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hokiesports - the notebook
Our intent is to provide our readers with more behind-the-scenes news and notes that otherwise may not make the front page of hokiesports.com.

Recently in Baseball Category

Former Tech baseball player Austin Wates gains national attention
May 8 2012

Former Virginia Tech baseball player Austin Wates received national attention recently when he made an unbelievable catch while playing in the outfield for the Corpus Christi Hooks, a Double-A team of the Houston Astros.

 

Wates robbed San Antonio’s Nathan Freiman of a home run on May 5, as he and centerfielder Brandon Barnes both tumbled over the fence in left-center field. The play was named the top play on ESPN’s SportsCenter for May 5.

 

To watch the video of the play, please check out this link.

 

Wates continues to enjoy success in Houston’s organization since the Astros selected him in the third round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft following his junior season at Tech. He hit .340 in the month of April for Corpus Christi, with a homer, 15 RBI and five stolen bases. He’s hitting .295, with two homers, 17 RBI and six stolen bases on the season.

 

Wates hit .382, with eight homers, 54 RBI and 18 stolen bases his final season at Tech.

Hartman to enter Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame
Jun 27 2011
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Former Virginia Tech baseball coach Chuck Hartman, who coached the Hokies for 28 years and won 961 games before retiring after the 2006 season, is among the 14 new members named to the Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame in the Class of 2011 announced last week.

Hartman began his coaching career at High Point College and during his 19 seasons with the Panthers, he won 10 Carolinas Conference championships, five NAIA district titles and made two NAIA national tournaments. He compiled a 483-225 record, was named conference and District 26 coach of the year numerous times and was the NAIA national coach of the year in 1976.

Hartman will add this to the growing number of honors he has received, which includes the Virginia Tech Hall of Fame, the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame. Also, in 2006, Hartman's jersey No. 1 was retired by Virginia Tech.

For more information on the newest members, click here. 

Toregas called up by the Pirates
Jun 10 2011
Former Tech baseball player Wyatt Toregas has been called up to the Majors by the Pittsburgh Pirates and joined the team on Thursday at PNC Park.

Click here for a brief story about his call-up on the Pirates' website.

Former Hokie Joe Saunders writing online diary for USA TODAY
Feb 21 2011
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher and former Virginia Tech Hokie Joe Saunders will be documenting his time during spring training in Scottsdale with an online dairy at USA TODAY in its Daily Pitch section.

View the first of his entries by clicking here.

Two Former Hokies Sign Baseball Contracts
Jan 19 2011

Announced yesterday by a pair of Major League clubs, a pair of former Hokies – Joe Saunders and Wyatt Toregas – signed baseball contracts.

The Arizona Diamondbacks avoided arbitration and agreed to terms with the left-handed pitching Saunders on a one-year contract for 2011. Saunders, 29, compiled an overall record of 9-17 with a 4.47 ERA (101 ER in 203.1 IP) in 33 starts last season with the D-backs and Angels.

He posted a 3-7 record and 4.25 ERA in 13 starts for the D-backs last season after being acquired in the five-player trade that sent Dan Haren to the Angels on July 25. Saunders struck out a career-high 114 batters in a career-high 203.1 innings. His 15 quality starts last season were the second-highest total of his career.

Selected by Los Angeles Angles with the 12th pick in the 2002 draft out of Virginia Tech, Saunders has posted a 57-39 record with a 4.29 ERA during his six-year Major League career, posting at least 30 or more starts in each of his four full seasons. He was an All-Star in 2008 in the midst of compiling a career-best 17-7 record and 3.41 ERA.

Also, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced they agreed to terms with catcher Toregas on a minor league contract. Toregas, 28, was a member of Cleveland's 40-man roster in spring training last year and spent the 2010 season in the Indians farm system.

Originally selected by Cleveland in the 24th round of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft out of Virginia Tech, Toregas made his big league debut with the Indians in 2009 and made 19 appearances behind the plate for the Tribe that season. 

