GREENSBORO, N.C. – Considered by many to have been the hottest NCAA Division I hitter last week, Virginia Tech fifth-year outfielder Chris Cannizzaro has been named the ACC Player of the Week, as announced by the conference on Monday.
After hitting for the cycle inside his 5-for-6 showcase on Feb. 26 against Bryant, Cannizzaro proceeded to register three or more hits during each of Tech's four victories against Radford (Tuesday) and Charlotte (Friday-Sunday). Considering the four games that counted towards today's ACC Player of the Week honor, the Bucknell transfer combined to bat .700 (14-for-20) and slug 1.250 with three doubles, a triple and two home runs, leading the Hokies with his nine RBIs.
During Friday's series opener against Charlotte, Cannizzaro dialed up the heroics for Virginia Tech, hammering the game-winning, walk-off home run for the Hokies during the bottom of the 10th inning. He went on to finish the series coming up a triple (Saturday) and a home run (Sunday) shy of recording his second cycle within a week's time.
Expanding the range on his hot streak to include his Feb. 26 cycle, Cannizzaro heads into the first full week of March having compiled 19 hits during his last 26 at-bats. As of March 6, he stands alone atop the country in total hits (27) – 2.45 per game – ranking fifth nationally in batting average (.540) and 11th in slugging percentage (1.020).
Should Cannizzaro's statistics fail to justify his recognition among the nation's best hitters, the analytics behind his mechanics at the plate should shed any doubt. Last week, the 5-foot-10, 175-pound slugger charted seven swings that registered an exit velocity above 100 miles per hour – the most among Tech players – including four that clocked above 106 miles per hour.
More impressively, Cannizzaro's roaring start to the 2023 season can be defined by his ability to defend the zone. Convincingly, he has been the hardest member of the Hokies' lineup to strike out, having punched out three times during his first 50 spring at-bats (once spanning his last 29 at-bats).
Defensively, Cannizzaro has been clean on 15 chances this season and continues to lead Tech's outfield corps in assists (two) – his most recent having been earned on a 7-3 double play against Bryant on Feb. 24.
Cannizzaro and No. 11 Virginia Tech will wrap up their 13-game home stand with five home games this week at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park. The Hokies will return to the diamond on Tuesday, March 7, when they open a two-game series against UMass Lowell; first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
