PHILADELPHIA – Fresh off winning its second consecutive Ivy League Tournament title two weekends ago, the University of Pennsylvania baseball team begins NCAA Championship play Friday in the Charlottesville Regional, hosted by 12th-overall seeded Virginia at Davenport Field at Disharoon Park.
 
The fourth-seeded Quakers take on the host Cavaliers Friday at noon before second-seeded Mississippi State squares off with third-seeded St. John's at 7 p.m.
 
The winners will face off at 6 p.m. Saturday with a spot in the Regional Final on the line, while the losers will play each other in an elimination game earlier in the day at noon.
 
CHARLOTTESVILLE REGIONAL SCHEDULE | Tournament Central | Tickets | Full NCAA Bracket Here | Game Notes (PDF)
Friday, May 31
  GAME 1: #1 Virginia vs. #4 Penn, Noon (ESPN+, Live Stats)
  GAME 2: #2 Mississippi State vs. #3 St. John's, 7 p.m.
Saturday, June 1
  GAME 3: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, Noon
  GAME 4: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 6 p.m.
Sunday, June 2
  GAME 5: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, Noon
  GAME 6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 6 p.m.
Monday, June 3 (if necessary)
  GAME 7: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, TBD - only played if Game 5 winner wins Game 6
 
Setting The Scene
It was always the QuakeShow! Penn battled back in the loser's bracket of the Ivy League Tournament to win three straight games and claim its second consecutive title and berth into an NCAA Regional. The Quakers topped Cornell twice on Monday by scores of 11-9 and 12-6 to become the first time in conference history to win back-to-back ILT championships.
 
Repeat Offender
It's the first time since 1988-90 that Penn is making consecutive NCAA appearances. This weekend will be the Quakers' seventh regional appearance in program history (1975, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1995, 2023, 2024).
 
All-Tournament Team
Wyatt Henseler was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Ivy League Tournament after hitting .375 with three home runs to lead the Quakers. He was joined by Connor Chavez, Ryan Taylor, and Cole Zaffiro on the All-Tournament team.
 
New Site, Who Dis?
Penn is headed to Charlottesville this weekend, the seventh different location for a regional in program history. The Quakers have played the opening round of the NCAA Championship in Stamford, Conn. (1975), Austin, Texas (1988), Waterbury, Conn. (1989), Tempe, Ariz. (1990), Oklahoma City, Okla. (1995), Auburn, Ala. (2023), and now Charlottesville, Va.
 
Hello, Henseler!
Ever hear of Henseler? You may know the name at this point. The senior third baseman, 2024 Ivy League Player of the Year, and the Ivy League Tournament MOP is the holder of several records—both career and single-season—for the program and Ivy League.
 
• Penn career records: hits (231), runs (180), doubles (50), total bases (451), home runs (54), and RBIs (188). 
 
• Ivy League career records: home runs (54), RBIs (188), and total bases (451).
 
• Penn single-season records: at bats (215, 2023), hits (72, 2022), home runs (22, 2024), runs (63, 2024), total bases (150, 2023), and RBIs (63).
 
• Ivy League single-season records: home runs (22), runs (63), at bats (215, 2023), and total bases (150, 2024).
 
Chasing History
We've already mentioned the records Henseler has achieved this season, but what about the ones that remain?
 
Sitting at 71 hits in the 2024 campaign, the senior third baseman is one hit from tying, two from surpassing his own single-season record of 72 set in 2022.
 
Zaffiro put himself in a great spot to become the program's all-time strikeout king this weekend after punching out 15 batters in two appearances during the Ivy League Tournament. With 222 career Ks, he's five from tying, six from passing Craig Connolly (227 from 1987-90) for the program record.
 
Familiar Face
Owen Coady, good to see you again! The 2023 Penn graduate is using his final year of playing eligibility at Virginia this season and has been a reliable arm for the regional host Cavaliers.
 
Coady has made 15 appearances and seven starts for the Hoos in 2024, going 1-1 with a 5.94 ERA over 33.1 innings. He's struck out 29 batters and walked 22.

