Virginia Tech baseball: Several Hokies earn All-ACC honors

It’s been a season to remember for the Virginia Tech baseball team. The Hokies won the ACC regular-season championship despite being predicted to finish No. 6 — in the Coastal Division.

The Hokies entered this week’s ACC Baseball Championship as the No. 1 seed and will learn their fate in the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship on Monday. Virginia Tech finished the regular season ranked No. 2 in the country. Think about that for a minute. Virginia Tech’s baseball and softball programs are outstanding right now, and they are a hot ticket. The softball Super Regional for this weekend literally sold out before the tickets went on sale for the general public.

As you might expect from such a magical season, the Hokies had several players earn All-ACC honors in baseball, including head coach John Szefc earning ACC coach of the year honors. What Szefc has done in Blacksburg should give fans hope in all sports.

Four Hokies earned first-team All-ACC honors:

• Outfielder Gavin Cross: .319 average, 1,021 OPS, 13 HR, 38 RBI
• Pitcher Drue Hackenburg: 10-1, 2.44 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 85 IP, 78 Ks, 15 BB
• Outfielders Jack Hurley: .383 average, 1,177 OPS, 75 hits, 13 HR, 48 RBI
• Sophomore Tanner Schobel: .366 average, 1,138 OPS, 74 hits, 16 HR, 66 RBI, 60 runs scored

Cross and Schobel were named two of 31 semifinalists for the Golden Spikes Award — given annually to college baseball’s top player.

Catcher Cade Hunter made All-ACC second team and was also named a semifinalist for the Buster Posey Award. Outfielder Nick Biddison, pitcher Griffin Green, and third baseman Carson DeMartini also received All-ACC honors.

Congrats to all of the Hokies.