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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 |