Tech opens ACC season at English Field at Union Park

The Hokies welcome Pittsburgh for three-game series starting on Friday at 1 p.m.

March 8, 2018

Virginia Tech vs. Pittsburgh
March 9-10, 2018 - English Field at Union Park - Blacksburg, Virginia

Gameday Information
Stats: Link
Audio: Link
Video: Game 1 Game 2

Friday, March 9 - 1 p.m.
Tech: Sr. RHP Connor Coward (0-1, 2.14 ERA)
Pitt: r-So. RHP Derek West (1-0, 2.08 ERA)

Saturday, March 10 - Noon
Tech: Fr. LHP Ian Seymour (1-1, 5.19 ERA)
Pitt: r-Sr. RHP Matt Pidich (2-0, 1.02 ERA)

Saturday, March 10 - @4 p.m.
VT: TBA
Pitt: r-Jr. RHP Blair Calvo (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

QUICK HITTERS
The boys are back in town: After starting the season with three straight weekends on the road, the Virginia Tech baseball program is back home and hosting a weekend series. The Hokies welcome Pittsburgh to English Field at Union Park for the ACC season opener for both teams after playing 12 of their first 13 on the road - a midweek walk-off win over Radford on Feb. 27 was the only home game. Since joining the ACC, Tech's road swing to start the season was the third longest for a team behind the 2015 squad that played its first 11 contests on the road, the longest stretch to open a season, and 15 of 16 to start the year. However, the 2005 team played its first 10 on the road and 21 of its first 22 games away from Blacksburg.

The Hokies in ACC Openers: In its history in the ACC (13 seasons), Tech is 5-8 in its ACC season-opening game, which includes a 1-2 mark at English Field at Union Park. The lone home ACC opening win was over No. 5 Miami, 14-3, back on March 11, 2016. During an ACC season-opening weekend, overall the Hokies are 11-28, but are 4-5 in such weekends when they opened at home.

Speaking of ACC Home Opening weekends: This weekend will mark just the fourth time in Tech’s ACC history that its ACC season-opening weekend will be played at home. In the previous three, the Hokies won a series, 2-1, against Maryland (2010) and lost a series, 2-1, to both No. 14 Georgia Tech (2013) and No. 5 Miami (2016). Overall, Tech has won just one other ACC season-opening weekend series - at No. 21 Georgia Tech back in 2007 (March 9-11).

Tech playing ACC Doubleheaders: In its history in the ACC, Tech has played 22 doubleheaders and overall has won just two, lost eight and has split 12. Of the 22 doubleheaders, it's split right down the middle with 11 of them played on the road and 11 at English Field at Union Park. On the road, the Hokies are 0-5-6 in those games, while they are 2-3-6 in ACC doubleheaders played at English Field at Union Park. Tech played five doubleheaders last season splitting the two played at home against Georgia Tech (April 21) and No. 3 North Carolina (May 13).

Hokies against the Panthers: In a matchup that dates back to the old Big East days, Tech and Pittsburgh have faced each other a total of 32 times, with the Panthers holding an 18-13-1 edge in the overall series. Tech is 5-7 against Pittsburgh at English Field at Union Park and actually swept a three-game ACC series back on March 14-15, 2014 by scores of 11-5, 11-10 and 11-7. However, since that weekend, Pittsburgh has taken control of the series, as the Panthers have won 7-of-9, five in a row and the last two in Blacksburg in 2016.

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