Virginia Tech baseball looks to flip the script against Duke in a Top 25 showdown

Through the first four ACC series this season, the Virginia Tech baseball team could have been considered the surprise of the conference. Picked to finish seventh in the Coastal Division, the Hokies swept Notre Dame and Boston College and took two out of three from Louisville and Pittsburgh.

Over the last two series, No. 23 Virginia Tech, which peaked at No. 11 in the D1Baseball poll, was swept at home by Wake Forest and then dropped two out of three in disappointing fashion last weekend at Georgia Tech. Now the Hokies return to English Field for a giant three-game series against No. 7 Duke beginning Friday night.

Wake Forest, which was the No. 1 team in the country to begin the season back in February, is a team that is fresh off a trip to the College World Series last June and showed that despite their struggles early in the season, they are a team that is going to be tough again in the ACC and NCAA Tournament. As for losing two out of three against the Yellow Jackets last weekend in Atlanta, sheesh. Virginia Tech was routed, 19-0, in Game 2, then jumped out to a 7-0 lead in Game 3 before allowing the final 11 runs in a disappointing loss in a game that they should have closed out.

Duke, Virginia and Virginia Tech enter this weekend tied at 11-7 in the Coastal Division, three games behind North Carolina. The Hokies still have a series remaining with the Cavaliers and Tar Heels, so winning at least two out of three this weekend against the Blue Devils is almost a must.

Virginia Tech's pitching has fallen off lately, mainly their weekend starters who have been roughed up by the Demon Deacons and Yellow Jackets. Flipping that script with a big weekend, along with solid defense and hitting will go a long way into helping Virginia Tech get back on track.