On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
On Monday, each conference announced the recipients of the all-conference awards. Sam Tackett and Brett Renfrow earned All-ACC nominations for their play this season.
Brett Renfrow started the Hokies honors, taking home a third-team nomination, while Tackett brought home honors of gracing the All-ACC second team.
Tackett's electric start to his redshirt-senior campaign only allowed two options. Come back down to Earth, or leave Blacksburg witness to one of the greatest collegiate seasons ever.
After two months of play, including starting competition within the ACC, Tackett was batting over .400 with double-digit home runs.
Tackett led the unranked Hokies in a sweep over Wake Forest on the opposite side of the ball, reaching the SportsCenter Top 10 Plays list with a home run robbery against the Demon Deacons.
Tackett could not keep this pace up all season, yet Tackett ended the regular season ranked among the top 10 ACC sluggers with 14 home runs, batting .314 with 58 hits, 10 doubles, 42 runs, 44 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases.
This is the fifth straight year Tech has had an outfielder garner All-ACC team honors. Tackett has been responsible for more duties than just patrolling the outfield and robbing homers--splitting time at first base to help alleviate injury problems the Hokies faced throughout the 2025 season.
Renfrow, the sophomore, had large expectations riding off an impressive season on the bump in his freshman campaign--already named as a top 40 prospect for the 2026 MLB Draft.
The series opener for Tech would typically mean Renfrow would be on the bump, ball in hand. Gathering momentum in the opening frame for the Hokies, especially in the series on the road against Wake Forest, giving up two runs in six innings in the opener.
Renfrow led the Hokies on the mound with 68.2 innings pitched and 74 strikeouts--so he will be sure to bounce back in the ACC tournament on Tuesday after getting hit around by the Virginia Cavaliers in the last outing of the season.
The cross-country Stanford Cardinal, in their first ACC tournament, take on Tech in the opening round of play on Tuesday.
The Hokies remain searching for tournament hardware to pair with the regular season title in the trophy room. With Renfrow providing pivotal innings on the mound and Tackett leading the Hokies at the plate. Look out for the high-seeded Hokies to make a potential run in the tournament on the backs of these two stars.
First pitch for the Hokies in the win-or-go-home tournament is at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, with coverage available on the ACC Network and ESPN+.
Related Links
How to Watch: Hokies on Deck For ACC Tournament
2025 ACC Baseball Tournament Preview and Predictions
Son of former Hokie receiver earns Virginia Tech scholarship offer
More must-reads:
- Bills agree to multiyear extension with Pro Bowl RB
- Notre Dame believed to be trending toward surprise choice at quarterback
- The 'American League WAR leaders' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
TODAY'S BEST
Ohio State football sets all-time record with latest AP Poll drop, leaving Michigan in the dust for second-place
Wisconsin Badgers In-State Transfer Safety Could Become 'Do-It-All' Defender During 2025 Season
The Wisconsin Badgers previously worked hard to return a top collegiate performer home, and succeeded in doing so in a tremendous way. Matthew Jung, a native of Neenah, Wisconsin, was not a highly recruited athlete out of high school despite showing signs. Jung played quarterback and safety for his high school, performing well on both sides of the play for his team. However, Jung was relatively undersized and needed time to fully round out both his frame and his skills on the field. Fast forward two years, and the defensive back has carved his name into the D-III record books with two tremendous years. Jung finished his career with Bethel University with 16 interceptions, 181 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, and eight total touchdowns across offense, defense, and special teams. Jung committed to the Wisconsin Badgers after entering the transfer portal, which was a move that was expected given his production. The safety ultimately chose to stay close to home which is a decision that could truly benefit the Badgers during the upcoming season. Jung will have two years of eligibility left after transferring into the program. In-State Product Matthew Jung Could be Versatile Playmaker for Wisconsin Badgers Jung was primarily brought in to sure-up the safety position, but given his incredible versatility, the potential options for Jung are seemingly never ending. The Neenah native played on offense, defense, and special teams during his time at Bethel, which was arguably a very productive stay. Just last season alone, Jung recorded four pick-sixes for 262 yards, a punt return touchdown, nine interceptions, two forced fumbles, 2.5 sacks, 109 total tackles, and one receiving touchdown. Jung finished the season with six total scores, which made Jung the sixth-highest scoring player on the roster. Previously as a true freshman, the defensive back recorded two pick-sixes and seven total interceptions. The defensive back primarily played safety for Bethel, but also appeared as a punter returner, kick returner, and also a receiver in special packages. While Jung is primarily going to play safety for the Wisconsin Badgers, the defensive back is a very successful special teams player and could help the Wisconsin unit. Jung was a kick and punt returner last season and recorded a punt return touchdown. Jung also finished the year with 335 punt return yards which ranked 11th in D-III football last season. Jung also recorded 398 kick return yards last season and only returned kicks for five games out of a possible 14 games. Wisconsin does not have a fully outlined special teams unit yet, and Jung could be an option at multiple positions within the unit due to his versatility and physical play. Jung may not become a full-time returner for the Wisconsin Badgers, but expect big tackles and crucial stops to be made by the defensive back. Given the talent on the offensive side of the ball, however, Jung may not find a similar role as a receiver, but still could offer valuable athleticism on offense if needed.
