Hokies Punch ACC Semifinal Ticket, Top Duke 5-3 in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Virginia Tech Hokies advanced to the ACC Baseball Tournament semifinals with a 5-3 defeat of Duke on Tuesday, capping a regular season that saw them claw back to a .500 conference mark at 13-13 overall and 25-20. Playing at Truist Field, the Hokies leaned on their signature late-inning resilience, a trait honed at English Field in Blacksburg where they've notched walk-off wins like Hudson Lutterman's 359-foot homer against Pitt. Head coach John Szefc's squad, which snapped a three-series ACC skid with that Pitt series victory, entered the tournament riding wins over California and N.C. State.

Tech's path to Charlotte was paved by key home stands at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park. A nine-run fourth inning Friday buried Pitt, despite a Saturday bullpen stumble, setting up Lutterman's Sunday heroics. Earlier, the Hokies evened their California series 6-2 in game two, pushing their record to 25-20 before facing Clemson. A narrow 5-4 series win over N.C. State -- highlighted by freshman Ethan Ball's sacrifice fly -- kept them in the NCAA regional conversation, despite a midseason dip after a 4-11 loss to Liberty on April 7.

For Virginia fans, the Hokies' surge resonates beyond Blacksburg. One of two ACC teams never to reach the College World Series, Tech's semifinal berth injects pride into a state baseball hotbed, from Richmond's Diamond to Charlotte's postseason stage. With the 2026 campaign peaking, Szefc's crew -- 31-25 in 2025 for context -- stands ready to extend the heater that began in the New River Valley.