In a four-year career with the Quakers from 2020-23, Coady earned a pair of All-Ivy accolades in 2022 and 2023, accumulating a career ERA of 2.83 in 34 appearances, making 16 starts. He struck out a total of 182 batters in 143.1 innings of work.
 
Major Award and All-Ivy Honorees
There was no surprise when Henseler was named the unanimous Ivy League Player of the Year heading into the postseason. He became the seventh player in program history to win the honor and the first since Tim Graul in 2016. Henseler is just the fifth player in Ivy history to be named Player of the Year unanimously.
 
Along with that, he was named a unanimous first-team All-Ivy selection for the second time in his career.
 
Joining the senior on the list was Zaffiro (second team), Ryan Dromboski (honorable mention), Davis Baker (HM), Taylor (HM), and Carson Ozmer (HM).
 
Old Dominion Darling
Only one member of the QuakeShow will be making a 'homecoming' to his home state of Virginia this weekend in Andrew Ruggeri. However, Ruggeri's hometown of McLean is 108 miles southwest of Charlottesville, a two-hour and 11-minute drive to the college town.
 
That being said, Ruggeri should still have quite the contingency at Disharoon Park when the Quakers take the field Friday afternoon against UVA.
 
Founding Father Battle
Here's a fun fact: two of the nation's most renowned Founding Fathers will be squaring off on Friday (in spirit) in Penn and Virginia. We all know the University of Pennsylvania was founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1740, but who founded the University of Virginia? Well, it was Thomas Jefferson in 1819, of course!
 
That being said, the man on the 100-dollar bill has a bit of a leg up on the man on the two-dollar bill after founding Penn 79 years earlier.
 
At The Plate
*Even through playing five additional games in the gauntlet that is the Ivy League Tournament, Henseler still has a firm grasp on the team's batting average lead at .372. Other .300 hitters include Nick Spaventa (.325), Ozmer (.318), Taylor (.312), and Davis Baker (.309). Asa Wilson (.295) and Chavez (.291) are right on the cusp of that threshold.
 
*Following an impressive ILT performance, Baker joined Henseler in the 60+ hits club for the 2024 season and now has 63 in 47 games. Spaventa is five away from 60 with 55, while Taylor has 54 and Chavez 51.
 
*In the conference this season, Penn's offense ranked second in most categories including batting average (.289), doubles (102), hit by pitches (69), hits (484), home runs (55), on-base percentage (.398), runs (337), runs per game (7.2) and slugging percentage (.462).
 
*In the NCAA Top 100, the Quakers rank 34th in doubles per game (2.17), 82nd in OBP (.398), 91st in triples per game (0.23) and 95th in batting average (.289).
 
On The Mound
*Penn continues to roll with Cole Zaffiro (5-4, 4.98 ERA) and Ryan Dromboski (3-5, 7.36) at the top of the rotation after both continued to twirl gems at the Ivy League Tournament.
 
*Zaffiro made his 12th start of the season against Columbia in the ILT opener, striking out nine Lions over six innings of work and allowed just four earned runs. He took the hill in Game 6 against Cornell in a do-or-die scenario with three strong innings of relief, striking out six, walking none with two hits surrendered.
 
*Dromboski gave up five runs on seven hits in his last start Game 4 against Cornell on May 19, but struck out five and picked up the no decision in the Quakers' defeat. The junior righty has not lost a decision since April 13 vs. the Big Red.
 
*Outside of the frontmen of the rotation, it'll be a smattering of others that could get starts the rest of the weekend. Josh Katz (2-4, 7.41) could be a good option, as well as reliable relievers Carson Ozmer (2-1, 3.68) or Will Tobin (2-3, 4.78) both of which made starts during the Ivy League Tournament. Freshman Marty Coyne (1-0, 7.71) got the starting nod in a Game 7 win over Cornell, earning his first collegiate win.
 
Scouting #1 Virginia
*The host and top-seeded Cavaliers enter the weekend with an overall record of 41-15, going 18-12 in ACC play during the 2024 season. UVA is 26-7 this season at Disharoon Park.
 
*During the ACC Tournament, Virginia beat Georgia Tech, 13-0, to open Pool play before bowing out to Florida State, 12-7, in a Pool D elimination game.
 
