Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Equipped with 25 wins and one of its best starts across program history, the No. 8 Virginia Tech baseball team (25-9, 9-7 ACC) will look to bring the heat to New England this weekend when it treks north to Boston College (15-22, 3-15 ACC) for a three-game road series (April 22-24).
On Saturday, Tech will participate in the Eagles' 10th annual ALS Awareness Game at Fenway Park in Boston, honoring former BC baseball captain Pete Frates, who lost his courageous battle with ALS in 2019 at the age of 34. Saturday's game will air live on ACC Network with coverage beginning at 6 p.m.
Friday and Sunday's games between the Hokies and BC will take place at the Harrington Athletics Village in Brighton. Fans may tune into WRAD-FM 101.7 to listen to all three games as called by the play-by-play voice of Tech baseball, Evan Hughes.
| SERIES SCHEDULE | |||||
| Day | Date | Time | Opponent | Network | Radio |
| Fri. | April 22 | 5:30 p.m. | Boston College | ACCNX | WRAD-FM 101.7 |
| Sat. | April 23 | 6 p.m. | Boston College | ACCN | WRAD-FM 101.7 |
| Sun. | April 24 | 1 p.m. | Boston College | ACCNX | WRAD-FM 101.7 |
PROBABLE STARTERS
• Friday: Griffin Green (5-1, 3.94 ERA) vs. Joe Mancini (2-2, 5.66 ERA)
• Saturday: Drue Hackenberg (7-0, 2.21 ERA) vs. Henry Leake (2-0, 5.46 ERA)
• Sunday: TBD vs. TBD
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
• Here Come the Hokies: In five short seasons under the direction of head coach John Szefc, Virginia Tech has emerged as a deserving ACC championship contender, having vaulted on Monday to No. 8 in D1Baseball's top 25 rankings. After their 0-4 start to league play, the Hokies have since won five consecutive ACC series with their 9-3 conference mark, chalking 15 victories during their last 18 games overall. Tech's No. 8 ranking marks the program's highest D1Baseball poll placement all-time, coming in three positions behind the current ACC leader, No. 5 Miami. Last week, the Hokies' lineup shelled the division-leading Hurricanes for 25 runs while taking the opening two games of the teams' three-game series in Blacksburg. Tech averaged 14.0 hits per nine innings against Miami, rallying for three-plus runs on five occasions. The Hokies' recent swell of ACC success can also be attributed to starting right-handers Griffin Green and Drue Hackenberg. Since March 18, Tech is 8-1 when playing behind Green and Hackenberg – Green has toed a 3-0 record with a 3.95 ERA, 23 strikeouts and nine walks during the stretch while Hackenberg has boasted a 4-0 record with a 2.40 ERA, 27 strikeouts and five walks.
• 2022 ALS Awareness Game: Virginia Tech will be making its Fenway Park debut on Saturday when the Hokies oppose Boston College during the Eagles' 10th annual ALS Awareness Game. Hosted by BC, the ALS Awareness Game honors the legacy of its former baseball captain, Pete Frates, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2012. Frates became inspirational locally, regionally and nationally in spreading ALS awareness through his iconic Ice Bucket Challenge – a social media trend where participants drench themselves in ice water while encouraging donations to fund further ALS research. Pete tragically passed away in 2019 at the age of 34. All proceeds from the 2022 ALS Awareness Game at Fenway Park will benefit the Peter Frates Foundation, a nonprofit organization supporting ALS patients and their families with the cost of specialized home care required for patient stability as the disease progresses. Tech's appearance at Fenway Park will mark its first in an MLB ballpark since 1998 when the Hokies competed in the Atlantic 10 Championship at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (home of the Philadelphia Phillies).
• Schobel's Slugging: Sophomore shortstop Tanner Schobel is the latest member of the "Hammerin' Hokies" to go on a hot stretch. Coming off ACC Co-Player of the Week honors on Monday, Schobel batted 5-for-9 during Tech's two midweek victories against VMI and Radford, scoring six runs while totaling six RBIs and swiping two bags. During his last eight games, Schobel has raised his batting average by 28 points to .382, having recorded four three-hit games and totaled 21 of his 49 RBIs. Camped in the third spot of the Hokies' batting order, he is one of five Tech players who rank among the top 100 NCAA Division I players in slugging percentage (.728) – a class that features Jack Hurley (.803), Cade Hunter (.787), Carson DeMartini (.690) and Gavin Cross (.679). With Schobel raking, Virginia Tech heads into this weekend's series at Boston College ranked second nationally in batting average (.328), second in slugging percentage (.612), tied for second in home runs (77) and sixth in scoring (9.5 runs per game).
UP NEXT
No. 8 Virginia Tech will return to Blacksburg for a midweek home game against James Madison on Wednesday, April 27 (previously scheduled for April 26). First pitch at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park is scheduled for 6 p.m.