blacksburg – Hokies host ACC Top 25 vs. No. 7 Duke, No. 23 Virginia Tech Baseball at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park as they look to make postseason buzz again in 2024 The team is excited to welcome alumni (April 19-21).
Amid the thrill of hosting a high-profile ACC Coastal Division game against the Blue Devils, Tech hopes to join in the festivities with the return of many of the Diamond's legends to Blacksburg this weekend.
Of particular note, Virginia Tech is pleased to celebrate the anniversary seasons of three special teams, pioneers who have helped build the program to its current state of success.
1954 Southern Conference Championship Team – 70th anniversary
Virginia Tech's 1954 Southern Conference championship team was the program's first to reach the NCAA Tournament. With a 14-8 record and 10 wins in conference games, the Hokies won the league title on their way to state Big Six honors.
Virginia Tech advanced to the NCAA District 3 Tournament and will face current ACC rival Clemson in the best-of-three semifinals. The Hokies defeated the Tigers in two games and advanced to the District 3 championship round, where they faced Rollins College for a spot in Omaha.
Virginia Tech will fall 2-0 to Rollins in Winter Park, Fla., but the 1954 Hokies' first valid Super Regional berth won't be earned until 2022.
1994 Metro Conference Championship Team – 30 years anniversary
After the 1954 season, Virginia Tech made three more NCAA Tournament appearances in 1969, 1976, and 1977, and made a surprising return to the postseason in 1994.
During a season scheduled as a “build year,” the historically young Tech team, slumped at the start of the 1994 campaign, never faltered, winning 10 straight games in April and staying within the conference race. was named. Despite a lackluster 8-9 record in the Metro regular season standings, the Hokies entered the week of the conference tournament as the No. 6 seed, ready to shake up the field and take a shot at the trophy.
Sixth-seeded Virginia Tech defeated third-seeded University of South Florida 2-0 and eliminated second-seeded Southern Miss (6-4) and top-seeded University of Charlotte (4-1). pushed up the ladder. The Hokies, one of four teams remaining, suffered their first loss of the postseason to No. 4 seed Tulane, but had the last laugh against the Green Wave, winning by a 5-3 scoreline. The team qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 20 years.
Virginia Tech, making its first NCAA postseason appearance under legendary head coach Chuck Hartman, ironically advanced to the NCAA East Tournament (hosted by Clemson University) and tied for the 5th seed in a 6-seed format. Ta. The Hokies, who finished 32-26, were held scoreless in their district opener against second-seeded Auburn before narrowly falling to sixth-seeded The Citadel, 4-3.
1999 Atlantic 10 Championship Team – 25th anniversary
With Hartman on the bench, Virginia Tech made the NCAA Tournament in 1994 and made the trip again in 1997, establishing a new home in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
In 1999, Tech had one of the most dominant seasons in its history, posting a 42-17 record by season's end. The Hokies thoroughly destroyed their Atlantic 10 opponents, going 18-3 during conference play and winning the West Division with an eight-game lead over the four second-place teams: Duquesne, George Washington, La Salle, and Xavier. fulfilled.
After defeating Temple 4-3 in the first round of the conference tournament, Virginia Tech was surprised 13-6 by La Salle in the winner's bracket final, making the Hokies' path to a title even tougher. Ta. Despite playing from the elimination ladder; hammerlin hokies Riding the momentum, they overtook East Division champion University of Massachusetts with a 9-4 record, then twice dominated La Salle by scores of 15-3 and 20-6 to win the Atlantic 10 postseason championship.
Third-seeded Virginia Tech, which advanced to the NCAA Winston-Salem Regional, was unable to beat second-seeded Richmond in the tournament's opening game and was relegated to the first elimination game against fourth-seeded Siena. The Hokies won 11-5 there, but lost their second game to the Spiders, 11-8.
Virginia Tech was led by two-way star Larry Bowles in 1999, going 10-3 with a 4.27 ERA and leading the Hokies in batting average with a .390 batting average. Bowles was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1999 Atlantic 10 Tournament, in addition to making him one of six Tech players selected to the All-Tournament Team.
Looking back, Virginia Tech will welcome a number of familiar faces to English Field this weekend, hoping to propel them to a series victory against No. 7 Duke.
“It's good to see them back here,” said the head coach. john zefuk. “When you have guys like that, you always want to play well.”
Another top 25 opponent coming to Blacksburg, Duke, is fresh off a recent series win against Pitt. The Hokies enter with something to prove after dropping back-to-back ACC sets against the current No. 1 opponent. 12 Wake Forest and Georgia Tech
Brimming with history and competitive action, Chalk English Fields is sure to shine this weekend. First pitch for No. 23 Virginia Tech and No. 7 Duke is scheduled for Friday (April 19) at 7 p.m., Saturday (April 20) at 7 p.m., and Sunday (April 21) at 1 p.m. ing.
