A recap of the 2020 Tech baseball seasonA recap of the 2020 Tech baseball season
Baseball

A recap of the 2020 Tech baseball season

BLACKSBURG - The 2020 Virginia Tech baseball season came to an end just a day after a 5-3 victory over George Mason at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park. On March 12, the ACC suspended all athletic related activities due to the worldwide pandemic related to the COVID-19 virus. Below, take a chronological journey through the Hokies' 2020 season, which ended with the team and a dozen Hokies finishing among the nation's best in many statistical categories.
 Hokies Earn Preseason Recognition

    Prior to the start of the season, D1Baseball announced the nation's top collegiate student-athletes by position and four Hokies were among the players recognized. Zach Brzykcy was No. 14 among Top 50 relievers, Kevin Madden was No. 17 among top 30 third basemen, Nick Biddison was ranked No. 42 among the Top 100 outfielders and Ian Seymour was slotted at No. 41 among starting pitchers. Biddison was also named the No. 49th best hitter in the country, while Seymour overall was No. 77 among top 100 pitchers.
    Baseball America also had a couple Hokies in its initial preseason rankings, placing Seymour at No. 8 in the 2020 MLB draft class among ACC pitchers and Brzykcy was placed among the Top "Velo" pitchers in the 2020 class.



Week No. 1 - Disappointing start to 2020 

    The opening weekend to the 2020 Tech baseball season was a bit of a disappointment. First, the team had leads in two games entering the seventh frame, but lost both by 7-5 counts to San Diego State in the opener (Feb. 14) and UNC Greensboro (Feb. 15). To make matters worse, the Sunday game against the host Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, a contest Seymour was to make his first start of the year and where he made his collegiate debut in 2018, was rained out. So the Hokies headed back to Blacksburg 0-2.
    A number of Hokies made their collegiate and Tech debuts over the weekend, most notably center fielder Brennan Reback, first baseman Spencer Palmer, right fielder Gavin Cross, left fielder Carson Jones, shortstop Fritz Genther - who all started in the opener - and in Game 2, starting pitcher Anthony Simonelli, catcher Cade Hunter and relief pitcher Henry Weycker.



Week No. 2 - Home Opening Win/Trip to Lafayette, Louisiana 

    Seymour finally made his season debut, and what an effort - 3.0 innings pitched (two perfect) with six strikeouts - and Tech won its fifth straight home opener, defeating ETSU 10-3 on Feb. 18 at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park. Madden scored the first and last run of a nine-run second inning, capping the frame with a three-run home run to lead the offense.


    The Hokies then, for the first time in school history, head to Lafayette, Louisiana where head coach John Szefc was an assistant for six seasons (2003-08). Tech was shutout for the only time during the season on Friday night, ruining a terrific starting pitching effort from Chris Gerard, who struck out a career-high 12 batters over seven innings of work, but two costly errors in the fifth frame was all the runs Louisiana would need as the Ragin' Cajuns got the win.
    Tech bounced back and began what would be a seven-game winning streak, as the team won the final two games of the weekend to win the series. Simonelli picked up his first win for Tech in the 3-2 Saturday contest, as Peyton Alford struck out the side in the ninth to earn his first save, while Seymour was dominant in the rubber match - striking out 11 Louisiana batters over six innings and the Hokies shut out the Ragin' Cajuns, 3-0.
    The Hokies' pitching staff was dominant on the mound the entire weekend as they combined to allow just one earned run and strike out 41 batters in 26 total innings of work. Seymour was recognized with a couple honors.
 



Week No. 3 into No. 4 - Hokies continue win streak 

    Tech returned from Louisiana with a two-game winning streak and, due to weather which cancelled a game at High Point, would play its next five games at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park. At the friendly confines of their home ballpark, the Hokies rattled off five straight victories to run their win streak to seven straight and included the team extending its home winning streak in the month of February to 15 straight victories - dating back to the 2013 season. 
    On Feb. 25, Tech trailed 1-0 against Radford, but used a three-run seventh to take the lead and Brzykcy picked up his first save of the year by recording the games final five outs, including back-to-back strikeouts in the ninth. The Hokies improved to 27-3 all-time against Radford in Blacksburg including five straight.
    Over the weekend, the Hokies used their speed to runaway with a 15-4 victory over Bryant in the series opener and then closed out a doubleheader sweep on Sunday with strong starting pitching and a flawless bullpen. Brennan Reback stole three of the team's eight bases (which ended up being an ACC single game best for 2020) on Friday and Carson Taylor had four hits and four RBI at the plate to lead to the 15-4 win. Sunday, Tech won the first game 7-2 as Simonelli tossed a season-high 6.0 innings and struck out a season-high eight batters. Seymour worked 5.1 innings and struck out nine Bulldogs in Tech's 10-2 win. On the day, the bullpen did not allow a run over a combined 6.2 innings with nine strikeouts.


