Justin Wright delivers a pitch against Wake Forest on April 5. Wright pitched a complete game and currently holds a 5-2 record along with a 3.99 ERA.
To the casual Hokie sports fan, Tech baseball still appears to be a weak program with no prospects for improvement, but that's not the case this year.
The team achieved multiple milestones this season and seems to be moving in the right direction.
Despite four full seasons in the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Hokies obtained their first series sweep over Maryland in April.
With three more ACC games left and six games total, the team has 10 conference wins - an improvement from the previous record of seven, and four more total wins than in any other ACC season
Lastly, Tech won a series against Clemson this year, a top-25 team all season.
Head Coach Pete Hughes realizes the strides the team has made.
"Obviously, I want to be at a different place right now, and where we're at, sometimes you get caught up in wanting more and more and more because we're competitive people," Hughes said.
"But, if you sit back and look at the positives in the program, our record is completely flipped from where it was a year ago today."
Still, that's not quite enough for Hughes.
"I'm aggravated because there's about nine or ten wins out there that we let get away for whatever reason, and that's no one's fault, but it's true," Hughes said.
"I think our guys are disappointed too, but we're building, and I think we've changed the culture, and just the fact that I'm disappointed with our record flipped with a young team that's coming back and doing what we're doing in the ACC should tell you that the culture's changed, because last year and the year before would have been, 'what a great year,' but no one in our dugout is saying that right now."
Tech blew some key opportunities for wins this season, turning what could have been a great season into just a better season.
In March, the Hokies held a five-run lead in the ninth over then No. 3 Georgia Tech but managed to lose the game in the last inning.
Even then, Tech picked up a win over the Yellow Jackets the next day, but a win the day before and a series win would have been much sweeter.
The Hokies didn't just fall apart against the top teams, though.
"We let a couple slip away against the lower end teams that we should have beaten," said starting pitcher Justin Wright.
Against North Carolina State, Tech produced 18 runs of offense but still managed to lose by one due to an astounding seven errors.
The next week against Wake Forest the Hokies put up 14 runs, yet still lost in the ninth.
Despite these crucial defeats, Tech still believes that they can make it to the ACC Tournament, a feat never accomplished by the team - and the players feel that if they get there, they have a chance to make an impact.
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