Tech baseball announces Winter Camps
Nov 18 2010
The Virginia Tech baseball program will conduct three camps in December for area youth. All three instructional programs will be held in the $1.5 million, 8,000 square foot indoor baseball facility located adjacent to English Field. The facility includes four retractable cages and two mounds and features a state-of-the-are video analysis system which enables players and coaches to fully breakdown hitters and pitchers mechanics using Right View Pro Video Software.

The Winter Pitching and Catching Camp will provide participants with instruction on all aspects of developing the same training habits of college pitchers and catchers to improve themselves during the off season. The camp is open to players ages 13 years and up and will held on Dec. 11, 2010, from 1-5 p.m.

The Winter Hitting Camp, also for ages 13 years and up,  will be held Dec. 12, 2010, from 1-5 p.m., and will include instruction on the mechanics of the swing while going through an intense hitting session. Each player will have the opportunity to see and evaluate their swing utilizing the advanced video training system.

For more information on the both camps, go to http://www.hokiesports.com/baseball/extras/winter2010.pdf

The Hokie Baseball Lab will be held Dec. 27-29, 2010, for all age groups with players being separated according to age and skill level. The baseball lab will include the same instruction as the winter camps with hitting instruction scheduled from 5-7 p.m., each day and pitching instruction from 7:30-9 p.m., daily.

For more information on the Hokie Baseball Lab, go to http://www.hokiesports.com/baseball/extras/baseballlab2010.pdf

Yahoo!/Rivals tabs Hughes as one of the season's 10 best coaches
Aug 5 2010
National college baseball writer Kendall Rogers recently acknowledged Virginia Tech head coach Pete Hughes' effort in 2010 as one of the ten best in the nation. Click here to read more.

2010 summer baseball league update
Jun 24 2010
Though the NCAA College World Series is still going on, summer collegiate baseball leagues are well underway and several Virginia Tech Hokies are taking part.
 
By clicking on the link below, you can see a list of the Hokies who are on summer league rosters, as well as the team and league they are in. Clicking on each player’s name will take you to his team’s respective stats page so you can follow his progress throughout the summer.
 

Columbia, South Carolina Hokies sponsor baseball tailgate
Jun 3 2010
The Columbia, South Carolina chapter of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association will be sponsoring a tailgate before Virginia Tech’s NCAA regional baseball game against The Citadel on Friday. The tailgate begins at 10 a.m. and will be in Lot 1 adjacent to Carolina Stadium. There will be some food off the grill for lunch and at least one cornhole set for entertainment purposes. Look for the tall VT tailgate flag flying in Lot 1. Parking is $10 for that lot, but is limited. Other parking will be available around the area.

Tickets for the entire series cost $70 and there is an 8-ticket per person purchase limit. Individual game tickets go on sale 90 minutes before the game and cost $10.

For more information on the tailgate, please check out the Columbia Hokies’ Web site at www.ColumbiaHokies.com.

Tech takes on The Citadel at 2 p.m. It will mark the Hokies’ first appearance in an NCAA regional in 10 years.

Tech baseball continues to climb in national rankings
May 10 2010
Despite a mid-week loss to Davidson, the Virginia Tech baseball team has once again moved up in several of the various national polls after shutting out Savannah State in back-to-back games this past weekend.
 
Tech’s highest ranking comes at No. 15 in both the Baseball America poll and the Rivals.com Top 25 poll. The Hokies were ranked 16th on both lists last week.
 
Meanwhile, the Hokies jumped from No. 18 to No. 16 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll, and from No. 23 to No. 18 in the USA TODAY/ESPN coaches’ poll.
 
Tech held steady at No. 21 in the Collegiate Baseball poll.
 
The Hokies will return to action this weekend with a three-game ACC series against Duke at English Field.

National polls continue to recognize Hokies
Apr 12 2010
BLACKSBURG, Va. - Thanks to a series win over No. 9 Miami this past weekend, the Virginia Tech baseball team has moved up the rankings in the Baseball America poll and gotten ranked for the first time this season in three others.
 
