at home, so they'll be eager to win in front of their own fans.
G1 Friday 6:00 PM: LHP Ethan Darden (5-2, 4.11 ERA) vs RHP Chase Burns (9-1, 3.00 ERA)
G2 Saturday 4:00 PM: LHP Tristan Smith (2-0, 3.58 ERA) vs RHP David Falco (2-3, 4.85 ERA)
G3 Sunday 12:00 PM: RHP Aidan Knaak (4-0, 2.57 ERA) vs LHP Josh Hartle (5-2, 5.40 ERA)
Clemson's pitching staff looks just about set, but they'll be looking for improvement from the bullpen and the Tristan Smith. With Will Taylor and Andrew Cuifo out, the Tigers haven't missed a beat. A road series win would almost certainly lock up their Atlantic Division title.
Wake Forest moves Josh Hartle to the Sunday role while David Falco will make his second start of the season for the Deacs on Saturday. It's critical for Wake Forest to beat Clemson at home in this series if they have any hopes of hosting an NCAA Regional.
#8 Florida State 36-10 (14-9) at Pittsburgh 21-25 (6-18)
G1 Friday 6:00 PM: LHP Jamie Arnold (8-2, 2.37 ERA) vs RHP Ryan Andrade (1-4, 8.39 ERA)
G2 Saturday 3:00 PM: LHP Carson Dorsey (4-2, 3.66 ERA) vs RHP Jack Sokol (5-3, 5.43 ERA)
G3 Sunday 1:00 PM: TBD vs LHP Ryan Reed (0-6, 7.43 ERA)
Still no Cam Leiter or Connor Whittaker, but Florida State continues to win ballgames thanks to an explosive offense and the emergence of Jamie Arnold and Carson Dorsey. Pitt is coming off a series loss to Notre Dame, but Ryan Andrade is coming off the best start of his Panthers career and will be looking to build off that against the Seminoles.
Louisville 29-19 (13-11) at #12 North Carolina 36-11 (17-7)
G1 Friday 6:00 PM: LHP Sebastian Gongora (5-3, 5.83 ERA) vs RHP Jason DeCaro (3-1, 3.86 ERA)
G2 Saturday 12:00 PM: LHP Evan Webster (4-1, 3.17 ERA) vs LHP Shea Sprague (3-1, 3.40 ERA)
G3 Sunday 12:00 PM: LHP Colton Hartman (0-1, 5.09 ERA) vs RHP Aidan Haugh (3-1, 3.29 ERA)
Louisville is currently a bubble team and a road series win at Chapel Hill will do wonders for their resume. Unfortunately for them, the Tar Heels are almost unbeatable at home in the ACC with an 11-1 record in 2024. Aidan Haugh seems to be the Sunday guy moving forward after news broke that freshman ace Folger Boaz, who hadn't pitched since early April, would be out for the season.
#10 Duke 33-14 (14-10) at Georgia Tech 28-18 (12-12)
G1 Friday 6:00 PM: LHP Jonathan Santucci (6-1, 3.54 ERA) vs RHP Aeden Finateri (5-2, 5.31 ERA)
G2 Saturday 4:00 PM: LHP Kyle Johnson (3-1, 3.29 ERA) vs LHP Cam Jones (3-1, 4.70 ERA)
G3 Sunday 1:00 PM: TBD vs RHP Tate McKee (4-4, 7.34 ERA)
Much like Louisville, Georgia Tech is a team on the bubble looking to boost their resume. A big home series win would be crucial, but they'll need better starts from Finateri, Jones, and McKee than they got last week at Clemson. Duke, who has hosting aspirations, has already boosted their resume this week with a Top 10 road win at ECU. They'll look to boost that with a series win at Georgia Tech. Andrew Healy made his return from injury during the midweek but won't like be in the rotation Sunday as the Blue Devils continue to work him back.
Miami 21-26 (8-16) at Virginia Tech 31-15 (13-11)
G1 Friday 7:00 PM: RHP Gage Ziehl (3-3, 3.62 ERA) vs RHP Brett Renfrow (6-2, 3.50 ERA)
G2 Saturday 7:00 PM: LHP Rafe Schlesinger (3-4, 5.68 ERA) vs LHP Jeremy Neff (1-1, 7.61 ERA)
G3 Sunday 1:00 PM: LHP Herick Hernandez (3-6, 6.56 ERA) vs RHP Griffin Stieg (3-2, 4.79 ERA)
Neither team has officially released their pitching matchups for the weekend so we're going off who played last weekend. Virginia Tech is coming off a midweek loss to Liberty after sweeping Ohio, but their recent ACC schedule as seen them go 3-9 to Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Duke, and UNC. A home series against a Miami team that just lost Jason Torres for the year might be just what the Hokies need to get back on track.
G1 Friday 7:00 PM: RHP Sam Highfill (4-1, 5.06 ERA) vs LHP Evan Blanco (5-3, 4.38 ERA)
G2 Saturday 4:00 PM: TBD vs LHP Owen Coady (1-0, 3.77 ERA)
G3 Sunday 1:00 PM: TBD vs RHP Joe Savino (0-1, 1.12 ERA)
Virginia only confirmed that Evan Blanco would be starting this weekend, but with how Owen Coady and Joe Savino pitched two weeks ago against Boston College, I'd be surprised if Coach O'Connor goes in another direction. Both UVA and NC State are playing for a hosting opportunity, but NC State comes in a little banged up. They got back outfielder Josh Hogue and pitcher Logan Whitaker, but outfielder Josh Hogue is out for the season following a horrendous injury against Ball State a few weeks ago and then star reliever Shane Van Dam seemed to have been injured in the Florida State series last weekend.
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(courtesy of FQACC)
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