Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG - The Virginia Tech baseball program will open its 127th season, and third under head coach John Szefc, this upcoming Friday at the 2020 Brittain Resorts Baseball at the Beach tournament in Conway, S.C. which is hosted by Coastal Carolina. The Hokies will open the season against San Diego State on Friday at 11 a.m., followed by another 11 a.m. contest against UNC Greensboro on Saturday before concluding the weekend tournament with a game against the host Chanticleers on Sunday at 3 p.m. Below please find information and links about the weekend tournament.
Friday, February 14 - 11 AM
vs. San Diego State Aztecs (0-0)
Head Coach: Mark Martinez (6th season)
Record at school: 175-128; Career: same
Series: First meeting; Last: n/a
Saturday, February 15 - 11 AM
vs. UNC Greensboro Spartans (0-0)
Head Coach: Billy Godwin (1st season, 10th overall)
Record at school: 0-0; Career: 314-214-1
Series: VT leads 6-1; Last: Feb. 25, 2019 (W, 2-1)
Sunday, February 16 - 3 PM
at Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (0-0)
Head Coach: Gary Gilmore (25th season, 31st overall)
Record at school: 963-502-2; Career: 1,216-604-4
Series: CC leads 7-4; Last: Feb. 16, 2018 (L, 17-2)
Gameday Coverage
Video Broadcast (Sunday only): Chanticleer Sports Network
Audio Broadcast (all): VT/IMG Radio Network TuneIn App, online or locally on WRAD-FM 101.7
Live Stats (all): Sidearm Stats
Tournament Schedule: Click here
Tech game notes: Click here
Tech in season openers
- The Hokies have posted a 64-60-2 record in their previous 126 season openers. The last time a Tech season opener was played at home was in 1995, and in the 24 years since, the Hokies have gone 13-11 - with 11 of those games being played in South Carolina, seven in North Carolina, three in Georgia, twice in Florida and once in Virginia.
- Overall, the Hokies are 20-15 in those previous 11 trips to the Palmetto State that opened a season, which includes a 1-3 record at the 2018 Brittain Resorts Baseball at the Beach tournament hosted by Coastal Carolina - head coach John Szefc's first season with Tech.
- Under Szefc, the Hokies are 1-1 in season openers and 4-3 in season-opening weekends, as Tech went 3-0 last year at the Stetson Tournament in DeLand, Florida en route to a 7-0 start to the 2019 season.
Playing in the Palmetto State
- In its program history, Tech has played 170 games in South Carolina and has compiled a 79-88-3 (.474) overall record, but have not played there since that 2018 tournament.
- No stranger to the tournaments hosted by Coastal Carolina, Tech is 14-13 combined in games in Conway and Myrtle Beach. However, that record includes a 12-6 mark in neutral site games, as the Hokies are just 2-7 against the Chanticleers in South Carolina.
Tech against the field
- Overall, against this weekend's field, Tech is 10-8 all-time, however, not a single one of those are against season-opening opponent San Diego State. The Aztecs are the first of two new teams Tech will face during the 2020 season - the other is Louisiana next weekend in a three-game set.
- Against the Spartans, Tech is 6-1 overall (3-0 at home, 2-0 on the road and 1-1 on a neutral field) with a four-game winning streak. The Hokies beat UNCG twice last year in Blacksburg - 12-4 (Feb. 24) and 2-1 (Feb. 25) - but had not faced each other since 1992, when they played against each other four times.
- Versus the Chanticleers, Tech is 4-7 (2-0 at home, 2-7 on the road) and had won three in a row before the 2018 meeting won by the hosts 17-2 in Coach Szefc's first game as Tech's head coach. Of the 11 games between the two teams, five have been decided by one run, including two in extra innings.
2019 pitching staff turns in one of its best seasons ever
- Last year, the Hokies enjoyed one of their most successful pitching seasons ever turned in by a Tech staff in its history since the program joined the ACC (15 years). First, the team's final overall ERA of 3.98 was the best ever in that time frame. In fact, the Hokies had not posted a sub-4.00 ERA since 1984 (3.80) - the lowest since was 4.10 in 1995.
- The team also finished second all-time in strikeouts (495), with the 2010 squad holding the top mark ever with 530. The previous high was 461 (1988). Below are other notables for the staff (since 2005):
- Lowest ERA: 1. 3.98 (2019); 2. 4.14 (2013)
- Opp. BA: 1. .243 (2019); 2. .257 (2012)
- Most K/9: 1. 9.51 (2019); 2. 8.72 (2010)
- Few. hits allowed: 1. 428 (2019); 2. 474 (2012)
- Few. runs: 1. 237 (2019); 2. 263 (2012)
- Few. earned runs: 1. 207 (2019); 2. 225 (2012)
2019 team fielding sets records, too
- Tech fielded one of its best defensive teams ever in 2019. Its fielding percentage of .975 was four points better than the previous school record of .971 set by the 2012 squad.
- The Hokies' 49 errors were the fewest since the team has been playing in the ACC (2012, 62).