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The Virginia Tech Hokies 2017 Baseball Season is Almost Here

It’s not even close to Spring, but there is baseball in the air. The Virginia Tech Hokies 2017 Baseball Team steps up to bat on February 17th for an opening away weekend in Spartanburg, SC. The home opener is scheduled for Feb 21st at 3:00 against the Thundering Herd of Marshall.

New York Yankees v Virginia Tech Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

Now that football season is over, and the signing furor has wrapped up for NCAA football, it is time we began to look toward something a bit slower paced, pastoral, and varied but still always the same. It’s a time when we think of "pickers" and "sticks". We talk about sliders, curves, and change-ups. We will occasionally think about pitching from the stretch because there’s a man on first, or pitching out and sacrificing a ball for a potential throw out on an attempted steal of first base.

College baseball is an odd sport. It starts a month and a half earlier than the professional leagues. Sometimes it’s even played in snowy, freezing conditions. It certainly is oddly cast as a collegiate event stream since the final weeks of the season can often be several weeks beyond commencement for the seniors.

College baseball is a challenge to analyze since opponents are often from schools that have no NCAA Division 1A presence in other sports. What’s even more difficult is that often these teams are extremely good and present a serious threat to any baseball team; the definition of true Cinderella teams. Baseball is a skill heavy sport. You have to be able to catch reliably with your weak hand. You must be able to swing a bat and make some meaningful contact with the baseball. Throwing a baseball can often be a challenge in and of itself.

There are other skills in the game. There are the dark and mysterious arts of "signs". There is the mystery of the lineup (in which batting around still arrives at a "lead-off" hitter). There is the pitching rotation, and the art of situational pitching. There are clubhouses, bullpens, and dugouts; on deck circles and batters’ boxes. And then there are the rules (written and unwritten) for baseball. Umpires with "tuna can" strike zones along with learning to swear under your breath or look at your feet in disgust just a certain way to make it known your displeasure with a call without risking an ejection.

Baseball used to be the national pastime. It was the game of America. It could be followed live, on a teletype, or on the radio. Baseball fans can see the plays in their minds without once taking a peak at a park full of players and fans.

There are the new renovations going on to English Field at Union Park. Hokie Sports even has a live web cam operating to view the changes going on. So far nothing dramatic has happened but we will see a major change to the way Virginia Tech presents its baseball team to the world. I am sure that the team will appreciate the new clubhouse and improved facilities. There will be an improved press box and a set of suites for season ticket access similar to what the Football program offers.

The Hokies baseball program has a new attitude and is working to up its game to the next level. We can’t wait until the first home game to see how things are progressing. The first pitch is in 10 days. The Hokies head to South Carolina to face off for a three game series against the University of South Carolina Upstate – in Spartanburg, SC.

The Home Opener will be at 3:00 on Feb 21st for a one game contest with the Marshall Thundering Herd. Then it’s a trip way out west to Reno Nevada to play the UofN Wolf Pack for a full three game set between Friday 2/24 and Sunday 2/26.

It’s going to be a great season. Pat Mason is back managing, and there are quite a few returning players to build on last year.

Virginia Tech Hokies regular season Schedule for 2017:

Date and Time

Opponent

Location

Broadcast Information

Fri, Feb 17 / 4 pm

at USC Upstate

Spartanburg, S.C.

Sat, Feb 18 / 1 pm

at USC Upstate

Spartanburg, S.C.

Sun, Feb 19 / 1 pm

at USC Upstate

Spartanburg, S.C.

Tue, Feb 21 / 3 pm

Marshall

English Field at Union Park

Fri, Feb 24 / 5 pm

at Nevada

Reno, Nev.

Sat, Feb 25 / 2 pm

at Nevada (DH)

Reno, Nev.

Sun, Feb 26 / 3 pm

at Nevada

Reno, Nev.

Tue, Feb 28 / 3 pm

Radford

English Field at Union Park

Fri, Mar 3 / 3 pm

Binghamton

English Field at Union Park

Sat, Mar 4 / Noon

Binghamton (DH)

English Field at Union Park

Sun, Mar 5 / Noon

Binghamton

English Field at Union Park

Tue, Mar 7 / 2 pm

Niagara

English Field at Union Park

Wed, Mar 8 / 6 pm

at William & Mary

Williamsburg, Va.

Fri, Mar 10 / 6 pm

at Duke ACC

Durham, N.C.

