Fresh-faced Hokies start hot in chilly Opening Day win

By Sam Alves

Staff Writer

February 18, 2022

BLACKSBURG — Aided by the 14 miles-per-hour winds at his back that only cooled the 36-degree afternoon further, true freshman Carson DeMartini destroyed the first competitive pitch he saw in his collegiate career — it flew 429 feet over the left-center wall, to be exact — the first of five Virginia Tech home runs in its 17-3 win over UNC Asheville on Opening Day at English Field.

Hokie newcomers DeMartini and graduate transfer Eduardo Malinowski starred for Tech (1-0) early — teaming up for six RBIs — enough to build an early lead before an eight-run fifth inning put any doubt to bed.

So how’d it feel to swing that signature home run sledgehammer?

“It felt good,” DeMartini said with a toothy grin. “It felt a little bit weird. I was expecting it to be a little bit heavier, but I got it around. Good thing it didn’t hit me in the face or anything.”

Then the mob — and an avalanche of runs — came.

“My roommate, [freshman pitcher] Tyler Dean, was the first guy to come up to me, jumping all over me so pumped up. It was just a cool little moment, and that just started something where our offense exploded from there.”

Indeed, that Tech offense scored 13 more runs before recording 12 outs to finish its scoring production.

Cade Hunter launched his second home run of the day to start the fifth — the second of four in a row the Hokies led with a homer — and first baseman Nick Holesa ended the scoring with an RBI double, the last of Tech’s starters to record a hit.

In between — to push Tech’s lead to 17-0 — Malinowski and Hunter batted in two more runs, James Madison transfer Conor Hartigan singled home another and Tanner Schobel scored on a wild pitch.

Szefc had doubts Hunter could play on Opening Day after an ankle sprain during a team scrimmage. Tech’s skipper praised trainer Kyle Staggers and Hunter’s ability to foul off tough pitches and create opposite-field power.

“If we’re going to be good, we need guys like [Hunter and Malinowski] to do what they did,” Szefc said.

Tech will need similar efforts from its pitching staff, too.

Neither the chilly mid-February Blacksburg weather nor Bulldogs (0-1) batters rattled Chelmsford, Massachusetts, native Griffin Green, who started and breezed through the first inning in just 11 pitches.

The sophomore’s outing wasn’t much more difficult over the next four innings. The sophomore right-hander struck out five and allowed just two hits in a five-inning, 64-pitch start before lefty Henry Weycker replaced him.

“He’s just very dependable,” Szefc said of Green, who gained invaluable experience pitching for Cape League champions Brewster Whitecaps last summer. “You know what you’re getting there. It’s a lot of strikes. He’s not going to beat himself.”

“Last season, I was probably half the pitcher than I [am now] — maturity-wise, pitching-wise, really nailing down my mechanics leading into this [season,]” Green said. “Really happy about it [the start.] Just attack the zone as much as I can and rely on my stuff.”

Weycker surrendered Tech’s first three runs of the year over his two innings due to four hits and a walk. Szefc was more concerned about Weycker, who missed most of last season due to injury, getting game reps.

Right-handers Jackson Ritchey and Peter Sackellaris finished the deal for the Hokies.

The long ball and contributions from fresh faces overshadowed the beginning of a hopeful campaign for Gavin Cross, who was named by USA Baseball to the Golden Spikes Award watch list for best amatuer player in the country.

Cross, who led the ACC with five triples last year, wasted no time making an impact, ripping a three-bagger into the right-field corner then scoring on a wild pitch to put the Hokies on the board, where they ended with a decided advantage, first.