No. 14 Hokies to begin 13-game home stand against ETSUNo. 14 Hokies to begin 13-game home stand against ETSU
Baseball

No. 14 Hokies to begin 13-game home stand against ETSU

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No. 14 Virginia Tech (2-1, 0-0 ACC) 
vs. ETSU (2-1, 0-0 Southern) 

Tuesday, Feb. 21
English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park
1:30 p.m. ET
Virginia Tech Sports Network


BLACKSBURG – For the first time since competing in the 2022 NCAA Blacksburg Super Regional, the No. 14 Virginia Tech baseball team (2-1, 0-0 ACC) will play in front of its home fans at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park on Tuesday, Feb. 21, when Tech hosts ETSU (2-1, 0-0 Southern) during midweek action at 1:30 p.m.
 
Tuesday's game between the Hokies and the Buccaneers will not be streamed. However, fans may listen to the game as called by the voice of Tech baseball, Evan Hughes, on the Virginia Tech Sports Network.

PROBABLE STARTERS
• Tuesday:  Christian Worley (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Landon Smiddy (1-0, 4.15 ERA)
 HAMMERIN' HEADLINES

  • For the most part, Virginia Tech maintained its footing in the nation's leading college baseball polls, retaining its No. 14 ranking by D1Baseball while dropping one spot to No. 14 in Baseball America's top 25. At the time of Monday's release, the Hokies are ranked among the country's top 15 programs in three of the four available polls.
  • After finishing on the wrong side of its season-opening pitcher's duel against the postseason-worthy CAA favorite, College of Charleston, Tech proceeded to plate 27 runs across the final two games of the weekend to defeat the Cougars by scores of 12-3 and 15-2.
  • Last season, the 2022 Hokies scored 25 or more runs during eight of their 12 three-game series, eclipsing 30 runs on five occasions. Tech's 2023 squad is already +19 in season run differential, having outscored Charleston, 29-10, during opening weekend.
  • Having knocked 126 home runs out of the park last season – the second most during its program history – Virginia Tech waited until game three to leave the yard three times during its season-opening series at College of Charleston. During the course of their 59-game 2022 season, the Hokies failed to produce a home run during consecutive games on only two occasions.
  • Despite being held to three runs during the opening 14 innings of play this season, Tech's offense rallied to outscore the Cougars, 26-2, during the final 13 innings of action. From the sixth inning of Saturday's game onward, the Hokies posted six crooked numbers, staged four big innings of four-plus runs and knocked 10 extra-base hits.
  • Virginia Tech's starting pitchers – Griffin Green (Friday), Drue Hackenberg (Saturday) and Anthony Arguelles (Sunday) – combined to toe a 2.03 ERA during the opening weekend, racking up 15 strikeouts and scattering eight hits across 13 and one-third innings pitched.
  • Fourth-year reliever Henry Weycker set a career high with 10 strikeouts while closing the final four and one-third innings of Saturday's 12-3 win at College of Charleston. All but three of Weycker's 13 outs came by strikeout, earning him status among Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's National Players of the Week.

MIDWEEK STARTER

  • Virginia Tech is projected to turn to junior right-hand pitcher Christian Worley to start Tuesday's midweek affair against ETSU.
  • Worley made 14 appearances during the 2022 season, pairing his 1-0 record with one save during 21 and one-third innings of work.
  • Beginning with his first career save on April 27, 2022 (earned against James Madison), Worley achieved five consecutive scoreless relief outings for the Hokies, spanning 11 innings pitched. During the stretch, he registered 14 strikeouts while allowing two hits and two walks, receiving the winning decision during Tech's 18-6 ousting of Clemson during the 2022 ACC Baseball Championship.
  • Worley set or tied his career highs for innings pitched (3.1), strikeouts (five) and pitches thrown (56) during the Hokies' 15-9 win against Wright State during the opening game of the 2022 NCAA Blacksburg Regional. He also pitched during games two and three of the 2022 NCAA Blacksburg Super Regional against No. 9 Oklahoma.

ALL-TIME SERIES

  • Tuesday's matchup between Virginia Tech and ETSU will mark the programs' 60th meeting. The Hokies control the 41-18 lead in the all-time series.
  • Tech has won five consecutive games and 11 of its last 12 outings against the Buccaneers. The Hokies are 5-0 against ETSU under the leadership of head coach John Szefc.
  • Virginia Tech's lone 2022 scheduled game against ETSU was declared a no contest due to weather with ETSU leading, 1-0, at the start of the bottom of the fourth inning. Despite statistics from the game not counting towards NCAA records or achievements, the Hokies were denied a hit through three innings against the Buccaneers' starter, Landon Smiddy, who recorded five strikeouts on 36 pitches. Tech reliever Jonah Hurney struck out the ETSU side during the top of the fourth inning immediately prior to the game's suspension. After both teams had endured a one-hour, 43-minute rain delay, the game was officially called.
  • The Hokies have combined to outscore ETSU, 37-8, during the teams' three most recent meetings. Tech swept two home-and-home midweek games against the Buccaneers during the 2021 season, highlighted by future 2022 MLB Draft No. 9 overall pick Gavin Cross hitting for the cycle on April 6 in Johnson City.

 

UP NEXT

  • No. 14 Virginia Tech will continue home action on Friday, Feb. 24, when it welcomes Bryant to English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park for a three-game, non-conference series. First pitch of Friday's opening game between the Hokies and the Bulldogs is scheduled for 1 p.m.
  • Tech's season-opening home stand features 13 games at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park beginning Feb. 21 and running through Tech's ACC-opening series against Boston College (March 10-12). Admission during non-conference games is free.
  • Tickets to Virginia Tech's five ACC regular season home series against Boston College (March 10-12), Virginia (March 31-April 2), Georgia Tech (April 14-16), North Carolina (April 28-30) and Clemson (May 12-14) are still available at all pricing options. Purchase your tickets today.
  • Fans, before making your way to English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park this season, consider reviewing the ballpark's 2023 Visitors Guide.