Jordan Love's thumb surgery comes at inopportune time for Packers
The Green Bay Packers have a cause for concern with Jordan Love in the preseason. The quarterback suffered a thumb injury during the Packers' 30-10 loss to the New York Jets on Saturday. Love went 1-of-5 passing for seven yards and took a sack for -3 yards in the defeat. Both of his drives ended in punts. Per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, Love is set to have surgery on his thumb after seeing how it held up at practice on Monday. General manager Brian Gutekunst believes Love will be ready for Week 1 against the Detroit Lions. "Gutekunst sounded adamant that Love will be ready for Week 1 against the Lions," Schneidman wrote. "Hit his left hand on a helmet on that half-scramble vs. Jets. Wanted to see how it felt at practice yesterday and decided to get it fixed to avoid future issues. Will be with team in Indianapolis. "Brian Gutekunst says Jordan Love is having a procedure done on his left thumb. It’s a 'ligament thing.' Hurt it in the preseason opener. Gutekunst hopes he returns to practice next week." The injury comes at an inopportune time for the Packers. Love and the majority of his receivers have not been in sync during training camp and in the preseason game. Like last season, Packers' receivers have dropped passes during practices and did so in the preseason opener against the Jets. Green Bay needs Love on the field, gaining chemistry with his pass-catching targets, including first-round pick Matthew Golden, before it plays the Lions.
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Has Been In Communication With Exciting All-Pro Wide Receiver That Could Join Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a very exciting team on paper heading into the 2025 NFL season as the organization has made plenty of changes throughout the offseason. It can be argued that both sides of the ball have been upgraded in some way, and the rookie class provides some excitement as well. One spot fans might want to see another move made is at wide receiver, as outside of DK Metcalf, there are some question marks in the room. Calvin Austin III took a strong step forward in 2024, but he has missed a large chunk of time during training camp this month due to injury, and Roman Wilson is still making strides. There are some interesting veterans that are still available in free agency, and some more names should hit the open market at the end of August when teams cut down to their 53-man rosters. However, one of the interesting names on the market currently is former superstar wide receiver, Odell Beckham Jr. Beckham was a standout during his time with the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns, and he won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams. He recently joined Bill Maher on the Club Random podcast, and he shared that he has had conversations with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. "Love him, love him," Beckham said of Rodgers. "We've had conversations. I won't say that, that it's not a possibility [joining the Steelers], and I won't say that I haven't had any communication. I f*cking love [Mike] Tomlin. I was actually supposed to be drafted to the Steelers. That was the meeting that I had where I was like, 'I think I'm going to the Steelers.' Giants ended up taking me at 12, Steelers had I think the 16th pick maybe. I think they took Ryan Shazier." Beckham revealed that he has had some conversations with the Pittsburgh quarterback, which could mean the two sides are interested in joining forces with the Steelers. The veteran wide receiver didn't sound too optimistic that anything would happen, but he did not shut down the idea of wearing black and gold during the 2025 season. Beckham has been trying to find his footing in the league ever since he tore his ACL during Super Bowl LVI. The injury caused him to miss the entire 2022 season, and he has since played for the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins. In the past two seasons, the receiver has caught just 44 passes for 620 yards and three touchdowns. There is no doubting that Beckham has lost a step, but he would certainly be an interesting addition for the Steelers. Some argue that Pittsburgh's wide receiver room is full of too many wide receiver threes and fours, rather than having a solid second option at the position. At this point in his career, Beckham would likely just add to that problem, rather than being a solution. Steelers Were Interested In Beckham During 2014 NFL Draft Beckham also stated during his interview with Maher that the Steelers were very interested in him during the 2014 NFL Draft. He was selected by the Giants with the 12th overall pick, and Pittsburgh selected at 15. The Steelers grabbed Ryan Shazier, but Beckham seemed fairly confident that if he had still been on the board, he would have gone to the Steelers with the 15th pick. This is a bit hard to believe, as the Steelers have not drafted a wide receiver in the first round since the 2006 NFL Draft when the organization selected Santonio Holmes. The wide receiver room was looking a little thin heading into the 2014 season, but the Steelers were able to make it work after picking Martavis Bryant in the fourth round of the same draft.
Former crew chief frustrated by the 'ridiculous' racing at Watkins Glen
It is no secret that NASCAR's current road-course package has not been very good. Aside from the mile-and-a-half tracks that were once the least competitive and exciting in the series, those races are the rare bright spot for the Next Gen Car since its inception in 2022. Shane van Gisbergen drove away to an 11.1-second win over Christopher Bell in Sunday's race at Watkins Glen and set multiple records in the process. While the racing was not particularly exciting, that was not what left former crew chief and current analyst Steve Letarte frustrated the most following the weekend. A recurring issue in each race over the weekend was drivers utilizing the runoff areas around the track and not staying on the traditional racing surface, which ultimately led to some crashes in Saturday's Xfinity race. "So, I hate track limits that have to be officiated," Letarte said on "Inside the Race." "Because I like tracks that you should just stay on the track. I didn't think it mattered. Now, I am team get-them-back-on-the-race-track-at-Watkins-Glen. I don't love the Watkins Glen that I see. ... I think Turn 1 is not as great of a corner with no exit respect or responsibility. You just blow the exit. I think the carousel is a much easier corner, being able to just go driver's left. "I also think Turn 6 is going — let me add, that I think the (Connor) Zilisch, SVG wreck between the last two corners (in the Xfinity Series race) happened because they left the track, and the Austin Hill wreck with Michael McDowell happened off the race track. Now, both could have been avoided, we can talk about who's at fault. What I'm saying is, I've never driven a lap at Watkins Glen. I can analyze what happens between the white lines." This comes one year after rumble strips were placed in Turn 1 to keep drivers from using the runoff area, and that clearly has not worked. As the field has got closer together, using up all the track has become a common way for drivers to establish momentum, especially as they prepare for the right-hander going into The Esses at Watkins Glen. The bottom line is NASCAR's road-racing product needs to get better and Letarte wants to see race cars "stay on the race track because I think it will be a better race." Van Gisbergen's historic dominance certainly does not help, but the overall road course product is not great. Whether NASCAR makes some changes to the runoff areas and enforces track limits remains to be seen, but that still may not be the biggest issue if the racing does not improve.
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
