Virginia Tech-Notre Dame face off in pivotal ACC series for both

Just four ACC weekends are left as teams jockey for postseason push

April 19, 2018

Virginia Tech (16-21, 6-12 ACC) at Notre Dame (15-22, 6-12 ACC)
April 20-22, 2018 - Frank Eck Stadium - Notre Dame, Indiana

Gameday Information
Stats: Link
Audio: Link
Video: Game 1; Game 2; Game 3

Probable Starters
Friday, April 20 - 6 p.m.
VT: Fr. LHP Ian Seymour (2-2, 3.91 ERA)
ND: Fr. LHP Cole Kmet (0-3, 4.32 ERA)

Saturday, April 21 - 2 p.m.
VT: Sr. RHP Connor Coward (2-4, 3.56 ERA)
ND: Gr. LHP Scott Tully (4-1, 3.99 ERA)

Sunday, April 22 - 1 p.m.
VT: TBA
ND: So. RHP Zach Martin (1-0, 3.03 ERA)

QUICK HITTERS
Hokies and Irish series critical for postseason possibilities: As it stands right now, both the Hokies and Irish are 6-12 in league play and are tied for the 12th spot in the ACC standings. With just four conference weekends remaining, this three-game ACC weekend series at Notre Dame is pivotal for each team's chances of advancing, as the top 12 make the ACC postseason tournament. The winner would hold the tie-breaker and at least a one-game lead in the conference standings.

Hokies versus Notre Dame (see more Page 5 game notes): There isn't much history to the series between the two schools as they met just once in 1955, before the teams faced off four straight seasons when both were in the Big East Conference. Then, as members of the ACC, Tech and Notre Dame have played just six times. Overall, the Irish hold a 12-8 advantage in the series and a 5-3 mark at home.
Interestingly, the last time Tech played at Notre Dame, one game was played at the minor league park and the other two were competed in Westfield, Indiana, so it's been almost 14 seasons since the Hokies played on the Notre Dame campus. The Irish enter the weekend having won three straight, as they swept the Hokies in Blacksburg back in 2016 by counts of 16-4, 6-2, and 5-2.

Winning on the road: With just two road weekends left, Tech is eying a chance to match or surpass the most wins on the road in conference play since 2013. The Hokies have already won three games on the road in the league - one each at Georgia Tech, Boston College and Virginia. The three victories are more than the last two year's win totals - the team went 1-14 in 2017 and 2-13 in 2016. Since 2013, when the team tied the program's best mark with an 8-7 road league record, Tech had won at most four games - in 2015 - the last time they made the ACC Tournament.

Tech careers winding down but milestones are within reach: Entering the weekend, there are just 17 regular season games left on the Tech schedule and some Hokies are within reach of a few milestones.
First, Tom Stoffel is just seven hits shy of becoming just the 10th Hokie (since 2005) to reach 200 career hits, while his 31 hit-by-pitches are tied for the most in a Tech career (Anthony Sosnoskie and Andrew Rash), his 44 career doubles are the eighth-most in a career and his 124 RBI is tied for ninth-most.
Sam Fragale enters the weekend with 175 career hits, an outside shot at reaching 200, but here is where his other career numbers currently rank in a Tech career (since 2005): 19 sacrifice flies (1st), 138 RBI (5th), 309 total bases (7th), 166 starts (8th), 638 at-bats (8th) and 182 games played (10th).
​On the mound, Connor Coward is approaching 200 career innings and career strikeouts - as he enters with 190.2 innings and 184 strikeouts. Only three Hokies (since 2005) have reached 200 in both categories: Rhett Ballard (263 K in 274.2 IP from 2006-09), Joe Mantiply (227 K in 299.2 IP from 2010-13) and Justin Wright (216 K in 226.2 IP from 2008-10).

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