    It was more of the same for Tech in its next home game on March 4, as they quickly dispatch Marshall with an eight-run fourth frame and cruised to a 10-5 victory as the Hokies scored at least 10 runs for the third time in four games and the fourth time overall in Blacksburg. Tech's seven-game winning streak was the longest since the team opened the 2019 season on a seven-game winning streak (Feb. 15-Feb. 26) and the Hokies started 6-0 at home for the first time since the team won eight straight to open the 2012 season.
 


 Weekend No. 4 - ACC Opener was a battle of the Techs 

    For the 12th time in its 16 year-history in the conference, Tech started ACC play on the road, and for the seventh time it was against a ranked opponent. The Hokies took on No. 29 Georgia Tech (by NCBWA), the most common of their nine opponents they've faced on ACC Opening Day. It was the fourth time Virginia Tech played Georgia Tech on ACC opening weekend - and the third time on the road - and the series did not disappoint as the two teams battled for nine innings on both Friday and Saturday, before extras were needed on Sunday.
    Georgia Tech snapped the Hokies' win streak on Friday as they registered a walk-off win in the ACC series opener. VT looked primed to with its eighth straight (which would have tied their longest win streak since 2013) holding a 3-1 lead after Taylor plated Biddison with an insurance run in the top of the eighth. However, the Yellow Jackets scored three times in the bottom of the ninth to get the 4-3 win.
    It was "déjà vu all over again" (the famous Yogi-ism) on Saturday, as VT held another late-game lead before GT made a comeback. This game was back-and-forth as the lead changed sides five times, the last for the Hokies was in the seventh inning. VT scored three times with Palmer lacing a two-RBI single and Hunter added an RBI single to make if 5-3. Again, though, GT came back for the win scoring four in the eighth and then held on for the 7-5 win.
    Sunday, Seymour did all he could to stake the Hokies to a 6-3 lead in the seventh - as he struck out a career-high 14 batters over six innings of work, the most for a VT pitcher in an ACC regular-season game (he would be honored again for the effort). However, it would take extra innings and a late-game sub to decide the final contest. Reback, who took over in center field in the ninth, came to the plate with one out in the 10th. He singled, moved to second on an error, stole third and then scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch with two outs. Nathan Starliper, who finished off a scoreless ninth, issued a two-out walk in the home half of the 10th, but got the final out with a strikeout, as the Hokies pitching staff combined to strike out 19 Yellow Jackets. It was the most strikeouts by a Tech staff ever in an ACC game (previous high was 16 on April 10, 2011 at Wake Forest).


 Week 5 - Hokies end season with two more home wins 

    Tech returned to Blacksburg for two more home games before the season was abruptly shortened due to the current conditions on March 12. Another blowout win over William & Mary (19-4) was followed by the victory over George Mason. Leading the Hokies at the plate in the rout of the Tribe was Taylor, who tied a season high with four hits, including a pair of doubles, scored a career-high tying four times and collected a career-high five RBI. In fact, in a 10-run third, Taylor accounted for five of the runs on two hits – he scored twice and drove in three more.
    He stayed hot in what would be Wednesday's final win of the season, hitting a solo home run and adding two RBI in leading the Hokies to their third straight victory. He had just been named to the 2020 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Watch List, announced by the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission before the game.

 Top Notes and National Rankings

Top Team Notes 

  • The team's perfect 8-0 record at home was the program's best start to a season since the 2012 squad won its first eight games in Blacksburg.
  • Adding the final home win from 2019, Tech has won nine straight at home, the longest streak since the team won 11 straight from April 28, 2015 through March 4, 2016.
  • Tech will enter the 2021 season tied for the 12th longest home-win streak in the NCAA.
  • The Hokies stole 35 bases for the season in just 16 games. It was more than last year's 30, and, over the last five seasons, the high-water mark was 39 (2018).
  • The team won 10 games in nonconference action, which included ending the shortened season on a nine-game winning streak, the longest since the team won 18 straight nonconference games in a row back in 2012.
  • Tech's offense produced some high-scoring innings during the year, which including games when they scored 10, nine, eight and seven runs in a single inning. They also registered two five-run frames and two four-run innings. The Hokies were 7-1 when they recorded at least one inning in a game with three or more runs.
  • The perfect record at home is the best since the team went 16-0 at Tech Park during the 1969 season. The team was also undefeated in 1966, going 6-0. The best home mark at English Field (min. 20 games) is 17-3-1 for a 83.3 win percentage in 1992.

