It’s starting to feel like déjà vu in Blacksburg — and not in a good way.
Just one year ago, Virginia Tech’s baseball team looked like a lock for the NCAA Tournament for most of the season. Momentum was on their side, confidence was high, and expectations were soaring. Then came the collapse. The Hokies faltered down the stretch, stringing together late-season losses that ultimately knocked them out of postseason contention.
Now, fast forward to the 2025 season, and a troublingly familiar storyline appears to be unfolding once again. After a midseason surge that included a sweep of Wake Forest on the road and hard-fought series wins over Louisville and Notre Dame, John Szefc’s squad looked poised to cement its place in the NCAA Tournament field. But as April winds down, the wheels are beginning to wobble.
This past weekend’s series loss to Duke marked Virginia Tech’s third straight ACC series defeat. The recent skid includes getting swept by Florida State and dropping a home series to North Carolina — a stretch that has left the Hokies with an 11-13 conference record and little room for error. With just two ACC series remaining — on the road at Pittsburgh and then at home against in-state rival Virginia — the pressure is mounting.
What’s causing this familiar late-season slide? The pitching staff, once again, appears to be the Achilles’ heel. While the Hokies’ offense has generally done enough to stay competitive, the inconsistency on the mound has become impossible to overlook. Brent Renfrow continues to deliver as a solid Friday night starter, but beyond that, the weekend rotation has become a dice roll — and the results are showing in the standings.
Tournament projections still include the Hokies for now, but their grip on a postseason berth is growing more fragile by the day. A series loss at Pitt this coming weekend could tip the scales, and even a non-conference matchup with Liberty on Tuesday night may carry added weight in the selection committee’s eyes.
If the Hokies can’t find a way to stabilize their pitching and finish strong, they risk watching another promising season unravel. For Szefc and his squad, the time to rewrite the ending is now — before the same old story gets written all over again.