BLACKSBURG – Having prevailed during its first ACC Coastal Division series of the 2022 season, the Virginia Tech baseball team (12-6) will take a brief step out conference play on Tuesday, March 22, when Tech hosts Radford (6-13) at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park.
Tuesday's game between the Hokies and the Highlanders will air live on ACC Network Extra with coverage beginning at 4 p.m. Fans may also tune into WRAD-FM 101.7 to listen to the game as called by the radio play-by-play voice of Tech baseball, Evan Hughes.
| MIDWEEK SCHEDULE | |||||
| Day | Date | Time | Opponent | Network | Radio |
| Tue. | March 22 | 4 p.m. | Radford | ACCNX | WRAD-FM 101.7 |
PROBABLE STARTERS
• Tuesday: Jackson Ritchey (0-1, 2.25 ERA) vs. Gene McGough (0-2, 50.14 ERA)
ENGLISH FIELD VISITORS GUIDE
Click here to review the 2022 English Field Visitors Guide to access information on ballpark access, cashless concession stands, fan-friendly concession pricing, alcohol sales, clear bag policies, indoor mask mandates, gameday parking and more.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
• Bats-burg: Virginia Tech continues to boast one of the most electric offenses in the country as the Hokies start the second month of the season positioned near the top of the deck in a number of statistical categories. Tech is fresh off hammering 10 home runs during its recent ACC series victory against Pitt, mashing six – a season high – on Saturday while setting the program record for most runs scored during an ACC regular season game (22). As a unit, the Hokies have cranked out a tie for the third highest home run count among NCAA Division I programs (41), helping vault Tech's slugging percentage to the second highest mark in the nation (.612). The Hokies' ability to bat from positions one through nine has made them a formidable adversary; last weekend, Tech totaled four home runs from the eight and nine spots in its order, including three from true freshman Carson DeMartini. Defensively, the Hokies are as sound as their offense. Tech possesses the third best fielding percentage in college baseball (.990), leads the ACC in double plays (19) and has combined to yield six outfield assists.
• Hammerin' Hurley: Sophomore outfielder Jack Hurley is off to a monster start to his second collegiate campaign with the Hokies. Five weeks into the 2022 season, Hurley leads the nation with his blistering .486 batting average – one hit shy of squaring off a .500 clip. The second-year stud from Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, is the owner of a 17-game, season-opening hitting streak, having registered seven doubles, a triple and seven home runs to yield the country's fifth highest slugging percentage (.914). Since March 6, Hurley has tagged multiple hits during seven of his eight appearances, peaking at five RBIs during Tech's 22-6 rout of Pitt on Saturday. Tech's left fielder is responsible for four of the Hokies' six outfield assists this season and is also tied with Cade Hunter for the second most stolen bases on the team (five).
• Midweek Opposition: Virginia Tech has won four straight series meetings against Radford dating back to its 2019 home-and-home sweep of the Highlanders. Last February, the Hokies circled the diamond for 22 runs against Radford, scoring 18 runs after the fifth inning to break away from a 4-2 ballgame. Tech controls the 49-15 lead in the all-time series and is 28-3 all-time when hosting the Highlanders in Blacksburg.
UP NEXT
Virginia Tech will begin a seven-game road swing on Friday, March 25, when the Hokies trek north to open a three-game ACC series at No. 12 Notre Dame. First pitch in South Bend, Indiana, is scheduled for 4 p.m.