Tech opens ACC season on the road at Duke

Hokies hold an 8-3 record at this weekend's venue - Durham Bulls Athletic Park

March 9, 2017

The weekend series: The Hokies head to Durham, North Carolina to take on the Duke Blue Devils in each team’s ACC season opening weekend. The teams will open the ACC slate with a single game on Friday with a 4 p.m. start, while a change in the schedule due to weather has added a doubleheader to the slate starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
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WEEKEND SERIES INFORMATION
Virginia Tech at Duke
March 10-11, 2017
Durham Bulls Athletic Park
Durham, North Carolina

Gameday Information
Friday, March 10 - 4 p.m.
AUDIO
VIDEO
LIVE STATS

Saturday, March 11 - 1 p.m. - DH
AUDIO - Both Games
VIDEO - Both Games
LIVE STATS - Both Games

Facing the Blue Devils: All-time, the Hokies are 25-35 against Duke, which includes a 15-21 mark since Tech joined the ACC. In games in Durham, the Hokies are 15-19, but are 6-3 since Coach Patrick Mason has been on staff, including series wins in 2011 and 2013.

Success at Durham Bulls Athletic Park: The Hokies’ weekend series against Duke will be played at the home of the Triple-A affiliate of Tampa Bay, the Durham Bulls. Since 2011, Tech has played 11 games at the facility and are 8-3 in that span and includes a five-game winning streak against the Blue Devils. Tech has actually lost more games to North Carolina (2) at DBAP during ACC Championship play (2013 and 2015) than Duke (2011).

Statistically speaking: Entering the week, the Hokies were ranked nationally in the Top 10 in five categories, which included leading the country in home runs and double plays turned, second in hits, third in slugging percentage and eighth in runs scored. Pushing that to the Top 25 adds three more categories, doubles (11th), hit by pitch (14th) and triples (21st).
​Individually, Hokies were ranked in the Top 10 in 12 categories, which included Sam Fragale leading the country in home runs and total bases and Ryan Tufts leading the nation in doubles. Fragale was also in the Top 10 in RBI (2nd), slugging (3rd) and eighth in hits. Tufts was fifth in total bases and sixth in runs scored, while Jack Owens was fourth in hits. On the mound, Andrew McDonald, Packy Naughton and Joey Sullivan were tied for ninth in games started, while Kit Scheetz was tied for second in appearances.

Speaking of home runs: The Hokies have hit 32 home runs so far in 2017 with nine players contributing to the effort. Last season, Tech did not hit its 33rd home run until May 20 and finished with 34 overall as a total of 12 players accounted for at least one. The previous season, as a team, the Hokies hit 35 in 2015, while hitting just 12 in 2014. Since the Hokies have been a member of the ACC (since 2005), Tech has surpassed 40 home runs hit in a season five times, which was done consecutively from 2008-2013, with the high-water mark being the 81 hit during the 2010 season.

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