Virginia Tech Baseball – “Sacrifice Flies in Virginia Tech Baseball”
Tech baseball fans may have noticed that their team’s batting motion has been one of their most memorable features. A favorite of the crowd, Tech’s batting motion is often the catalyst for rally-starting rallies. It’s this style of hitting that keeps Tech free and loose, allowing them to be dangerous in the postseason. The team is also known for their aggressiveness and hard-nosed approach, and this is reflected in the number of home runs they’ve hit this season.
Home runs
Nick Biddison led the way for the Hokies with two solo home runs. His hit tied the school record for most home runs by a player in an NCAA tournament game. He was accompanied by fellow first baseman Gavin Cross and Caden Hunter, who each added a pair of solo shots. Tanner Schobel also hit a solo home run. In an NCAA regional game, Virginia Tech fans were allowed to bring a sledgehammer to celebrate home runs. In the Super Regional, however, that was prohibited.
RBIs
Freshman Carson Jones collected five RBIs in Sunday’s 16-5 win over Toledo. The win marks the most runs scored in one inning in ACC play since 2005. Virginia Tech junior Shane Connolly earned the win out of the bullpen, allowing one hit and no walks over three innings while striking out three. The Hokies’ starting pitcher was sophomore Chris Gerard, who threw two scoreless innings and recorded four strikeouts.
Sacrifice flies
In this week’s edition of “Sacrifice Flies in Virginia Tech Baseball,” we look at the importance of sacrifice flies and their impact on the game. The team has struggled at the plate this season and this is particularly true for freshman shortstop Jack Hurley. Hurley led off the game with a leadoff single, and Cade Hunter followed with a six-pitch full-count walk. After being picked off at second by Eddie Malinowski, the Hokies added another run on a double by Carson Jones. After a pitching change, Szefc called it a swing and a load by working a walk, and his players responded.
Slugging percentage
The Slugging percentage of Virginia Tech’s players ranks sixth in the country, and the top four hitters on the team are from the state of Virginia. This year’s team is led by Gehrig Anglin, who is hitting.317. In addition, the Raiders have three players who hit more than 10 home runs. The top hitters in each category were listed below. The most impressive stat about Virginia Tech’s offense is the number of home runs they hit.
Leadoff home run
The Virginia Tech baseball team blasted five home runs on Friday to beat Oklahoma 43-22. Biddison hit two of the three, and the senior also swung a pretend sledgehammer. The leadoff home run in the third inning gave Tech a 5-0 lead and made it more interesting for the rest of the game. The hokies had 15 hits overall, but only four were home runs.
Nick Biddison
While his high school performance was exemplary, Biddison’s recruitment at Virginia Tech was less than stellar. Originally verbally committed to North Carolina, he was dropped by the Tar Heels at the start of his senior year. So, he contacted Virginia Tech assistant Kurt Elbin, plucked from the VCU staff. Biddison explained that he wanted a new college baseball home and was eager to start at Tech.
Cade Hunter
The 2020 Virginia Tech baseball recruit is already making a name for himself. The catcher started seven games this season, starting every one of them as a catcher. Hunter tallied six hits and two RBIs in a 2-for-4 outing against VCU on March 9. He hit a season-best two-run homer in a doubleheader at Miami on February 26, and smoked a three-run homer at Radford on Feb. 23.