Listen

Sat, Mar 11 / 1 pm

at Duke ACC

Durham, N.C.

Listen

Sun, Mar 12 / 1 pm

at Duke ACC

Durham, N.C.

Listen

Tue, Mar 14 / 5:30 pm

Canisius

English Field at Union Park

Wed, Mar 15 / 5:30 pm

Canisius

English Field at Union Park

Fri, Mar 17 / 5:30 pm

Florida State ACC

English Field at Union Park

Listen

Sat, Mar 18 / 1 pm

Florida State ACC

English Field at Union Park

Listen

Sun, Mar 19 / 1 pm

Florida State ACC

English Field at Union Park

Listen  - ACC Network Extra ACC Network Extra

Tue, Mar 21 / 5:30 pm

William & Mary

English Field at Union Park

Fri, Mar 24 / 3 pm

at Pitt ACC

Pittsburgh, Pa.

Listen

Sat, Mar 25 / 3 pm

at Pitt ACC

Pittsburgh, Pa.

Listen

Sun, Mar 26 / 1 pm

at Pitt ACC

Pittsburgh, Pa.

Listen

Tue, Mar 28 / 5:30 pm

Campbell

English Field at Union Park

Fri, Mar 31 / 5:30 pm

Boston College ACC

English Field at Union Park

ACC Network Extra ACC Network Extra

Sat, Apr 1 / 1 pm

Boston College ACC

English Field at Union Park

Listen

Sun, Apr 2 / 1 pm

Boston College ACC

English Field at Union Park

Listen

Wed, Apr 5 / 6 pm

at Marshall

Huntington, W.Va.

Fri, Apr 7 / 6:30 pm

at Clemson ACC

Clemson, S.C.

Listen -  ACC Network Extra ACC Network Extra

Sat, Apr 8 / 5:30 pm

at Clemson ACC

Clemson, S.C.

Listen

Sun, Apr 9 / 1 pm

at Clemson ACC

Clemson, S.C.

Listen -  ACC Network Extra ACC Network Extra

Tue, Apr 11 / 6 pm

at Radford

Radford, Va.

Thu, Apr 13 / 5:30 pm

Virginia ACC

English Field at Union Park

Listen - ACC Network Extra ACC Network Extra

Fri, Apr 14 / 5:30 pm

Virginia ACC

English Field at Union Park

Listen - ACC Network Extra ACC Network Extra

Sat, Apr 15 / 1 pm

Virginia ACC

English Field at Union Park

Listen

Tue, Apr 18 / 6:30 pm

at East Tennessee State

Johnson City, Tenn.

Fri, Apr 21 / 5:30 pm

Georgia Tech ACC

English Field at Union Park

Listen

Sat, Apr 22 / 1 pm

Georgia Tech ACC

English Field at Union Park

Listen

Sun, Apr 23 / 1 pm

Georgia Tech ACC

English Field at Union Park

Listen - ACC Network Extra ACC Network Extra

Tue, Apr 25 / 5:30 pm

West Virginia

English Field at Union Park

Listen - ACC Network Extra ACC Network Extra

Fri, Apr 28 / 6:30 pm

at NC State ACC

Raleigh, N.C.

Listen

Sat, Apr 29 / 6:30 pm

at NC State ACC

Raleigh, N.C.

Listen

Sun, Apr 30 / 1 pm

at NC State ACC

Raleigh, N.C.

Listen

Tue, May 2 / 6:30 pm

at Campbell

Buies Creek, N.C.

Tue, May 9 / 5:30 pm

Northeastern

English Field at Union Park

Fri, May 12 / 5:30 pm

North Carolina ACC

English Field at Union Park

Sat, May 13 / 1 pm

North Carolina ACC

English Field at Union Park

Listen - ACC Network Extra ACC Network Extra

Sun, May 14 / 1 pm

North Carolina ACC

English Field at Union Park

Listen - ACC Network Extra ACC Network Extra

Tue, May 16 / Noon

at Old Dominion

Norfolk, Va.

Listen

Thu, May 18 / 7 pm

at Miami ACC

Coral Gables, Fla.

Listen

Fri, May 19 / 7 pm

at Miami ACC

Coral Gables, Fla

Listen

Sat, May 20 / 1 pm

at Miami ACC

Coral Gables, Fla.

Listen

Next Up the Roster Review.

GO HOKIES!!!