An In-Depth look at Drue Hackenberg’s Debut

By Nick Cheshire

Staff Writer

February 21, 2022

BLACKSBURG — A masterful eight-pitch first inning set the tone for a debut that was imperfect but impressive, offering a glimpse into the potential of freshman Drue Hackenberg, one of the top pitchers from Virginia in his 2021 recruiting class.

“Sometimes, when you throw a freshman out there you’re not quite sure what you’re going to get,” head coach John Szefc said. “It’s important for a young guy to go out and have success to build some confidence.”

Hackenberg looked confident and comfortable from the first pitch, logging five scoreless innings and allowing only one hit in a 10-4 Virginia Tech victory over UNC Asheville on Sunday.

“Attack the zone, that’s what Coach preached to us.” Hackenberg said.

His command was impressive early, and over five innings, Hackenberg threw 63 pitches, 40 of which found the zone. He kept the ball low for the most part, forcing plenty of ground balls and weak contact.

“Just getting through those first couple of pitches, that’s what it took me to calm down a little bit.” Hackenberg said.

Hackenberg, whose fastball usually runs around 91 mph, peaked at 93 mph in the first inning was undoubtedly a byproduct of a healthy amount of adrenaline and excitement.

“I was pretty amped, just anxious to get out there,” Hackenberg said. “I was out here early, ready to go, it was fun.”

His off-speed pitches were equally impressive, featuring a heavy dose of his curveball, which sits in the low 80 mph range. The curve features impressive movement down through the zone, the perfect compliment to a fastball with a hint of movement itself.

Hackenberg struck out four, highlighted by back-to-back curveballs that fooled UNC Asheville’s Michael Groves in the top of the third.

After retiring the first nine hitters in order, his lone walk came in the top of the fourth after a pair of near-misses. He faced adversity for the first time in the fourth with runners on first and second, but forced a pop out to right field to end the inning unscathed.

As the game continued, his fastball, which painted the corners in the first few innings, began to miss more frequently while hard-hit balls became more prevalent. Even still, less than his best was enough to put zeros on the scoreboard.

“His stuff was probably just okay today, for him, and he’ll probably tell you the same thing.” Szefc said.

If Sunday was Hackenberg at “just okay”, the future is certainly bright for the young freshman.