The Hokies debuted at No. 25 in the Baseball America poll last week for the first time since 1992, and have moved up to No. 20 this week.
 
Tech also finds itself ranked 25th in this week’s Collegiate Baseball poll, 29th in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll, and 24th in the Rivals.com Top 25 poll. The Hokies fell three points shy of getting ranked in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches’ Poll.
 
The Hokies’ rankings will be put to the test this weekend when Tech travels to Charlottesville to face rival Virginia, which is ranked No. 1 by the NCBWA, No. 2 by Baseball America and Rivals, No. 3 in the coaches’ poll and No. 4 by Collegiate Baseball.

Wates, Hokies featured on theACC.com
Apr 9 2010
Bill Hass on the ACC: Versatile Wates the Catalyst as Virginia Tech Turns Things Around
Click here to read.

Hokie baseball to appear on TV again this Saturday
Apr 5 2010
The Virginia Tech baseball team will appear on television for the second time in a week when the Hokies’ home game against Miami this Saturday is broadcast by Regional Sports Networks (RSN) at 1 p.m., as the ACC game of the week. RSN includes Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, FOX Sports Net South, FOX Sports Florida, and the New England Sports Network. Check your local listings.

Hokie baseball to appear on TV Sunday
Apr 3 2010
The Virginia Tech baseball team and fourth-ranked Florida State are scheduled to conclude their three-game ACC series on Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. The game will be televised by Fox Sports Florida, which is available nationally on DirecTV channel 654 and Dish Network Channel 423. The game will also be available on Fox College Sports Channel 721 on Comcast Digital Cable in Blacksburg.

Smalling and Hahn recognized by College Baseball Foundation
Mar 23 2010
Virginia Tech baseball players Tim Smalling and Jesse Hahn have been named to the national award watch lists for their respective positions.
 
The College Baseball Foundation has included Smalling, a redshirt junior shortstop, on the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List; and Hahn, a junior pitcher, on the Pitcher of the Year Watch List.
 
The winners of each honor will be announced on July 2 in Lubbock, Texas, at the College Baseball Awards Show, which is part of a nearly weeklong schedule of festivities sponsored by the College Baseball Foundation. The events also include the induction ceremony for the National College Baseball Hall of Fame.
 
The Wallace Award, sponsored by Mizuno, recognizes the nation’s top shortstop. Smalling, a Raleigh, N.C., native, ranks among the ACC’s top hitters with a .436 batting average over his first 18 games played. He’s also hit seven doubles, one triple and three home runs, while tallying 23 runs scored and 23 RBIs.
 
Hahn, a Groton, Conn., product, ranks among the ACC’s top pitchers with a 4-1 record and a 1.34 ERA in five games started. He has struck out 29 batters and walked just six in 33.2 innings of work.

Oates to be inducted into Orioles Hall of Fame
Mar 22 2010
It was announced on Monday that former Virginia Tech baseball player Johnny Oates will be inducted posthumously into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame as a manager by the Veteran's Committee.
 
Oates will be formally inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame as part of pre-game ceremonies at Camden Yards on Saturday, August 7, prior to the Orioles' 7:05 game against the Chicago White Sox.
 
A catcher, Oates made his major league debut with the Orioles on September 17, 1970. He also played for the Birds in 1972, appearing in a total of 90 games over the two seasons. It is for his work as a manager, however, that Oates is best remembered by Baltimore fans. He initially rejoined the organization as manager of the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings in 1988, then was promoted to first base coach for the major league club the next season. Oates was named manager of the Orioles midway through the 1991 season. In 1992, he led the club to an 89-73 record and in 1993 the team went 85-77, earning Oates The Sporting News Manager of the Year honors. He served as Baltimore's manager through the strike-shortened 1994 season, compiling a 291-270 overall record. His .519 winning percentage is 5th-highest all-time among Orioles managers.
 
Virginia Tech retired the jersey of Oates on May 4, 2002, during a special ceremony prior to a double-header against Connecticut at English Field.
 
