Five Reasons to Attend: Virginia Tech vs. BucknellFive Reasons to Attend: Virginia Tech vs. Bucknell
Baseball

Five Reasons to Attend: Virginia Tech vs. Bucknell

Hokies kick off seven-game homestand to begin 2025 season

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BLACKSBURG – On the starting line of a new season, the Virginia Tech baseball team will make its long-awaited return to competition on Friday, Feb. 14, when the Hokies open the 2025 regular season with a three-game series against Bucknell at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park. 

Friday’s action features a 1 p.m. ET, season-opening doubleheader against the Bison before the two programs round out the weekend on Sunday, Feb. 16, with a 1 p.m. finale.  

Virginia Tech's 2025 schedule is highlighted by exciting matchups fans will not want to miss, from the toughest of ACC challengers to testy non-conference foes. The Hokies boast a mix of both veteran presence and youthful spark that are sure to captivate fans this spring.  

Here are five reasons to attend baseball’s season-opening home series against Bucknell.

  1. Welcome Back to English Field: Virginia Tech will make its 2025 debut at English Field with this weekend’s three-game home series against Bucknell. The Hokies, who boasted a 22-9 record at home last season, will look to continue their winning ways against the Bison, who finished 6-16 on the road last spring. Fans will not want to miss the return of the Hokies this Friday with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. ET!
  2. Two Days, Three Games – For Free: Virginia Tech will continue to open the gates to English Field at no cost to fans when non-conference opponents visit the Hokies this season. All three contests in this series against Bucknell are free to the public and ballpark seating is general admission, giving fans even more opportunity to see the Hokies up close and in action this spring. Don’t miss this sweet chance to see the team on the house this weekend!
  3. Love Is In The Air: To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Virginia Tech is hosting “Smitten as a Mitten” weekend at English Field. Be sure to celebrate the holiday with “Bring your Valentine’s to the Ballpark” on Friday to enjoy free candy and cards from the Hokies and "Sunday Funday” to end the exciting series. Hit a home run with that special someone by bringing them to the ballpark this weekend!

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  4. Giveaways: Fans in attendance at this weekend’s games will be able to feel the Hokie love in more ways than one. Alongside $2 hot chocolates and coffees at all three games, candy grams will be available at Friday’s matchups, and kids will be able to run the bases after Sunday’s finale. You will not want to miss this chance to spread the love!
  5. Players to Watch: Virginia Tech is a team on many experts’ boards that is bound to surprise in 2025 with a wealth of talent despite some unfamiliar names. Among key returners, junior first baseman Garrett Michel is fully healthy from his untimely wrist injury that sidelined him a year ago before ACC play had begun. Michel, a 2023 Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Freshman All-American and ACC All-Freshman Team honoree, batted .400 through nine games as a sophomore, launching four home runs. Offensively, the Hokies are led by defending ACC batting champion Ben Watson, who belted .419 and set the program’s single-season record for hits (93) during the 2024 campaign. Watson, a native of West Chester, Pennsylvania, represented Virginia Tech on the 2025 NCBWA Preseason All-American Third Team. Fans should also watch for the continued emergence of right-hand ace Brett Renfrow, who went 6-4 last season and sported a 4.92 ERA while placing onto the 2024 All-ACC Third Team. Incoming transfers like senior outfielder Jackson Cherry (Mercer), junior infielder Jared Davis (Florida SouthWestern State), senior outfielder Treyson Hughes (Ole Miss) and senior infielder David Lewis (North Greenville) are bound to become everyday position players for the Hokies in 2025, while graduate pitcher Cameron LeJeune (McNeese State) and junior pitcher Brendan Yagesh (Mount St. Mary’s) could become core contributors on the mound.