Meet the Hokies… A team that has struggled down the back-half of ACC play
Who’s the Pack playing?
Opponent: Virginia Tech
Mascot: Thanksgiving Main Course | School Location: Blacksburg, VA | Conference: ACC
2024 Record: 32-20 (14-16, 5th Coastal) | 2024 RPI Rank: 60
2023 Record: 30-23 (12-17, 5th Coastal) | 2023 RPI Rank: 50
2022 Record: 45-14 (19-9, T-1st Coastal) | 2022 RPI Rank: 10
When? Where? How do I watch?
Location: Truist Field (Charlotte, NC)
Game Time: Wed, May 22 @ 7:00pm
TV: ACC Network
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast
Tell me about this team
Virginia Tech looked like an at-large Regional team in 2023 heading into the last series of April, but went 6-9 the rest of the way – including an 0-2 ACC Tournament effort – to miss the postseason.
This season has been much the same. The Hokies started off ACC play at 10-2, but going just 4-14 since has put them well outside of the an at-large Regional berth. Especially rough has been the last two weeks of the regular season, going 1-6 and dropping over 20 spots in the the RPI down into the 60’s.
This is a team plenty capable of making a run to an ACC title, although that clearly won’t happen this year after having lost to Duke on Tuesday night, but the truth is the team hasn’t held up well against the top teams on the schedule. Virginia Tech holds just a 5-15 record in Q1 games, including a 2-11 record against teams ranked in the RPI Top 20.
Seven of the nine batters in the lineup have OPS values over .945, and that would be eight of nine if not for a recent injury to 3rd Team All-ACC OF Chris Cannizzaro. This is a team that can hit (collectively .313/.418/.552, 12.6 BB%, 18.3 K%, 40-52 SB), ranking 3rd in the ACC in each of batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage, although those numbers drop to 6th, 9th, and 5th in ACC games.
The pitching has been solid, too. A middle-of-the-pack ACC group, but they rank 4th in ACC play in strikeouts/game while ranking 7th in walks/game. The issue has been the long ball, with VT surrendering a league-worst 2.13 HR/game in ACC play. That’s not a great line item to have with the ACC Tournament being played in the hitter-friendly confines of the home of the Charlotte Knights.
Fielding is one area where Virginia Tech will be among the best. They lead the ACC in fielding percentage (.984) in conference play while ranking 2nd on the overall season among ACC teams (.981).
This is a dangerous Hokies team, especially if the pitchers keep the ball in the park.
(Probable) Pitching Matchup
Wednesday: TBD — RHP Brett Renfrow (FR)
Key Players:
Note: All numbers below are from prior to ACC Tournament play
Offense
CF Ben Watson (SR) – .418/.468/.592, 8.4 BB%, 9.7 K%, 3-3 SB. Grad transfer from D3 Elizabethtown College (.419/.503/.735, 10.8 BB%, 6.8 K%, 15-22 SB). The lefty enters the ACC Tournament on a 13-game hitting streak. He’s mostly been off draft radars, but with his contact skills and eye translating to the ACC level, he’ll hear his name called.
3B Carson DeMartini (JR) – .273/.402/.675, 16.6 BB%, 26.7 K%, 6-7 SB. Freshman All-American in 2022 who has regressed a bit this year due to an inflated strikeout rate – call it due to the draft year pressure. He has legit power and entered the year as a potential first round pick although he’s now more of a 3rd round talent. Crushed a 3-run home run in the 2nd inning against Duke last night.
RF Eddie Micheletti (SR) – .318/.472/.618, 20.3 BB%, 12.9 K%, 3-3 SB. Lefty hitting transfer from George Washington. He had gap power at George Washington (18 2B, 6 HR), but has taken that next step to put the ball over the fence much more this year (11 2B, 12 HR). Has defensive flexibility with the ability to also play first base and catcher. Has excellent skills and showed well in the Cape Cod League last summer. Should be drafted in the first ten rounds this year.
