Hokies get off to the Wright start in ACC tournament

After about an hour and half delay, the Virginia Tech Hokies finally got to start their first game of the ACC Championship.  And boy were they ready.

The Hokies took on the mighty Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, a team which the Hokies previously swept.

Georgia Tech started Derek McGuire, who was first team all-ACC, the ACC pitcher of the year and is expected to be a top ten pick in next month's Major League Baseball draft. But, during last night's game the Hokies made McGuire look extremely ordinary.

Virginia Tech starting pitcher Justin Wright was the one who truly put on a phenomenal pitching performance.  Not only did he pitch a complete game, he had a career high 15 strikeouts and only gave up two runs.

Considering how he was shellacked in his last start against UNC, he really exceeded expectations.

The offense helped out Wright's performance by scoring six runs.  In fact, Wright had a lead in the bottom of the first, thanks to a two-run home run by right fielder and first team all ACC, Austin Wates.

All of the Hokies runs came with two-outs.  They loaded the bases twice with less then two outs, and the Yellow Jackets should be fortunate that the Hokies were unable to take advantage of the miscues of the GT pitching staff.

The Yellow Jackets pitching staff allowed five walks and six hits total.

So exactly how good was Wright?  The Georgia Tech head coach put it best.

“We had no answer for Justin Wright," Georgia Tech coach Danny Hall said. "He’s good.”

Virginia Tech head coach Pete Hughes, also had his own opinion on Wright's performance.

“That was probably the best starting performance I’ve seen at this level in my coaching career. It was dominant,” Hughes said.

If the Hokies are able to continue to have games like that, they will be one tough ball club to beat. Their goal is to win the ACC tournament.  

The second baby-step towards that goal begins this afternoon with a game against Clemson.  Sophomore starter Matthew Price takes the hill for the Hokies who hopes to repeat a performance like Wright's.

Pete Hughes deserves a little respect

Yesterday, the all ACC honors were announced for baseball.  Virginia Tech was represented only once for the first team all-ACC team.  Outfielder Austin Wates, a likely first round draft pick in this summer's Major League Baseball draft was the lone Hokie on the team.  Three other Hokies, catcher Steve Domecus, starting pitcher Justin Wright and reliever Ben Rowen made the second team.

The name most noticeably missing from the list was not a player.

No it was Virginia Tech's very own head coach Pete Hughes.

So who was the winner of the ACC coach of the year you might ask?  None other then Virginia head coach Brian O'Connor.

Now I understand O'Connor is a great coach and has really turned the program around at Virginia and kept the team in the top five nationally all season, but I feel that many people are still suffering a bit of a hangover from the Wahoo's trip to Omaha last season.

Hughes has done a remarkable job turning around the program down in Blacksburg.  The team has made the ACC tournament for the first time since 2005.  This also coincides with the teams reentry into the national rankings for the first time since 1992. The Hokies have been ranked for roughly half the season and were as high as #12 prior to a sweep at the hands of North Carolina.

Going into the ACC tournament which begins on Thursday, the Hokies have an overall record of 36-19.  Compared to last season's record of 32-21 and the 2008 season of 23-21, Hughes' determination to turn the program around is greatly visible.

His hope one day is to generate as much excitement over baseball as football and basketball get in Blacksburg.

I truly believe that with a good run in the postseason tournaments this will happen.  After all when I recently talked to Hughes he said the goal of the team was to make it to Omaha.

For now, let's just shoot for winning the ACC tournament and making it to the NCAA regional portion of the tournament.

Then we can focus on Omaha.