BLACKSBURG – A week into April, the No. 11 Virginia Tech baseball team sits idly by in anticipation of hosting a marquee matchup this weekend against No. 21 Wake Forest at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park (April 5-7).
Watch every pitch and hammer swing inside Tech's home ballpark this weekend with single-game tickets starting at $10. Access to the Hokies' remaining ACC series is also available with more value by purchasing a 15-game flex ticket plan today.
Yet to drop an ACC or nonconference series this spring, Virginia Tech is geared up for its first top-25 matchup of the season as the Hokies cross bats with D1Baseball's preseason No. 1 program, Wake Forest.
Tech is fresh off its recent series win against Pitt, during which the Hammerin' Hokies demonstrated their confidence to also play small, dropping three infield bunts (including two squeeze bunts) during the eighth inning to win Saturday's finale against the Panthers, 6-5. Though denied its third ACC sweep of the season, Tech's arms combined to log 29 strikeouts, offsetting the Hokies' lowest scoring weekend of the 2024 campaign (17 runs).
"You're supposed to win ACC series at home," said head coach John Szefc following Saturday's series-clinching win against Pitt. "You have to do whatever you can to make it happen."
Wake Forest arrives in Blacksburg riding a handful of up-and-down results. After starting the season 11-1, the Demon Deacons have teetered to a 7-9 mark during their last 16 games, enduring the misfortune of being swept at home last weekend against then-No. 14 North Carolina.
A team comprised of some of the nation's best arms, Wake Forest will line up right-hander Chase Burns (transfer from Tennessee) opposite Virginia Tech right-hander Brett Renfrow during Friday's series opener. Burns, who recently earned back-to-back ACC Pitcher of the Week accolades, ranks second among NCAA Division I arms in strikeouts (82) and fourth among ACC pitchers in ERA (2.89), immediately ahead of Renfrow (3.26).
With Renfrow and company commanding the hill to begin weekends, the Hokies are 6-1 during series-opening action this season and on the hunt to pad their record.
English Field is sure to radiate a postseason atmosphere this weekend, a feeling recognized by opponents and Tech newcomers like.
"I think it's hard to play here," said junior closer Jordan Little. "The fans really care. They're here to support you. Going into a top-25 matchup, I think there will be even more people here and that will definitely help us."
"When runs are scored and the 'Let's Go Hokies' chant is going, it gives you confidence," Christian Martin described.
Reserve your seats now to take in No. 11 Virginia Tech and No. 21 Wake Forest on the diamond in Blacksburg. The two foes – owners of the best ACC regular season records during the 2022 (Virginia Tech) and 2023 (Wake Forest) campaigns – will battle it out with first pitch times set for 7 p.m. on Friday (April 5), 7 p.m. on Saturday (April 6) and 1 p.m. on Sunday (April 7).