*Nine players are hitting above the .300 mark on the year and are led by Bobby Whalen (.403), Henry Godbout (.376), Eric Becker (.360), and Jacob Ference (.360). Harrison Didawick has a team-high 23 home runs with 67 RBIs, while Ference and Henry Ford each have 17 homers with 13 for Casey Saucke.
 
*Evan Blanco (7-3, 3.50 ERA) has made 15 starts for the Hoos this season, striking out 79 with 24 walks in 79.2 innings. Other top arms include Joe Savino (2-2, 3.18) and stud relievers Dean Kampschror (2-0, 3.48), Angelo Tonas (2-0, 3.97), and Chase Hungate (7-1, 4.23).
 
*This will be the first matchup between Penn and Virginia since April 1, 1953 in which the Cavaliers won a 7-5 ballgame. UVA has won five straight games in the series with the Quakers leading the all-time ledger, 20-14-4.
 
Scouting #2 Mississippi State
*It's a little odd seeing the Bulldogs play a regional outside of Starkville, especially after they won a national championship in 2021. Alas, here they are, sporting a 38-21 overall record after going 17-13 during a loaded SEC schedule. Miss. State played just 17 games away from home this season, going 8-9.
 
*In a stacked SEC Tournament field, Mississippi State won two consecutive games over Ole Miss (2-1) and No. 4 Texas A&M (5-3) before falling to Vanderbilt, 4-3, and being eliminated by top-ranked Tennessee, 6-5, in the SEC Quarterfinals.
 
*Just three MSU hitters are batting above .300 this year in Connor Hujsak (.350), Dakota Jordan (.339) and David Mershon (.335). Jordan leads the team with 17 homers and 63 RBIs, while Hunter Hines has launched 15 dingers with 51 RBIs this year. Watch out for Mershon on the basepaths… he has 25 stolen bases in 28 attempts.
 
*It's been quite the season for Bulldog starting pitchers this year, led by Khal Stephen (8-3, 3.38 ERA) and ambidextrous switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje (8-2, 3.55). Cijntje ranks 19th in the nation in strikeouts with 108 while Stephen is 20th in WHIP (1.02). Reliever Cam Schuelke (4-3, 4.46) is one of the nation's leaders in appearances with 31 in 2024. Tyler Davis (5-1, 1.35) has made an appearance in 26 games this season, recording five saves.
 
*If Penn were to meet Mississippi State this weekend, it would be the first-ever matchup between the two teams.
 
Scouting #3 St. John's
*The closest opponent in terms of geographic proximity to Penn is St. John's, hailing from Queens, N.Y. The Red Storm enter the weekend with an overall record of 37-16-1 after going 14-7 in Big East action this year.
 
*­SJU is the only team to have won its conference tournament in the regional outside of Penn after running the table with victories over Georgetown (11-9), Xavier (8-7) and Georgetown against, 4-2, to secure its 10th conference title. The win marked the Johnnies' 38th NCAA Championship appearance.
 
*At the dish, the Red Storm are led by Jimmy Keenan (.341), Blake Mayberry (.337), and Garrett Scavelli (.330). Keenan has a team-high 70 hits, along with 11 home runs and 55 RBIs, while Ben Beauchamp adds six long balls and 36 RBIs.
 
*All three St. John's starters have ERAs below 5.00, led by Mario Pesca (6-1, 2.94), Xavier Kolhosser (9-2, 3.61) and Evan Chaffee (3-0, 4.30). Top reliever Louis Marinaro (6-2, 2.56) has 57 strikeouts and just 15 walks in 45.2 innings of work. Jed Boyle (2-1, 3.26) leads the Johnnies with five saves.
 
*Like Mississippi State, Penn would match up with St. John's for the first-time ever if they meet this weekend.
 
Follow The Action
Friday's matchups will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Richard Cross (PxP) and Todd Walker (Analyst) on the call. Streaming information for the rest of the regional will be announced as the weekend progresses.
 
For the latest on Penn baseball, follow @PennBaseball on X (formerly Twitter), @Penn_Baseball on Instagram, and on the web at PennAthletics.com.