CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – The Virginia baseball season came to a close Sunday as the Cavaliers were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament with a 7-6 loss to Jacksonville State in the Hattiesburg Regional, their late rally coming up just short.

After trailing 7-0 through seven innings, Virginia was able to close the deficit to one run, scoring six in the top of the eighth inning but could not complete the comeback.

Gamecock starting pitcher Steven Cash threw seven shutout innings and finished with a line of seven innings pitched allowing three runs on five hits to earn the win on the mound.

Cavalier catcher Jake Weatherspoon was 1 for 5 with a double and three RBI while shortstop Eric Becker returned to the lineup after missing Saturday’s game against Southern Miss and went 1 for 5 with a double and two RBI.

Jacksonville State scored first in the bottom of the second inning as Max Stammel loaded the bases allowing two walks and a single before Sam Richardson cleared the bases with a grand slam over the right field fence to go up 4-0. Cash dominated on the mound through seven innings keeping the Cavalier offense scoreless. The Gamecocks added on three more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Virginia’s offense finally got going in the top of the eighth inning when Cash loaded the bases with a hit by pitch and two walks and was pulled from the game for reliever Chase Horst. Weatherspoon cleared the bases in the next at bat with a double to right-center to get Virginia on the board at 7-3. He would score two batters later on a sac fly from RJ Holmes, and Virginia would get two more runners on with walks to Sam Harris and Noah Murray. Becker delivered his first hit of the regional with a double off the wall in left center to cut the Jacksonville State lead to one. The ‘Hoos couldn’t get the tying run across, though, as Joe Tiroly grounded out to end the inning with runners at first and second. The Cavaliers kept the Gamecocks scoreless in the bottom of the eighth, but Jacksonville State reliever Josh Sibley retired the next three Virginia hitters in order in the ninth to end the game.

The Cavaliers were 1-2 in the Hattiesburg Regional losing both contests to Jacksonville State who advanced to take on the Little Rock Trojans in the regional final. Virginia finished the year with a 37-23 record in head coach Chris Pollard’s first season at the helm and returned to the postseason after missing the tournament in 2025.