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Baseball

Registration open for 18th annual Baseball Night in Blacksburg featuring Ripkens

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BLACKSBURG – Welcoming Mid-Atlantic headliners Bill Ripken and Cal Ripken Jr. as keynote speakers at its annual preseason banquet, the Virginia Tech baseball program has opened public registration for its 18th annual Baseball Night in Blacksburg, to be held on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, at The Inn at Virginia Tech.

A formal event, ticketed guests – dressing at minimum in business casual attire – are permitted to arrive at 5:45 p.m. and asked to be seated by 6 p.m. ahead of opening remarks and a catered dinner service. Evan Hughes, master of ceremonies and the voice of the Virginia Tech baseball program, will invite head coach John Szefc to preview the Hokies’ upcoming 2026 season before entertaining the Ripken brothers in an authentic Q&A.

Throughout the evening, Virginia Tech memorabilia will be available at auction until the event’s close at 9 p.m.

Celebrity tables – accommodating six guests alongside VIP(s) – are available for purchase on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at $1,500 (click here to reserve). VIPs at this year’s banquet will include:

  • Frank Beamer – Virginia Tech's legendary head football coach who led the Hokies to 238 victories spanning his 29-year career from 1987 to 2015.
  • Bud Foster – Virginia Tech football's longtime defensive coordinator (1995-2019).
  • Ian Seymour – Virginia Tech baseball alumnus and Tampa Bay Rays pitcher.
  • Joe Mantiply – Virginia Tech baseball alumnus and eight-year MLB veteran pitcher.
  • Chad Pinder – Virginia Tech baseball alumnus, seven-year MLB veteran and manager of the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers

Reserved tables – accommodating six guests alongside two members of the 2026 Virginia Tech baseball program – are available for purchase on a first-come, first-served basis at $1,000 (click here to reserve).

Additionally, individual banquet tickets are available for purchase at $125 (click here to reserve).

All Baseball Night in Blacksburg proceeds will go to support the Virginia Tech baseball program.

Bill Ripken and Cal Ripken Jr. – brothers, Baltimore Orioles teammates and Mid-Atlantic baseball icons – will become the Hokies’ next feature VIPs in a long line of notable headliners, including Cal in 2008. Past banquets have included memorable keynote speakers like Mike Williams (2010), Billy Wagner (2011, 2025), Bobby Valentine (2012), Chuck Hartman (2014), Tim Kurkjian (2018), Ken Rosenthal (2020), Jeff Passan (2022), Chipper Jones (2023), Roger Clemens (2024) and others.

To register for Virginia Tech’s 18th annual Baseball Night in Blacksburg, please click here. Those with questions may direct them to Easton Dally, Virginia Tech baseball general manager and director of operations, by email at edally@vt.edu.