BLACKSBURG – Returning to the comforts of its home ballpark, the Virginia Tech baseball team (10-5, 0-3 ACC) will vie for its first ACC wins of the season this weekend when it squares off against Pitt (9-8, 0-3 ACC) during a three-game series (March 18-20).
Due to potential rain forecast in Blacksburg, Friday's start time between the Hokies and Panthers has been moved up to 2 p.m. (previously 4 p.m.).
| SERIES SCHEDULE | |||||
| Day | Date | Time | Opponent | Network | Radio |
| Fri. | March 18 | 2 p.m. | Pitt | ACCNX | WRAD-FM 101.7 |
| Sat. | March 19 | 3 p.m. | Pitt | ACCNX | WRAD-FM 101.7 |
| Sun. | March 20 | 1 p.m. | Pitt | ACCNX | WRAD-FM 101.7 |
PROBABLE STARTERS
• Friday: Griffin Green (2-1, 3.93 ERA) vs. Matt Gilbertson (1-2, 3.80 ERA)
• Saturday: Drue Hackenberg (3-0, 1.96 ERA) vs. Logan Evans (2-0, 2.49 ERA)
• Sunday: TBD vs. Billy Corcoran (2-1, 4.50 ERA)
ENGLISH FIELD VISITORS GUIDE
Click here to review the 2022 English Field Visitors Guide to access information on ballpark access, ticketing plans & pricing, mobile & cashless ticketing, cashless concession stands, fan-friendly concession pricing, alcohol sales, clear bag policies, gameday parking and more.
TICKETED ADMISSION
Tickets are required for admission to Virginia Tech's five ACC home series this season, beginning with this weekend's three-game series against Pitt. All ticket transactions at English Field are cashless and will require a charge card for purchase.
Fans may present season tickets from their 15- or 10-ticket Flex Plans (click here to learn more information regarding season tickets), or purchase individual tickets that are priced at $10 (tickets for youth ages 6 to 18 are $5; children ages 5 and under are free). Virginia Tech students receiving tickets through the student lottery portal may access home games for free.
Upon entry, seating inside English Field is general admission. Click here to enter Tech's ticketing portal.
SERIES PROMOTIONS
Click here to review promotions and gameday experience elements for Tech's three-game home series against Pitt, including Saturday's Marvel Day: Return of the Hammer theme (first 500 fans will receive a free foam hammer) and Sunday's Kids Run the Bases.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
• Last Year at Pitt: Virginia Tech is looking to capture the spirit of last season's team that swept No. 15 Pitt during its late-March visit to the Steel City. Gavin Cross led the Hokies with his six-hit weekend against the Panthers while Tanner Schobel doubled during each of his three appearances. Offensively, Tech scored first during every game – never trailing Pitt – while its defense played 27 errorless innings. This season, the Hokies will throw new arms at the Panthers as Graham Firoved and Matthew Siverling are the lone members of the 2022 staff to have appeared during last season's series. Tech is also looking to break the stalemate in the all-time series, which currently stands deadlocked at 20-20-1.
• Swinging for the Fences: One of the nation's best home run hitting teams, Virginia Tech enters the weekend ranked fourth among NCAA Division I programs in home runs per game (2.07). Ten Hokies have combined to hammer the team's 31 home runs, which rank in a tie for the seventh most nationally. Eduardo Malinowski continues to rake at a blistering pace, having notched nine home runs across his first 15 appearances at Tech – one home run fewer than the 10 home runs he amassed during his four-year career at Penn (95 games). Malinowski's nine home runs are one off the national lead and are also tied for the highest mark in the ACC alongside Virginia's Jake Gelof and NC State's Tommy White.
• Hack Attack: Virginia Tech right-hander Drue Hackenberg has emerged as a leading arm on the Hokies' 2022 staff that has been efficient in limiting free bases. The true freshman from Lehighton, Pennsylvania, enters the fifth weekend of the season having made more starts (four) than issued walks (three), averaging just below one strikeout (21) per inning pitched (23.0). Hackenberg set a rookie season high with seven strikeouts during his most recent start at No. 13 Georgia Tech, receiving his first no decision after winning each of his first three starts.
UP NEXT
Virginia Tech will host its New River Valley rival, Radford, on Tuesday, March 22. First pitch between the Hokies and the Highlanders at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park is scheduled for 4 p.m.