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Hokies Drop Fourth Straight After Grueling Stretch in Arlington and Blacksburg

Thomas Disharoon·March 4, 2026

No. 23 Texas A&M Blanks Virginia Tech 10–0 in Arlington

ARLINGTON, Texas A tightly contested pitchers’ duel through five innings unraveled in the sixth as No. 23 Texas A&M Aggies handed the Virginia Tech Hokies a 10–0 defeat Friday night at Globe Life Field.

Virginia Tech (7–2) managed five hits but could not capitalize, finishing 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and stranding six. Texas A&M (9–0) used an explosive eight-run sixth inning to remain unbeaten.

Early Pitching Duel

Right-hander Brett Renfrow (0–2) set the tone early for the Hokies, striking out seven over five innings. His lone early mistake came in the first inning when Chris Hacopian crushed a 424-foot solo home run to left-center, giving the Aggies a 1–0 lead.

Texas A&M added another run in the fourth. Caden Sorrell came around to score on a Terrence Kiel II RBI single after a Hokie throwing error extended the inning, pushing the advantage to 2–0.

On the other side, Aggies starter Shane Sdao (2–0) was equally sharp. The right-hander delivered six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out five while consistently working out of trouble.

Video from this post on X — February 28, 2026 · View on X

Missed Opportunities Haunt Hokies

Virginia Tech had chances but couldn’t break through.

In the first inning, Ethan Ball doubled and advanced to third on a wild pitch, but Sdao escaped with a strikeout to end the threat. The Hokies mounted another opportunity in the fourth when Hudson Lutterman walked and Nick Locurto singled and stole second, placing two runners in scoring position with two outs. Once again, the Hokies were turned away.

Virginia Tech’s inability to deliver timely hits proved costly as momentum gradually shifted toward the Aggies.

Sixth-Inning Surge Seals It

The game decisively flipped in the sixth following a Hokie pitching change.

Texas A&M erupted for eight runs on five hits, aided by two hit batters and a sacrifice fly. Blake Binderup and Sorrell each delivered two-RBI doubles, and Jake Duer added another run-scoring double to cap the rally.

What had been a competitive 2–0 contest quickly ballooned into a double-digit deficit.

By the Numbers

Texas A&M: 10 runs, 10 hits, 0 errors
Virginia Tech: 0 runs, 5 hits, 2 errors
Game Time: 2:16

Locurto and Ball led the Hokies with two hits apiece, but Virginia Tech managed just one baserunner over the final two innings as Texas A&M closed out the shutout victory in Arlington.

Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball 15, Virginia Tech Hokies 8

February 28, 2026 – Globe Life Field | Arlington, Texas

Fast Start for the Bulldogs

Fourth-ranked Mississippi State (11-0) wasted no time setting the tone. In the first inning, Reed Stallman roped an RBI double to score Aidan Teel and give the Bulldogs an early 1–0 lead.

The second inning proved even more damaging for Virginia Tech (7-3). Teel added an RBI single before Ace Reese launched a 399-foot, two-run homer to right-center, pushing the advantage to 4–0. Mississippi State collected three runs in the frame and forced Hokies starter Griffin Stieg to labor through traffic early.

Hokies Show Signs of Life

Virginia Tech answered in the third inning when Hudson Lutterman tripled to right field putting himself on record watch and later scored on Ethan Gibson’s sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 4–1.

In the sixth, Ethan Ball electrified the crowd with a towering 448-foot solo homerun to center field, trimming the margin to 5–2 and briefly swinging momentum toward the Hokies.

Seventh-Inning Surge Breaks It Open

The game turned decisively in the seventh inning.

With the bases loaded and no outs, Mississippi State strung together a sequence of clutch at-bats. James Nunnallee was hit by a pitch to force in a run, Bryce Chance followed with an RBI single, and Teel delivered a two-run single through the right side. Reese capped the five-run explosion with a sacrifice fly, extending the lead to 10–2.

The Bulldogs weren’t finished. In the eighth inning, Jacob Parker crushed a 415-foot, three-run homer to right-center, stretching the advantage to 13–2.

Late Power Surge from Virginia Tech

The Hokies refused to go quietly.

A wild pitch, first career hit for CJ Oxendine, and a first career hit on a three-run homer from Aimon Chandler in the eighth made it 13–5. Then in the ninth inning, Virginia Tech put together a dramatic display of power as Anderson French, Hudson Lutterman, and Sam Gates launched back-to-back-to-back solo homeruns.

The three-homer burst cut the deficit to 15–8, but Mississippi State reliever Jack Gleason struck out the side to end the game.

By the Numbers

Mississippi State: 15 runs, 15 hits, 2 errors
Virginia Tech: 8 runs, 11 hits, 1 error
Tomas Valincius (3-0) earned the win with 5.1 innings and seven strikeouts.
Griffin Stieg (0-1) took the loss for the Hokies.
Virginia Tech hit five home runs in the contest.

Despite the late fireworks, Mississippi State’s relentless offense and decisive seventh inning kept the Bulldogs unbeaten with a 15–8 victory in Arlington.

Tennessee Volunteers Baseball 3, Virginia Tech Hokies 1

March 1, 2026 – Globe Life Field | Arlington, Texas

Pitchers Set the Tone Early

Sunday morning’s matchup in Arlington turned into a tightly contested pitching duel, with No. 20 Tennessee edging Virginia Tech 3–1 in a crisp 2-hour, 39-minute contest.

Virginia Tech starter Ethan Grim was sharp through five innings, allowing just two runs on two hits while striking out five. Tennessee left-hander Evan Blanco matched him frame for frame, scattering two hits across 5.1 innings and striking out six.

