Going into their weekend series at Pittsburgh, the Virginia Tech baseball team was looking to win an ACC series after struggling with consecutive series losses to Florida State, North Carolina, and Duke. Entering the weekend, the Panthers sported a 6-15 record, and it was all setting up for the Hokies to improve their standing when it comes to the NCAA Tournament.
Or so we thought.
For the fourth straight weekend, Virginia Tech dropped a conference series, and this time, they were swept by Pittsburgh, which adds another chapter to another season where, instead of playing themselves into the NCAA Tournament, they are once again playing themselves out of it. This is becoming an all too common theme for the Hokies.
After dropping the series opener, 9-5, on Friday night, Saturday's game was postponed due to rain, and the two teams played a doubleheader on Sunday. The Panthers took the opener, 5-3, to win their first ACC series of the season, before the Hokies took a 13-11 lead in the top of the 13th inning in Game 3, and the Panthers plated three in the bottom of the inning for a stunning 14-13 victory. Three days, three losses, and now the Hokies are left to turn things around this week with a non-conference game at Liberty, which blasted Virginia Tech, 13-4, in Blacksburg last week.
If there is one concern for the Hokies and coach John Szefc, it's that once again, their pitching is failing them down the stretch of the season, again. After a Wednesday night game against the Flames, Tech will return to Blacksburg to play their final six games of the regular season before the ACC Tournament begins later this month.
At 27-21 overall and 11-16 in the ACC, the Hokies are guaranteed a losing ACC record with one series remaining against Virginia at home in two weeks. Next weekend, they will host Mercer for two games, before welcoming Marshall, before the Cavaliers come to town.