Virginia Tech baseball’s season came to an end in the ACC championships in Durham, N.C. on Wednesday night in its 14-5 loss to No. 6 Clemson.
The Hokies (30-23, 12-17) lost both games in the event after an 11-7 defeat vs. No. 22 Boston College on Tuesday.
Tech led first in both contests — 3-0 vs. BC, 1-0 vs. Clemson — but couldn’t hang on down the stretch. The Eagles retook the lead in the sixth with a four-run frame and didn’t look back; The Tigers blew the doors off with seven runs in the sixth and scored 11 unanswered.
Carson Jones had another successful ACC championships, hitting 4-for-9 with four runs, two RBIs and a walk over two days. He had a two-run homer in the third inning against the Eagles, too.
Garrett Michel continued hot streak in the leadoff spot. The freshman scored two runs against Boston College on three walks. Against Clemson, he was 3-for-5 with a run.
Drue Hackenberg had a nice outing on the mound to end the season, throwing 5 â…” innings and striking out eight while allowing just three earned runs.
Tech dropped nine of its last 10 games against ACC foes, a streak dating back to its doubleheader loss vs. North Carolina on April 29. It averaged 6.7 runs per game during that span; it just didn’t have the pitching depth to go the distance, allowing 10-plus runs five times in that stretch. However, the team’s one victory was at No. 1 Wake Forest last Saturday.
Jack Hurley led the Hokies in the conference honors and earned All-ACC First Team recognition on Monday. He led the league in slugging percentage (.713) this season and hit 17 home runs, tied for sixth-most in the league. Hurley hit .320 across 45 games, finishing with 17 extra base hits and 49 RBIs.
Carson DeMartini earned All-ACC Third Team honors. Though he shifted from third base to a designated hitter role in the middle of the season due to injury, he .323 in 52 appearances and led the Hokies in runs (58) and RBIs (57). He homered 10 times with 17 extra base hits.
Michel and Brody Donay, hit .339 and .290 in 2023, respectively, and were named to the All-ACC Freshman Team. Michel started 51 games while Donay started 39, and they provided quite a punch. They combined for 90 hits — 20 for extra bases — and 23 home runs with 83 RBIs. On top of that, they scored 83 runs.
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Not a good way to end the season. Watching most of their games was like getting a tooth pulled. How many Clemson players were hit by a pitch? I stopped counting at 3. Must have been a record. Pitching was awful this year. Hope it improves but based on what I saw there’s no reason to believe it will. If recruiting doesn’t bring in some legit pitching we’re gonna stay near the bottom of the coastal. Last year may have been a fluke.
Hammerin’ Hokies never gave up! Best of luck next season!
Tough season for a team that had high hopes. Too many Big innings against ACC teams that ruined games that could have been won. Pitching staff had some bright moments but was overworked due to injuries. Need to get better on the mound. Will probably lose some good players to the draft, but I look forward to next year.