Going into the 2026 baseball season, there was a lot of hype surrounding Virginia Tech freshman Ethan Ball. The McLean, Virginia, native was one of the top incoming freshmen the Hokies have had in some time. Coming out of high school, he was the Nation's No. 29 shortstop and the top-ranked shortstop and No. 2 recruit from the Commonwealth, according to Perfect Game.
It's safe to say that Ball didn't disappoint in 2026. He was a huge part of the Virginia Tech second-half run in the ACC schedule that helped them secure a first-round bye at the ACC Tournament in May in Charlotte at 15-15. That was followed by a berth in the NCAA Tournament in the Los Angeles Regional. However, Ball was recognized for his record-setting season in Blacksburg.
Virginia Tech freshman Ethan Ball was named consensus freshman All-American in 2026
Ball set the Virginia Tech record for home runs as a freshman with 17, and that was only part of the story in what a great season he had, which earned him 2026 consensus freshman All-American honors. That includes Baseball America, NCBWA, D1Baseball, and Perfect Game.
Just how good was Ball's season? He finished with a .310 batting average, a 1.081 OPS, a .660 slugging percentage, and a .420 on-base percentage.
After the Hokies suffered back-to-back losses to Cal Poly and UCLA in the Los Angeles Regional, the Hokies flew back home, and the Transfer Portal opened when they got back. Head coach John Szefc and his staff had to retain a handful of players, and at the top of that list was Ball. After announcing a slew of players returning, it was announced that Ball was returning, which is huge.
One area that the Hokies need to add through the Transfer Portal is pitching, both starters and relievers, and they have done a good job of that so far.
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