No. 12 Notre Dame baseball welcomes Virginia Tech to town
Notre Dame baseball (12-4, 2-3 ACC) should be well-rested when Virginia Tech (13-6, 2-4 ACC) arrives in South Bend on Friday for a three-game stint at Frank Eck Stadium.
Their typical mid-week game, this time scheduled to have been against Northwestern, was postponed twice, so the Irish have not taken the field since being swept in Louisville last weekend. It was the first time head coach Link Jarrett has lost back-to-back games since taking over the Irish job and ended a 10-game win streak, the team’s longest since 2015.
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Now, they face a Hokies team which is winless on the road but can certainly score; Virginia Tech’s struggles aren’t offensive. Outfielder Jack Hurley leads the nation with a .479 batting average; he is 35-73 with seven home runs in 18 games this season. As a team, the Hokies are batting .326, which is tied for eighth in the country and a notch better than Louisville. The Hokies rack up the extra base hits as well. Virginia Tech has 54 doubles (10th), seven triples (32nd) and 42 home runs (fourth).
Pitching staffs need a boost
Both Notre Dame and Virginia Tech enter this weekend’s series with a need to pitch well.
After hovering at and around the “best team ERA in the country” spot for several weeks, Louisville drubbed the Irish pitchers last weekend. Notre Dame now ranks 21st nationally with a team ERA of 3.27.
The good news for the Irish? Ace John Micheal Bertrand (4-0), who carries a 1.72 ERA into the weekend, will start on Friday. He is the typical Saturday starter but will be up first. Bertrand tossed a complete game against the Hokies last season.
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Virginia Tech’s pitching has been subpar all season, hence the record despite an electric offense. The team boasts a 4.06 ERA, which is 53rd nationally. Hokies pitchers have struggled mighty on the road, giving up nine, 12, seven and five runs in their four contests away from Blacksburg.
They are starting righty Griffin Green (2-1, 3.42) on Friday. Saturday and Sunday starters for both teams have yet to be announced.
Details for Virginia Tech-Notre Dame
Where: Frank Eck Stadium (South Bend, Ind.)
When: Friday at 4 p.m. ET, Saturday at 2 p.m., Sunday at 12 p.m.
Watch: ACCNX (Friday and Saturday), ESPN2 (Sunday)
Recent history: The Irish have beaten the Hokies nine of the last 10 times they faced each other; the most recent meeting occurred in last year’s ACC Tournament in Charlotte, N.C. Notre Dame won 8-0. The Irish are 18-9 all time against Virginia Tech.
