Weekend baseball preview – Miami at Virginia Tech

Times
Game 1 – Friday, 5:30 p.m.
Game 2 – Saturday, 1:00 p.m.
Game 3 – Sunday, 12:00 p.m.

Probable starters- (VT vs. UM)
Game 1 – Justin Wright (4-3) vs. Chris Hernandez (3-2)
Game 2 – Matthew Price (4-1) vs. Eric Erickson (2-1)
Game 3 – Jesse Hahn (4-2) vs. Jason Santana (3-1)

This weekend’s three-game series in Blacksburg is a pivotal one for both teams, especially the Hokies.

Virginia Tech took two of three games last weekend in Tallahassee against then-no. 4 Florida State. Following the big weekend, the Hokies were ranked in the USA Today Top 25 poll for the first time in 18 years.

Austin Wates has been on a tear in right field for the Hokies. He leads the ACC with a .436 batting average.

Miami, meanwhile, has won 12 of its last 14 games and sits just ½ game back of Georgia Tech for the ACC Coastal Division lead.

Hurricanes’ junior catcher Yasmani Grandal is batting .396 with 31 RBI this season.

Grandal is one of many stars on a powerful Miami offense, which has scored seven or more runs in 20 of Miami’s 22 wins.

Faced with the task of shutting down Miami on Friday is Hokies’ ace Justin Wright, who was named ACC Pitcher of the Week last week. Wright has allowed 18 earned runs in seven starts this season.

At 6-6 in the ACC, Tech sits at fourth place in the Coastal and sixth place overall in the conference.

The FSU win created some hefty momentum around the program this week, and another couple wins this weekend would do coach Pete Hughes’ team a lot of good.

If you’re in the area this weekend, come out to English Field and get a look at the best baseball team Tech has had to offer in a decade.