NCAA Team Rankings - Offense

  • Stolen Bases: 10th - 36
  • Stolen Bases per game: 13th - 2.25
  • Scoring: 54th - 6.9 per game
  • Runs: 59th - 110
  • Batting Average: 68th - .280
  • Hits: 78th - 150
  • On-base percentage: 83rd - .376
  • Triples: 87th - 4
  • Base on Balls: 88th - 75

NCAA Team Rankings - Pitching/Defense

  • Strikeouts Per Nine: 9th - 11.9
  • Strikeout-to-Walk ratio: 26th - 3.30
  • Earned Run Average: 48th - 3.05
  • Fielding Percentage: 64th - .975
  • WHIP: 65th - 1.25
  • Walks Allowed Per Nine: 73rd - 3.62
  • Hits Allowed Per Nine: 74th - 7.62
  • Shutouts: 88th - 1

Top Individual Notes 

  • Nick Biddison was one of four Hokies to start all 16 games which ran his consecutive starts streak to 62 straight, the longest on the team. He also had a season-best 14-game hitting streak, which he ended the year with, while he reached base in all 16 games, extending his consecutive streak to 23 straight games, dating back to the 2019 season.
  • Chris Gerard struck out a career-high 12 batters at Louisiana (Feb. 21, 2020) to become the first sophomore at Tech (since 2005) to strike out a dozen or more batters in a single game and it was tied for the fourth-most strikeouts by a pitcher since 2005. He enters 2021 with a career ERA of 2.41, the best ever for a pitcher since Tech joining the ACC.
  • Brennan Reback twice stole three bases in a single game - against Bryant (Feb. 28, 2020) and George Mason (March 11, 2020), which is tied for the second most in a single game since Tech joined the ACC and one shy of the school record.
  • Ian Seymour ended the 2020 season in the top seven in six all-time categories (since Tech joined the ACC in 2005), including first in strikeouts per nine innings (10.77), third in lowest opponents batting average (.243), sixth in strikeouts (191) and lowest ERA (3.83), and seventh in starts (30) and most pickoffs (5). He also became the first Tech pitcher since 2002 to post four career games with 10 or more strikeouts, to have three games all-time with 10 or more strikeouts against ACC opponents and set the school record for strikeouts in an ACC regular season game with 14 at No. 29 Georgia Tech (March 8) in just 6.0 innings. He was closing in on becoming the first junior at the school to reach 200 career strikeouts (currently at 191) since Justin Wright finished his junior season with 216 (2008-10) and was on pace to surpass Wright and challenge the school record for strikeouts in a three-year career set by Joe Sanders (2000-02) with 255.
  • Carson Taylor now has his name listed on five school records, including most chances in a single game and most putouts by a catcher in a single game, accomplished on March 8, 2020 at No. 29 Georgia Tech. His single-season fielding percentage of 1.000 during the 2020 season (min. 100 chances) is tied for the best ever, while his career .998 is also the best ever (min. 400 chances)

NCAA Individual Rankings - Offense

  • Carson Taylor: ranked in 13 categories - 27th in on-base percentage, 32nd in batting average, 34th in doubles, 35th in RBI, 37th in RBI per game (1.25), 45th in runs per game (1.19), 49th in runs, 50th in hits, 59th in doubles per game (0.44), 64th in slugging percentage, 69th in hits per game (1.56), 70th in total bases and 81st in toughest to strikeout (11.6 per at-bat, just five times)
  • Gavin Cross: ranked in five categories - 74th in stolen bases, 76th in hits, 89th in hits per game (1.50), 103rd in stolen bases per game (0.44) and 190th in batting average.
  • Nick Biddison: ranked in three categories - 78th in sacrifice flies, 130th in runs and 140th in runs per game (1.00).
  • Fritz Genther: ranked in three categories - tied for 44th in stolen bases overall per game (0.53) and 45th overall, and 136th in sacrifice bunts.
  • Brennan Reback: ranked in three categories - tied for 44th in stolen bases overall per game (0.53) and 45th overall, and 51st in sacrifice bunts.
  • Tanner Thomas: ranked tied for 51st in sacrifice bunts and 61st in sacrifice bunts per game (0.21).
  • Kevin Madden: ranked tied for 148th in home runs.

NCAA Individual Rankings - Pitching

  • Ian Seymour: ranked in six categories - fourth in strikeouts per nine innings (17.70), 18th in strikeouts, 23rd in wins, tied for 29th in starts, 51st in strikeout-to-walk ratio (8.00) and 101st in WHIP (0.89).
  • Chris Gerard: ranked in five categories - tied for 29th in starts, 72nd in strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.25), 107th in walks allowed per nine innings (1.57), 110th in strikeouts and 119th in ERA.
  • Peyton Alford: ranked tied for 35th in pitching appearances.
  • Jaison Heard: ranked tied for 35th in pitching appearances.
  • Anthony Simonelli: ranked tied for 29th in starts.

Of note: For spring sports, any single-game records by a team or individual will be recognized by the NCAA, as will career marks and coaching records. However, since seasons were in their early stages individual or team per-game averages among NCAA records will not be recognized, nor will national statistical champions be announced. Virginia Tech record books will also reflect the same.