Clemson Baseball Hosts Virginia in Crucial ACC Series Finale

Tigers look to win series and keep NCAA Tournament hopes alive

Apr. 18, 2026 at 2:10pm

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A cubist-style painting depicting a baseball game between Clemson and Virginia, with the players and field of play broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes and planes in the teams' official colors.A cubist interpretation of the high-stakes series finale between Clemson and Virginia, with the teams' colors and players' motions fractured into a dynamic, geometric composition.Charlottesville Today

The Clemson Tigers baseball team is hosting the Virginia Cavaliers in the final game of a three-game ACC series. The series is tied 1-1 after Virginia won the opener 6-4 and Clemson evened it with a 5-1 victory in Game 2. This rubber match on April 18th will be crucial for both teams, as Clemson is in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three seasons, while Virginia is projected to make the tournament and is among the ACC leaders in home runs.

Why it matters

This series finale is a pivotal game for Clemson's postseason hopes, as the Tigers have lost four of their last five ACC series. A series win over the highly-ranked Cavaliers could help boost Clemson's NCAA Tournament resume. For Virginia, this game is an opportunity to continue their strong conference play and solidify their position as one of the top teams in the ACC.

The details

Clemson (25-15, 6-11 ACC) is hosting No. 12 Virginia (27-13, 11-9) in the decisive Game 3 of their three-game series. The game will be played at Disharoon Park in Charlottesville, Virginia and will be televised on ACC Network Extra. Clemson is looking to bounce back after losing the series opener 6-4, before evening the series with a 5-1 win in Game 2.

  • Game 1 was played on April 16th, with Virginia winning 6-4.
  • Game 2 was played on April 17th, with Clemson winning 5-1 to even the series.
  • The series finale will be played on April 18th at 1:00 PM ET.

The players

Clemson Tigers

The Clemson baseball team, who are 25-15 overall and 6-11 in ACC play this season.

Virginia Cavaliers

The Virginia baseball team, who are 27-13 overall and 11-9 in ACC play this season and are ranked #12 nationally.

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What they’re saying

“We know this is a big game for our postseason hopes, but we're just focused on going out and playing our best baseball.”

— Monte Lee, Clemson Head Coach

“Virginia has a very talented team, but we believe we can match up with them and come away with the series win if we execute our game plan.”

— Caden Grice, Clemson Outfielder

What’s next

The winner of this series finale will take the overall series and gain momentum heading into the final stretch of the regular season.

The takeaway

This rubber match between Clemson and Virginia is a crucial game for both teams' postseason aspirations. Clemson is fighting to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive, while Virginia looks to solidify its position as one of the top teams in the ACC. The outcome of this game could have significant implications for both programs.