Stanford to Take on Virginia Tech in ACC Tournament

Last weekend, the Stanford Cardinal spoiled NC State’s chances at a regular season ACC title. The Cardinal won dominant games two and three, taking the series 2-1 on the road. With the emergence of Jimmy Nati as well as more consistent pitching, Stanford looks like a solid team going into the tournament.

The ACC Tournament starts on Tuesday, May 20, and goes to Saturday, May 24. The games will be played in Durham, NC. The Cardinal are the No. 13 seed in the 16-team tournament. In the first round, Stanford takes on 12 seed Virginia Tech, on Tuesday, at 10 AM PT.

The Hokies season was solid, finishing 30-24, and 12-18 in conference play. A few notable wins they had were in series wins against Louisville and Wake Forest.

But losses to Georgia Tech, NC State, Florida State, North Carolina, Duke, Pitt, and Virginia kept them inconsistent especially towards the end of the year. However, the Hokies were a familiar solid team overall, and will be a tough matchup for Stanford in the first round.

The Cardinal have had a very similar season. Coming in with high expectations, the Cardinal went 15-3 to begin the year, but became completely inconsistent when it came to conference play. They ended the year 27-24, leaving on a 12-21 streak.

However, a recent series win against NC State, as well as wins over North Carolina and Duke have proven that in North Carolina the Cardinal shouldn't be overlooked. The winner will take on the No. 6 seeded Clemson on Wednesday.

Both teams have had somewhat solid seasons, and will have one final chance to prove themselves in a winner take all game. The Cardinal have more on the line, as they had incredibly high expectations of returning to the College World Series entering the year.

The expectation is that the Cardinal will come out with the victory in this one. With Stanford playing a little better towards the end of the season, that may be enough of an upper hand in this one.

Stanford ranked last in the ACC in runs scored this season with 325, while Virginia Tech ranked No. 10 with 369. On the pitching side, the Hokies ranked No. 11 in ERA with a 5.22, while Stanford was No. 15 with a 6.39. While Virginia Tech ranked higher in both categories, the two teams were close. In a one-game scenario, anything can happen.

First pitch is scheduled for Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. (PT).