BLACKSBURG, Va. - The Virginia Tech Athletics Department announced Wednesday that Peter Hughes has been named the Hokies' head baseball coach. Hughes follows veteran coach Chuck Hartman, who retired at the end of the 2006 season after 28 years at Tech and 47 years as a collegiate coach.

"I am pleased and proud that we have been able to attract an outstanding young head coach to follow one of the winningest coaches in NCAA history," said Jim Weaver, Tech director of athletics. "Pete Hughes is familiar with the Atlantic Coast Conference and knows Virginia Tech, having competed against us in recent years in both the BIG EAST and the ACC. He also knows that we want to be a nationally competitive baseball program. I believe Coach Hughes is the right person for Virginia Tech at this moment in time."

Hughes, 38, has spent the last eight seasons as the head coach at Boston College, where he has compiled a 250-181-2 record. He also was the head coach at Trinity University in Texas for two seasons (1997-98), leading the Tigers to a 52-30 mark.

Prior to Hughes' arrival, BC averaged 13 wins a season over 35 years. In the past eight seasons under Hughes, the Eagles have averaged 31 wins per year. In 2005, he led the Eagles to a school record 37 wins and his squad was named the Division I New England Baseball Team of the Year.

During his first two seasons with the Eagles, Hughes guided his teams to back-to-back single-season school marks for win improvements (nine). He took over a team that finished 17-23-1 during the 1998 season and coached it to a 26-21-1 record in 1999. The following season, the Eagles posted a 35-20 record and made just their second-ever appearance in the BIG EAST Tournament.

Hughes was named BIG EAST, New England and ABCA/Diamond Division I Northeast Region Coach of the Year following the 2000 season. He also earned BIG EAST Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2002 and was the New England Coach of the Year again in 2005. Hughes took the Eagles to the BIG EAST Tournament a total of five times in seven seasons.

This past season, Boston College posted a 28-25-1 record during its first year of Atlantic Coast Conference competition. The Eagles were 9-21 in the league, finishing fourth in the Atlantic Division. Among BC's nine ACC victories were three wins against the Hokies in Blacksburg, along with two wins against Georgia Tech and a victory against Clemson, both of which are currently preparing to play in NCAA Super Regionals.

During his tenure at Boston College, 15 BC players signed professional contracts and four received All-American honors. Pitcher Chris Lambert was selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, becoming the first-ever Boston College player to be selected in the opening round.

At Trinity University (Texas), Hughes inherited a team that had averaged 11 wins per season in each of the previous 17 years. In just two years with the program, Trinity averaged 26 victories and won 63 percent of its games under Hughes, setting the school record for wins (33) and earning a regular season conference championship during his second and final season in 1998.

Prior to taking the head coach's job at Trinity, Hughes was the top assistant and recruiting coordinator at Northeastern University in Boston. He began his coaching career as the top assistant and recruiting coordinator at Hamilton College (N.Y.) during the 1990-91 school year. Hughes also served as an assistant coach in football at both schools.

As a player, the Brockton, Mass., native was a four-year standout at Davidson College (1986-90). Hughes was captain of the team as a senior in 1990 and graduated that year with a bachelor of arts in sociology/anthropology.

Hughes and his wife Deborah have five children, sons Thomas, 9, Hal, 7, Dominic, 5, and PJ, 1, and a daughter Grace, 3.