Virginia Tech’s baseball program celebrated a milestone this week as the Hokies secured an at‑large invitation to the 2026 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, marking their first appearance since 2022.
The team will travel to the Los Angeles Regional, hosted by UCLA, and will open play on Friday, May 29, against second‑seeded Cal Poly.
Head coach John Szefc, now in his ninth NCAA tournament appearance, will guide a squad that finished seventh in the ACC year‑end standings.
A late‑season surge
A 17‑10 victory over Notre Dame highlighted the Hokies’ recent form, setting season highs in hits, runs and RBIs while extending a 14‑2 run over their last 20 games.
The team has climbed to No. 17 in national strength‑of‑schedule rankings and No. 25 in the Diamond Sports Ranking, underscoring the quality of competition they have faced.
Key contributors include pitcher Brett Renfrow and infielder Ethan Ball, while junior Ethan Gibson leads the club with a .333 batting average and senior catcher Henry Cooke is batting .376 with a .656 slugging percentage.
Nearly every player on the 2026 roster will be making their first NCAA tournament appearance, a testament to the program’s historic breakthrough.