After getting bounced in the NCAA Tournament in the Los Angeles Regional in May, there was a lot of work that faced Virginia Tech baseball coach John Szefc and his staff. After a huge second half of the season that saw them finish 15-15 in the ACC, the Hokies secured a long overdue NCAA Tournament berth.
However, to keep that going next season, the Hokies needed to get some key retention from their 2026 roster. Sezefc and his staff were able to do that and then some. Most positional players have announced that they are coming back, including star freshman Ethan Ball. Shortstop Pete Daniel is also returning to headline a roster that should be familiar to fans.
However, in this day and age, when it comes to the Transfer Portal, expect the unexpected. That was the case when it came to the pitching department. Virginia Tech lost pitcher Preton Crowl to North Carolina and Chase Swift to Miami. Losing two key arms on conference foes is less than ideal, to say the least.
However, the Hokies have added some arms through the portal to rebuild their staff for 2027. Joining Logan Eisenrish and Ethan Grim from the portal are Chris Torres, Nate Bennett, Aiden Abraham, Aiden VanDeHatert, and Mike Staiano. Pitching will be a question mark, and it remains to be seen how it will shake out.
Virginia Tech continues to bolster its non-conference schedule
You can't say that John Szefc isn't setting his team up for some success in their non-conference slate next season before conference play begins. The ACC is going to be tough enough, but the Hokies are going to get another early-season test in 2027.
Last week, it was announced that the Hokies are going to play in the College Baseball Series in Nashville, with three other Power 4 Conference programs. Joining Virginia Tech at First Horizon Park are Vanderbilt, Cincinnati, and Ohio State. This is very similar to what Virginia Tech did this past season by playing in Texas early in the season. This will be a huge résumé-building opportunity for the Hokies next March.
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