1B/C Gehrig Ebel (SR) – .324/.421/.621, 12.1 BB%, 20.2 K%, 2-2 SB. First off, amazing baseball name. Was a career backup who has taken on a starting role this year and run with it. Caught a bit early in the year, but has settled in as the everyday first baseman now. Enters the ACC Tournament on a 12-game hitting streak.
Pitching
RHP Brett Renfrow (FR) – 6-3, 4.33 ERA, 72.2 IP, 9.4 BB%, 24.8 K%. The Hokies freshman Friday night man is a 3rd Team All-ACC selection and ACC All-Freshman honoree. A big 6’3, 225 pounder has a low-to-mid-90’s heater that he likes to run up in the zone as a put-away chase pitch. Also features a tight breaking ball and a low-80’s changeup. Really promising arm. His weakness is because he likes to live up in the zone, he can get hurt with home runs (allowed 12 on the year in 14 starts).
RHP Brady Kirtner (rJR) – 7-0, 2 SV, 4.34 ERA, 37.1 IP, 17.2 BB%, 21.3 K%. Was a 12th round pick of the Mets in last year’s draft who chose to come back for a fourth year in Blacksburg. Pitches out of a high 3⁄4 slot with a low-to-mid-90’s high-spin heater. Has a slider and a high-spin curve. Control is an obvious weakness.
RHP Grant Manning (SR) – 2-0, 4.98 ERA, 34.1 IP, 15.0 BB%, 25.6 K%. Grad transfer from D3 Chapman University where he started 31 games (15-6, 3.43 ERA, 218.0 IP, 6.6 BB%, 23.0 K%). He’s a tall 6’6 dude with a four pitch repertoire. The downhill nature of his delivery allows the stuff to play up.
LHP Matthew Siverling (rSR) – 2-1, 4.44 ERA, 26.1 IP, 9.9 BB%, 21.6 K%. A 6’5 native of Matthews, NC, looked like a mainstay in the VT staff, but missed almost all of 2022. He worked back last year and has continued to work his way into a valuable role, tying for 3rd on the team in appearances this year.
RHP Jordan Little (JR) – 0-2, 7 SV, 7.15 ERA, 22.2 IP, 7.6 BB%, 27.6 K%. Transfer from East Carolina who tossed only 2.2 innings for the Pirates before transferring to VT this year and becoming the Hokie’s closer. The 6’4, 205 pounder features a low-to-mid-90’s heater with a changeup and slider. Should the Mint Hill, NC, native return next year, he’s a candidate for a starting gig. Was the first arm out of the bullpen for VT last night against Duke, tossing __ pitches.
Quick! Fun Facts!
NC State is 49-24-2 all-time against Virginia Tech, with the first couple games between the two schools apparently being on the gridiron (17-20 in 1940 and 10-14 in 1942).
The two schools have only faced off once in ACC Tournament history: a 10-9 Wolfpack win in 2010.
The Hokies have two alums at the MLB level in 2024: LHP Joe Mantiply (Diamondbacks), OF Kerry Carpenter (Tigers).
Virginia Tech features former NC State transfer SR INF Eddie Eisert (.190/.333/.286, 13.5 BB%, 23.1 K%) who started the #Pack13 game in Omaha vs Vanderbilt in 2021.
The Key To A Win For State
There are some good arms in the bullpen for the Hokies, but it’s not a deep group, and Renfrow has been great this year. Against a strike-thrower like Renfrow (hasn’t walked more than three batters in any of his last six starts), the Pack batters should be aggressive early in the count and hunt fastballs.
Prediction
With the Hokies loss to Duke last night, their season will officially end against the Wolfpack tonight. What level of interest Virginia Tech will have in the game will be interesting to see. For NC State, this will likely be a back-end of the roster Johnny Wholestaff game, saving all the top arms for Duke on Thursday night and hopefully the rest of the tournament.
From a Regional hosting perspective, though, the Pack would be wise to not mail it in tonight. While most national publications are saying State is comfortably in as a host, my view is that an 0-2 ACC Tournament mark coupled with some solid performances from teams also in the hosting mix may end up with the Pack hitting the road for regionals.
Outcome: Pack win a slugfest, 10-8