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Baseball

Hokies to wrap up regular season at No. 1 Wake Forest

Virginia Tech Notes

Virginia Tech (29-19, 11-15 ACC) 
at No. 1 Wake Forest (43-8, 20-6 ACC)

Thursday, May 18
English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park
6 p.m. ET
ACC Network Extra
Virginia Tech Sports Network

Friday, May 19
English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park
6 p.m. ET
ACC Network Extra
Virginia Tech Sports Network

Saturday, May 20
English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park
4 p.m. ET
ACC Network Extra
Virginia Tech Sports Network


BLACKSBURG – In control of its own destiny, the Virginia Tech baseball team (29-19, 11-15 ACC) will make its final push for the 2023 ACC Baseball Championship this week when the Hokies set out to topple No. 1 Wake Forest (43-8, 20-6 ACC) during the teams' season-closing ACC series at David F. Couch Ballpark in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (May 18-20).
 
Thursday through Saturday's games will air live on ACC Network Extra with coverage beginning at 6 p.m., 6 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively. Fans may also listen to all three games as called by the voice of Tech baseball, Evan Hughes, on the Virginia Tech Sports Network.

PROBABLE STARTERS
• Thursday:  TBD vs. TBD
• Friday:  TBD vs. TBD
• Saturday:  TBD vs. TBD
 WHAT'S AT STAKE

  • Entering the final week of the regular season, Virginia Tech (11-15 ACC) controls the 10th best record in the ACC, seeking qualification into the 12-team field at the 2023 ACC Baseball Championship.
  • The Hokies' easiest path to the conference tournament revolves around their magic number with Louisville, which is down to one. As such, Tech can clinch a tournament berth with any win against Wake Forest, or any defeat by the Cardinals this week against Florida State.
  • Virginia Tech's postseason fate is not entirely dependent on Louisville; the 10th-place Hokies lead 11th-place Pitt (10-15 ACC) by a half game and 12th-place NC State (10-16 ACC) by one game with the Wolfpack hosting the Panthers during their final ACC acts. Although Tech does not own the head-to-head tiebreaker against Pitt, the Hokies could potentially own the head-to-head tiebreaker against NC State under the condition that North Carolina or Virginia are the highest placing common opponent at the end of the regular season.
  • Through games completed on Tuesday, Virginia Tech ranks No. 53 in the NCAA Division I Baseball RPI and carries its strength of schedule at No. 48 in the country. The Hokies are 8-12 against the RPI top 50 and 18-17 against the RPI top 100 this season while about to add three games against Wake Forest (RPI No. 2).
  • Currently in his 18th head coaching season, John Szefc is one win away from leading his 12th career team to 30 or more victories (his second such accomplishment at Virginia Tech). The Hokies are also one win shy of achieving back-to-back 30-win seasons for the first time since the 2012 and 2013 campaigns.

 

SERIES HISTORY

  • Virginia Tech has won four consecutive games against Wake Forest, including its three-game sweep of the Demon Deacons during April 2021. The programs are tied, 19-19, during 38 shared ACC regular season meetings.
  • Tech is 2-1 all-time against opponents ranked No. 1 in D1Baseball's top 25 poll, having taken a three-game series off No. 1 Florida State during March 2017 in Blacksburg. The Hokies also hold a 10-8 all-time record against opponents ranked in D1Baseball's top five, including four series wins to date against No. 3 Virginia (2015), No. 1 Florida State (2017), No. 2 Miami (2022) and No. 5 Virginia (2023).
  • Virginia Tech has won 10 of its last 13 regular season series against D1Baseball ranked opponents. Earlier this season in Blacksburg, the Hokies won a three-game set off then-No. 5 Virginia during the Commonwealth Clash presented by Smithfield.

 

UP NEXT

  • Virginia Tech's magic number to qualify for the 2023 ACC Baseball Championship is down to one; the Hokies can clinch their third consecutive berth with any victory or any Louisville loss during the remainder of the regular season.
  • The 2023 ACC Baseball Championship will take place at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, North Carolina, from Tuesday, May 23, to Sunday, May 28. Pool play will open on Tuesday, May 23, running through Friday, May 26, before Saturday's semifinal round and Sunday's championship day.