Going into his first ACC baseball tournament, Virginia Tech freshman Ethan Ball was looking to make a name for himself. Batting fourth in what has become a deep Hokies lineup, Ball has been turning some heads with Virginia Tech fans this season. On Wednesday in Charlotte, he opened a lot of eyes nationally.
The Hokies received a bye for the first day of the tournament on Tuesday and sat back to await the winner of a first-round matchup between Clemson and Notre Dame. It didn't matter who Virginia Tech drew; they knew they were going to get a desperate team in terms of the NCAA Tournament. The Hokies are in a good position for the 64-team field, but a win over the Tigers or Irish would all but lock up a berth and avoid any panic on Monday at noon when the field is announced.
Notre Dame ended up beating Clemson to get a shot at Virginia Tech on Wednesday, and the Hokies put on their best offensive explosion of the season when they put up 17 runs in a 17-10 win. What was impressive about the win was Ball, who put the team on his back and didn't beat around the bush after the game on what he was seeing at the plate in his first ACC Tournament game.
Virginia Tech second baseman Ethan Ball doesn't beat around the bush about at-bats against Notre Dame
What a first impression Ball made against Notre Dame on a national level. He went 2-for-2, both hits were home runs, with three RBI and four runs scored. He was hit by a pitch twice and drew two walks. Talk about having a game at the plate. His two home runs were no-doubters off the bat, and after the game, according to Dylan Tefft of Tech Sideline, Ball didn't beat around the bush as to what he was seeing from the Irish pitchers at the plate.
What was Ethan Ball seeing on his two home runs?
— Dylan Tefft (@dylantefft) May 21, 2026
"Beach balls," he said. "Hung it up there, and I did what I should've done with it."#Hokies
So here's the thing. During his at-bats after the home runs, Ball took what many would consider "professional" at-bats. He didn't chase out of the strike zone, and he let the ball come to him. As a freshman, some hitters might be more aggressive and swing at pitches outside the zone. Ball didn't.
Going forward in Friday's quarterfinal against North Carolina, you can bet the Tar Heels are going to attack Ball differently after watching what he did against Notre Dame. If Ball continues to see beach balls at the plate, that's going to be bad news for Hokies opponents the rest of the season.
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