Grand Opening of English Field at Union Park highlights baseball weekend

Due to impending weather, the teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.

April 13, 2018

BLACKSBURG - The schedule for the Virginia Tech-Louisville baseball series this weekend at English Field at Union Park has been altered due to a forecast for inclement weather on Sunday. The two teams will still begin the series tonight at 6 p.m., but will play a doubleheader on Saturday (April 14). Game 1 is set for 1 p.m., while Game 2 - along with all the pregame festivities surrounding the Grand Opening of English Field at Union Park and the postgame fireworks show - will remain unchanged with a 7 p.m. first pitch.

Please be aware that fans who have tickets from Sunday’s scheduled game are now good for the 1 p.m. game on Saturday. Fans with tickets for Saturday’s game - the Grand Opening game - are still good for the 7 p.m. Saturday night game. Also, a clear bag policy is in effect for the games this weekend. CLICK HERE for a release regarding all events going on this weekend on campus, which includes a quick rundown of information for fans to answer their most frequently asked questions.

Fans attending any games, particularly Saturday’s night game, are strongly encouraged to purchase tickets in advance online: vthoki.es/BaseTix. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for those under 18 and Tech students with a valid ID and children two and younger are free. For those attending the Spring Game who need to buy baseball tickets in person, tickets will be available at the box office at English Field at Union Park beginning at 11:30 a.m.

Virginia Tech vs. No. 21 Louisville ACC series
April 13-14, 2018 - English Field at Union Park - Blacksburg, Virginia

Gameday Information
Stats: Link
Audio: Link
Video: Game 1; Game 2; Game 3

Friday, April 13 - 6 p.m.
VT: Sr. RHP Connor Coward (2-3, 3.81)
UL: Jr. LHP Adam Wolf (4-2, 2.28 ERA)

Saturday, April 14 - 1 p.m.
VT: TBA
UL: So. LHP Nick Bennett (3-0, 1.96 ERA)

Saturday, April 14 - 7 p.m.
VT: TBA
UL: Fr. RHP Bobby Miller (3-1, 1.00 ERA)

QUICK HITTERS
Louisville series highlighted by Grand Opening Festivities: Virginia Tech President Tim Sands, Director of Athletics Whit Babcock and executives from Union Bank & Trust will be on campus Saturday evening to celebrate the grand opening of English Field at Union Park. The festivities begin at approximately 6:30 p.m. leading up to first pitch of the ACC contest against Louisville at 7 p.m. A ribbon-cutting ceremony, several honorary first pitches from Tech and Union Bank & Trust, as well as other celebratory moments will take place to highlight Tech’s inaugural season in its newly constructed baseball park.

Hokies versus Louisville (see more Page 5 of game notes): Virginia Tech and Louisville - two teams that squared off at least twice a season every year starting in 1979 (except 1983) through 1995 - had not seen each other since a Hokies’ 6-2 win in Louisville, Kentucky on April 30, 1995. For the first time as ACC members, the two teams faced off April 2-4, 2016 in Louisville with the Cardinals sweeping the series.
Tech holds the advantage all-time, though, with a 45-15 overall record, including a 24-2 mark at home, an 8-1 record at English Field at Union Park and have won the last five here.

At the halfway point: Every team in the ACC has played five series and 15 games. Tech's current ACC mark of 6-9 is tied for the third best mark ever at the midway point of the season. The best record since the team has been in the league, after 15 games, is 8-7, turned in by the 2010 team. That mark is followed by the 2013 and 2015 squads that were both 7-8 at this point. Of note, those three seasons were the only years the Hokies qualified for the ACC Championship (minus the 2005 season when every team made it).

Winning on the road: Again, Tech is at the halfway point of the ACC schedule, and the Hokies have won three games on the road in the conference - one each at Georgia Tech, Boston College and Virginia. The three victories are already more than the last two year's win totals - the team went 1-14 in 2017 and 2-13 in 2016. Since 2013, when the team tied the program's best mark with an 8-7 road league record, Tech had won at most four games - in 2015 - the last time they made the ACC Tournament.

Who's hot at home: Tech has played 10 games at home this season and Tom Stoffel, Joe Freiday, Jr. and Jack Owens have all enjoyed the friendly confines of English Field at Union Park. Stoffel is batting .429 with a team-best 18 hits and 14 RBI and a .714 slugging percentage to go with a .489 on-base mark. Freiday's marks include averages of .423, .808 (slugging) and .531 (on-base). Owens sports a team-high tying 10 runs scored and 15 hits, for a .385 average, with a .490 on-base mark.
​On the mound, three pitchers have tossed at least 10 innings in home games and have an ERA less than one - Connor Coward (15.0/0.60/21K), Ian Seymour (13.2/0.66/17K) and Andrew McDonald (11.0/0.82/11K). Tech's team ERA in home games is currently 3.54.

For updates on Virginia Tech baseball, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @HokiesBaseball