Memorable experience for Tech players Like excited little kids, Virginia Tech baseball players intently watched their heroes take their hacks during the New York Yankees batting practice session. Similar to the fans in the stands, they, too, clamored for autographs and a little bit of face time with the Major Leaguers.

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For Jose Cueto, the opportunity to meet a collection of All-Stars was a memorable experience, and the senior outfielder even shared common ground with arguably the greatest player in Major League Baseball. Cueto and Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez are both Miami natives, and Cueto attended Braddock High School while Rodriguez attended Westminster Christian High School.

"We were reminiscing about his high school and my high school because they used to play against each other a lot and actually don't like each other," Cueto said. "So it was pretty funny because he was telling me how my high school used to stink back then and I'm telling him how we used to beat his high school when I played."

Tech shortstop Ty Hohman found time to briefly talk with his New York counterpart Derek Jeter and came away starstruck after his meeting with the Yankee captain and future Hall of Famer. Especially in regard to Jeter's deceptive height.

"I looked at my picture afterwards and he's about four or five inches taller than me. It doesn't look like it out there but when you get to stand right there next to him you're like 'Holy Moly,'" Hohman said with a laugh.

During the game, Tech catcher and lifelong Yankees fan Anthony Sosnoskie made conversation with nearly every New York player who entered the batter's box. After telling Jeter to get the Yankees' 27th World Series title, Sosnoskie wanted to hear from five-time All-Star catcher Jorge Posada.

"I was trying to pick his brain about catching, trying to get tips. And he said 'Later, later, I've got to try and hit now', and he started laughing," Sosnoskie said.

With his young squad in the midst of an eight-game losing streak, Tech head coach Pete Hughes thought the experience was beneficial for his players.

"Our guys are always playing in pressure situations and put a lot of pressure on themselves, and today was just the opposite, you go out and have fun," Hughes said. "There's no structure to the day. Those guys do whatever the heck they want, as long as they had a good time I think they enjoyed it and that's what they needed."

While Hughes felt it was a relaxing day for his players, he wanted them to soak in how the Yankees approached yesterday's exhibition after flying in from their Tampa spring training headquarters on Tuesday morning.

"The fact that those guys left 83 degree weather coming to Blacksburg in the middle of their routine and going about their business says everything to my guys," Hughes said. "You've got to be able to practice and play the same way whether your losing or winning, it's 30 degrees or 90 degrees, or home or away. What those guys are doing today says everything about what we preach."