Virginia Tech Baseball Takes Road Series At Florida State

After starting 2-8 and at the bottom of the ACC, Virginia Tech (23-14, 10-10 ACC) turned the ship around. First came a series win against Virginia, then a doubleheader split with Duke. Next was a sweep of Georgia Tech, and most recently, the Hokies took the series with Florida State down in Tallahassee, Fla. for the first time since 2010.

Tech climbed up the standings to fourth place this weekend after winning Friday and Saturday’s games at FSU and is two games back of Coastal Division leader Duke. Here’s how the rest of the division stacks up: 

The Hokies crushed the Seminoles on Friday night with a football score, 24-9. Then Drue Hackenberg pitched Virginia Tech’s first complete game since Ian Seymour did it in 2019 in a 4-3 victory on Saturday. But in a bullpen outing on Sunday, Tech’s bats couldn’t come through with just one more timely hit in a 4-3 loss.

Here’s how Tech got it done at Florida State:

Friday: Virginia Tech 24, Florida State 9

Virginia Tech fell behind through three innings, 5-0, then came back to score 12 unanswered runs between the fourth and seventh. The Hokies tied it with five runs in the fifth, four more in the sixth and three more in the seventh. They added on with four more runs in the eighth, driving the score up to 16-5 before Florida State scored four in the bottom of the eighth.

Virginia Tech made sure to put the Seminoles away in the ninth by scoring eight more runs. David Bryant hit for the cycle while Brody Donay collected seven RBIs and two home runs. Carson Jones, Jack Hurley, Carson DeMartini and Garrett Michel all collected a pair of hits.

While the bats had it going, the story of the day was Anthony Arguelles’ 6 ⅓ innings. After he was roughed up in the first three frames, he bounced back by tossing three-straight scoreless innings and then pitched into the seventh. With the banged-up staff Tech has and with a bullpen game on Sunday looming, it was important for Arguelles to work deep into Friday’s game.

He did just that — and more. His 6 ⅓ innings and seven strikeouts were a career-high, and he picked up the win in the process.

After the Radford game last Tuesday, Tech Sideline asked for an update on Griffin Green. Tech head coach John Szefc said that Green will be re-evaluated on Monday, April 24.

Saturday: Virginia Tech 4, Florida State 3

Saturday, evident by peering at the box score, was the antithesis of Friday night’s game. The Hokies collected four runs on eight hits and Jack Hurley extended his hit streak to 19 games. They scored in the second, third, fourth and a critical insurance run in the sixth in the 4-3 victory.

Drue Hackenberg worked Virginia Tech’s first complete game since March 2019, yielding three runs on 11 hits while striking out a career-high 12 hitters. In his last three starts — Duke, Georgia Tech and FSU — Hackenberg has allowed five earned runs in 23 innings. He’s struck out 29, allowing just five walks and 21 hits.

He worked his way through FSU’s lineup well until about the ninth inning when the Seminoles trailed 4-2 entering the frame. Mixed with some drama in the top of the ninth where Hurley exited the game after he was hit by a pitch, Hackenberg surrendered his third run of the day with an out. 

With runners on first and second, Hackenberg recorded his 12th strikeout of the contest before throwing a wild pitch that moved the game-winning run into scoring position. But three pitches later, he forced James Tibbs to end the afternoon with a flyout to right.

Sunday’s ACC Network broadcast reported that Hurley’s injury was a bruise and that he’s day-to-day, indicating that he could return for next weekend’s series with North Carolina.

Sunday: Florida State 4, Virginia Tech 3

Jonah Hurney made his first career start, yielding three runs in as many innings. Tech tied the game with a three-run run fourth — all of those coming with two outs. Clay Grady singled home a pair of runs and DeMartini tied the game with a knock into right field.

Then, with Jacob Exum on the mound in the fourth, Florida State’s DeAmez Ross put the Seminoles back on top with a two-out RBI single to center field. And just like that, the scoring stopped. 

Exum bounded back and threw 2 ⅔ scoreless innings. Matthew Siverling got an out in the seventh and then Andrew Sentlinger finished off the last four outs for Tech.

The Hokies left 12 runners on base and were overmatched by Jamie Arnold, who threw three scoreless innings out of the bullpen, and Doug Kirkland, who recorded the final six outs in FSU’s 4-3 victory.