Hokie ClubThe weekend: Tech continues its 120th season of baseball with its final ACC regular season contests - a three-game set with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons - before heading to Durham, N.C. for the 2013 ACC Baseball Championship.
Facing the Demon Deacons: In a series that started in 1911, Tech is 36-44 all-time against Wake Forest, but the team holds a 20-17 record at home. Ironically, the last three series the Hokies have played the Demon Deacons, the teams had to play a doubleheader, and all three were split.
Doing it first: The Hokies became the first (and are still the only) team in the country to face three top five opponents (ranked top five in three of four major polls - see page 4). Only 14 teams have faced top five teams twice (seven are in the SEC) - Alabama, Arizona St., Auburn, Florida, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Long Beach St., Maryland, Mississippi St., Missouri, Ole Miss. South Carolina, Oregon, Washington.
Knocking off a top five team: Tech had won a series against a top five opponent just twice in its history before this year, and both were on the road and in 2010 - at No. 4 Florida State and at No. 3 Georgia Tech. The Hokies have now matched that feat, knocking off two top five teams this year, but both were at English Field, as they beat both No. 4 Florida State and No. 5 Virginia.
Doing it first, again: By beating No. 5 Virginia, Tech became the only team in the nation to defeat two top five teams. Only five schools can claim a series win (or two wins in one weekend) over one top five school (same criteria as above) and those are South Carolina (over LSU), San Diego and Washington (over Oregon State), Arizona State (over Arkansas) and Georgia Tech (over UNC).
Joe Mantiply is the only starting pitcher in the nation with wins over two top five teams, while Max MacNabb of San Diego also has two, but both were in relief outings versus Oregon State.
Links: Follow live stats all weekend long on hokiesports.com and get game updates via twitter @VT_Baseball. All three games are available on All-Access, click the link to see which games are video and audio or just audio only.