Both offenses were quiet through the first two innings before Tennessee broke through in the third.

Volunteers Strike First

With two outs in the bottom of the third, Ariel Antigua singled and Jay Abernathy worked a walk to create traffic on the bases. Henry Ford delivered in the clutch, lining an RBI single up the middle to score Antigua and give the Volunteers a 1–0 lead.

The Hokies responded in the fourth inning thanks to Nick Locurto. The junior outfielder crushed a 366-foot solo home run to left field, knotting the game at 1–1 and injecting life into the Virginia Tech dugout.

Sixth-Inning Difference

The game turned in the bottom of the sixth.

After a leadoff walk to Abernathy, Tennessee capitalized. Blaine Brown ripped an RBI double up the middle to plate the go-ahead run, and Levi Clark followed with another double down the left-field line to extend the lead to 3–1.

Chase Swift came on in relief but the damage was done, as the Volunteers strung together timely extra-base hits to seize control.

Bullpen Holds the Line

From there, Tennessee’s bullpen shut the door.

Mark Hindy earned the win with two-thirds of an inning in relief, and Brayden Krenzel collected his first save of the season, tossing three scoreless innings while striking out four.

Virginia Tech managed just three hits on the day and went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. Despite putting the leadoff batter aboard three times, the Hokies could not generate sustained offense.

By the Numbers

Tennessee: 3 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors
Virginia Tech: 1 run, 3 hits, 1 error
Nick Locurto accounted for the Hokies’ lone RBI with his fourth-inning homer.
Tennessee went 3-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
Virginia Tech struck out 11 times.

The loss drops the Hokies to 7–4 on the season, while Tennessee improves to 8–3. In a weekend filled with offensive fireworks, Sunday’s finale was defined by timely hitting and dominant bullpen work from the Volunteers.

Marshall Powers Past Virginia Tech, 13–5, in Blacksburg

The Marshall Thundering Herd erupted for 13 runs on 18 hits Tuesday afternoon, overpowering the Virginia Tech Hokies 13–5 at English Field. A five-run fourth inning flipped the game in Marshall’s favor, and the Herd never looked back.

Marshall improves to 5-6 on the season, while Virginia Tech falls to 7-5.

Early Hokies Pressure

Virginia Tech struck first in the opening frame. After singles by Sam Grube and Pete Daniel, aggressive baserunning and a wild pitch allowed Grube to score for a 1-0 lead.

The Hokies added two more in the third. Daniel delivered an RBI double to left-center, then later stole home as part of a double steal to extend the advantage to 4-1. Virginia Tech’s speed created early problems for Marshall pitching, marking the third double steal the Herd has allowed in recent games.

Fourth-Inning Surge Turns the Tide

Trailing 4-1, Marshall’s offense erupted in the fourth inning.

Cooper Hinson sparked the rally with a single and later scored on Mason Onate’s RBI double. Jack Smith followed with an RBI single, and Evan Bottone tied the game with a run-scoring hit to left.

The decisive blow came off the bat of Jackson Halter, who roped a two-run double down the left-field line to cap a five-run inning and give Marshall a 6-4 lead. Five of six batters reached safely during the rally as the Herd seized momentum.

Adding On: Power and Production

Marshall continued to build the lead:

Fifth inning: Ethan Murdoch blasted a 396-foot solo home run, his third of the season to make it 7-4.
Sixth inning: RBI singles from Tyler Kamerer and Hinson pushed the lead to 9-4.
Seventh inning: The Herd capitalized on a Virginia Tech error, plating four more runs, three unearned, highlighted by Hinson’s two-run double.

Marshall finished 8-for-19 with runners in scoring position and scored in five separate innings.

Standout Performances

Marshall Offense

Evan Bottone: 3-for-4, 3 runs, RBI
Tyler Kamerer: 3-for-6, 2 RBI, run scored
Cooper Hinson: 3-for-5, double, 3 RBI
Wil Gubba: 3-for-5, double, 2 runs
Jackson Halter: 2 RBI, key two-run double
Ethan Murdoch: Solo HR, RBI

Marshall totaled 18 hits and stranded 10 runners but consistently delivered in key moments.

Virginia Tech Highlights

Sam Grube: 2-for-4, two runs scored
Pete Daniel: 2-for-4, double, RBI, three stolen bases
Hudson Lutterman: 2-for-4, RBI
Willie Hurt: Collected his first collegiate hit

The Hokies tallied nine hits but went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and were held hitless in their final three innings.

On the Mound

Marshall’s pitching steadied after a rocky start.

Alex Caudill: 3.0 IP, 3 ER
Landen Doll (W, 1-1): 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 8 K

Doll was dominant in relief, striking out six of the final seven batters he faced and finishing with eight punchouts to earn the win.

Virginia Tech starter Ben Weber (L, 1-1) allowed five runs over 3.1 innings. The Hokies used eight pitchers in the contest, surrendering 18 hits overall.

By the Numbers

Marshall: 13 runs, 18 hits, 0 errors
Virginia Tech: 5 runs, 9 hits, 1 error
Game Time: 3:30
Weather: 58°F

Marshall’s balanced offensive attack and dominant relief pitching proved decisive, as the Herd closed strong to secure a convincing road victory. The Hokies now face a quick turnaround this weekend, traveling to Atlanta, Georgia, to open up ACC play against the fifth-ranked Yellow Jackets.

Thomas Disharoon

Baseball & Women's Basketball Beat Reporter

I was born in Richmond, Virginia. My first football game was the spring game in 2023. I have been a longtime Virginia Tech fan. I am currently a student at Virginia Tech, majoring in Communications.