Virginia Tech Baseball begins 2024 season as one of six teams with rare feat

Last weekend the 2024 college softball season began and this weekend, the college baseball season throws its first pitch in the 2024 season. 

The Virginia Tech baseball team will begin the season with a three-game series on the road at Charlotte this weekend, with the first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m. Friday. Game 2 will be on Saturday at 2 and the third and final game on Sunday at 1. The ACC is once again going to be a loaded conference in baseball. It will be tough for Virginia Tech, which is why they need to take advantage of their non-conference schedule beginning this weekend.

The Hokies return some good talent and they have six players ranked in D1 Baseball Preseason Player Rankings. Virginia Tech is one of six programs that have a player ranked at first base, second base, shortstop, and third base. They join Arkansas, Florida State, North Carolina, Vanderbilt and Oregon State.

Virginia Tech returns a talented infield

The Hokies will bring back an experienced and talented infield and it will be one of their strengths defensively. Here are the four infielders ranked in the Top 100 by D1Baseball.

Carson DeMartini

The biggest bat in the Hokies lineup is DeMartini. Last season he hit .323 with 10 home runs with 57 RBIs and 13 doubles. He slugged .593 and will be looked upon to continue his success this season. He begins the season ranked third on the D1 Baseball list.

Garrett Michel

Michel had a strong first season in Blacksburg batting .339 in 51 games with 11 home runs, 45 RBIs, and slugging .626. The first baseman begins the season ranked 14th by D1 Baseball.

Christian Martin

The Hokies second baseman is ranked 17th and was a hitting machine for Virginia Tech in 2023. He batted .345 with 60 hits and 13 extra base hits and he drove in 26 runs.

Clay Grady

Last season, Grady did it both in the field and at the plate. Ranked 43nd to begin this season, he drove in 34 runs batting .307 and slugging .433. In the field, he made one error in 125 chances.

Griffin Stieg

The only Virginia Tech pitcher to crack the Top 100 by D1 Baseball, Stieg worked 18.2 innings last season in 16 appearances with a 24 to 15 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He is ranked 58th.

Chris Cannizzaro

Cannaizzaro plays a strong outfield for the Hokies and is ranked 94th by D1 Baseball in their preseason rankings. He hit 10 home runs and drove in 45 while batting .337 nd slugging .570 and was perfect in the field with 57 put outs on 57 chances.

Batter Up!