After kicking off the season with four impressive wins, the East Carolina baseball team will take on its yearly and most difficult challenge yet in the form of defending national champion Virginia.

The Cavaliers are 3-1 on the season with its lone loss to Coastal Carolina last weekend, 5-4. Outside of the loss, Virginia has scored at least 8 runs each other matchup, including an 18-1 domination of Virginia Military Institute. The trio of starters for Virginia had a strong opening weekend and will likely return with Connor Jones, Daniel Lynch and Tommy Doyle, pitching Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Doyle was the lone Cavalier starter to allow a run in the first weekend. He conceded two runs to score in his six innings of work. Lynch posted to shortest outing with five innings.

The Pirates beat Longwood in a series sweep and knocked off North Carolina A&T, 11-2 in midweek action. ECU is 4-0 headed into the Virginia matchup and ECU head coach Cliff Godwin said his team feels confident as ever.

“I don’t know if we could be playing any better, I really don’t,” Godwin said. “And we’ve got most everybody who’s available to play into games, so everybody’s had some experience. They’re going to be good. It’s on their home field but we’re not going to be intimidated. We’re going to go up there and play our baseball and it’s an opportunity for us to go up there and play one of the best teams in the country.”

Virginia has beaten ECU eight straight times dating back to 2013, however. The Cavaliers have long been a great contact and station-to-station team. This year is no different. Virginia has three home runs in its opening four games and has five players hitting over .400 through at least four games played.

Sophomore Pavin Smith is coming off of a strong freshman campaign and has batted .692 in the early going with one home run and nine RBIs. Ernie Clement is a prototypical No. 2 hitter with a .563 batting average through 16 at bats.

Virginia also has one of the top backstops in the country in Matt Thaiss. Thaiss is hitting .400 on the season. He has grinded out at bats and come up with four walks early on. However, an elite collegiate catcher in Travis Watkins behind the plate counters Thaiss for ECU. The redshirt junior is riding a .417 average heading into Charlottesville. Watkins had a strong opening weekend and drove in five runs, including a critical late-game RBI against Longwood.

Godwin said that Virginia has had ECU’s number the past few seasons and getting his players up for the game should not be an issue.

“Do you think we need any extra motivation when Virginia has beat us something like six straight times?” Godwin said. “Only three since I’ve been here, but at least six straight times. If I need to motivate them then they’re not competitors. They’ll be ready to play.”

Godwin has pointed to the same starters from the Longwood series to be rolled out against Virginia. Evan Kruczynski had a dominant outing against the Lancers in his first appearance and will take the ball Friday night. Jacob Wolfe followed with a win on Saturday and Jimmy Boyd was the lone Pirate starter to allow a run in the weekend set. Boyd allowed two runs in his first inning of work in the season before settling in for a strong five-inning performance.

The first pitch of the series will be Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. before back-to-back 1 p.m. games on Saturday and Sunday in Charlottesville.