With a steady rain falling, center fielder Mike Cavassinni delivered a two-run triple in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift North Carolina past Virginia 4-3 at Boshamer Stadium.

For the third straight weekend, Virginia’s baseball team will tackle an opponent that enjoyed a trip to the College World Series a season ago.

Never have so many been so concerned with one big toe.

During each timeout in the second half of Thursday’s first-round game of the NCAA tournament, coach Brad Greenberg kept reminding his 16th-seeded Radford University team that no matter the score, they were part of something special.

Scattershooting around the ACC, while anticipating another North Carolina-Duke showdown tonight at Cameron Indoor Stadium ...

As close as Virginia played third-ranked North Carolina in the first half on Saturday, Cavaliers’ coach Dave Leitao knew there was absolutely no margin for error.

The Tar Heels certainly didn’t play their best, but thanks to 20 points from Wayne Ellington and 10 points, nine assists and zero turnovers from floor general Ty Lawson, they had little trouble with Virginia, cruising to a 76-61 win in front of a crowd of 20,879.

“There are no breaks in this league, man,” Jones said. “Every game is tough. There are no breaks.”

Virginia hosts ACC rival North Carolina today in the most highly anticipated dual meet of the season for both squads.

Asher recently decommitted from the University of Richmond — the FCS national champion coached by former Virginia assistant Mike London — and decided to accept an invited walk-on spot as a tight end at North Carolina.

It never happened with the frequency needed, evidenced by North Carolina’s convincing win in the rebounding battle en route to the Tar Heels’ highest point total in a series that now includes 75 head-to-head showdowns.

Following Thursday night’s 83-61 loss to North Carolina, Virginia coach Dave Leitao was effusive in his praise of UNC guard Ty Lawson. Lawson, Leitao said, managed the game perfectly.

North Carolina used its athleticism and up-tempo offensive style to dominate Virginia 103-74 and keep its stranglehold on the rivalry, winning for the 13th straight time.

On the bus ride home from Winston-Salem last Sunday night, North Carolina coach Roy Williams made his team watch the game film of their 92-89 loss to Wake Forest.

North Carolina, behind 28 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks from All-American Tyler Hansbrough and 19 points and nine assists from Ty Lawson, soundly defeated UVa, 83-61, in front of a crowd of 13,811.