Oates came to Blacksburg in 1965 and was an outstanding catcher for the Hokies’ baseball team. He hit .410 in 1966 and .342 in 1967 before signing with the Orioles after his junior season. Oates was inducted into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 1983.

Hahn featured on MLB.com
Mar 5 2010
Junior right-handed pitcher Jesse Hahn was recently profiled on MLB.com by draft expert Jonathan Mayo. To read more about Hahn, who is expected to be an early selection in the MLB Draft this June, click here.

Two baseball games to be televised
Feb 11 2010
The Florida State Athletics Department announced on Wednesday that Fox Sports Florida will be televising the Virginia Tech vs. Florida State baseball game on Sunday, April 4, at 1 p.m.
 
Fox Sports Florida is available to a national audience via DirecTV channel and 654 and Dish Network channel 423.
 
The Hokies’ home game against Miami on Saturday, April 10, will be televised by Regional Sports Networks (RSN) at 1 p.m., as the ACC game of the week. RSN includes Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, FOX Sports Net South, FOX Sports Florida, and the New England Sports Network.

Hahn recognized by PG Crosschecker
Jan 11 2010

Virginia Tech junior pitcher Jesse Hahn has been named a preseason All-American by PGCrosschecker.com, a Web site that is a division of Perfect Game USA, an organization that is recognized as one of the nation’s leaders in showcasing and scouting of the nation’s top high school-age baseball talent.

This preseason All-American team is made up of players who rank among collegiate baseball’s best pro prospects.

Hahn went 1-2 with a save and 23 strikeouts in 24 innings pitched as a sophomore. He then went 1-1 with a save and 17 strikeouts in 15.1 innings of work over the summer for the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod League, where he was named the eighth-best pro prospect in the league by Baseball America.

Here is PG Crosschecker’s opinion of Hahn:

“An absolutely electric arm has Hahn rising up draft boards after impressing scouts last summer as he continually approached triple digits on the Cape. His arm action leads many to believe that he will be able to maintain that velocity deep into his baseball career, but he is going to have to learn to command the strike zone better, and it may take him a while to learn that pitching in the zone is more effective than not. He also throws a good curveball and changeup, which will tempt teams to try him as a starter before keeping him in a closer’s role. His size and stuff are very similar to that of Justin Verlander at a similar stage in his career.”

To view the entire team, click here.

Camo takes 2-0 lead in Hokie Fall World Series
Oct 20 2009
Austin Wates and Matt Blow went a combined 5-for-7 with five RBIs to lead Team Camo to a 5-3 win over Team Throwback in game two of the Hokie Fall World Series at English Field on Tuesday evening.
 
With the victory, Team Camo owns a 2-0 lead in the three-game, intrasquad series, but Team Throwback can claim the series if it defeats Team Camo by more than three runs (the combined deficit of the two losses) in game three on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 5:30 p.m., and the game, like the first two, is scheduled for seven innings.
 
Wates produced the game’s first run in the top of the first when he singled home Sean Ryan, and Blow responded soon after by singling home Wates to give the Camos a quick, 2-0 lead.
 
The Throwbacks countered in the bottom of the second, as Tony Balisteri sent a two-run shot over the wall to score Anthony Sosnoskie and knot the contest at 2.
 
Both starting pitchers – freshmen Patrick Scoggin and Joe Mantiply – then settled in until the top of the fifth, when Wates and Blow teamed up again with a pair of RBI singles to chase Scoggin from the game and give the Camos a 4-2 advantage.
 
Buddy Sosnoskie’s single for Team Throwback in the bottom of the sixth scored Balisteri to make it a one-run game, but Blow plated Wates on a double in the top of the seventh to make it 5-3. Brandon Fisher pitched a perfect bottom half to register the save, his second in the series.
 
Mantiply earned the win after tossing a solid five innings, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks, with two strikeouts. Scoggin fanned four for the Throwbacks, but walked three and gave up six hits to take the loss.

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