Tech and Tech set to battle on the diamond

Hokies and Jackets to open ACC play

March 19, 2009

Game Notes

BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech will play a three-game softball series starting Saturday in both team’s Atlantic Coast Conference opener. The Hokies were slated to play three games against NC State last weekend, but the entire series was wiped out because of rain. The Saturday doubleheader has been pushed back to 2 p.m., to accommodate the home N.I.T. basketball game.

The Hokies are 47-31 in regular season ACC play since joining the league in 2005. Tech has won the last two ACC Tournaments and has made the NCAA Tournament the last four seasons.

Florida State and North Carolina opened the conference play last week with the Seminoles winning two of three in Chapel Hill. The Boston College/Virginia series was also rained out last weekend. There will be three ACC series this weekend: GT at VT; UNC at Maryland; and Virginia at NC State.

The Yellow Jackets are 19-6 on the year after a pair of mid-week sweeps at home. Heading into this weekend’s action, Georgia Tech is led at the plate by Kelsi Weseman (.403) and Christy Jones (.397). Jen Yee, a member of the Canadian Olympic Softball Team, and Whitney Haller are batting .389. In the circle, Kristen Adkins is 8-3 with a 1.33 ERA while Tiffany Johnson is 8-1 with a 1.69 ERA. Tech is hitting .307 with 25 home runs while the pitching staff has a 1.81 ERA.

Virginia Tech leads the series 10-9 after taking two-of-three last year in Atlanta. The two first met in 1998 and the two have played in Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, Florida and even California. They met in the 2005 ACC Championship game with the Yellow Jackets winning 1-0 and in the 2007 ACC title game with the Hokies winning 2-0. The Hokies are 3-2 at Tech Softball Park against the other Tech.

Tech Softball Park, home of Virginia Tech softball since 1998, has been a tough place for opposing teams to play of the years. Last year, Tech averaged 699 fans per date, 13th-best in the country. With the construction project completely finished, the Hokies now play in a park that can hold 1,024 fans. Over the years, Tech has posted a 150-52 record at home, a winning percentage of .743. The Hokies are 10-3 all-time in home openers.

As always, the sweet tones of Jerry Massey can be heard on the air this weekend for free on hokietv.com, for a fee on ACC Select (with video) and live stats for all three games will be available on hokiesports.com.