Virginia Tech Baseball vs Marshall Midweek Preview

The Hokies will have their work cut out for them against a strong Marshall program. With the game coming in the midweek, there is no scheduled starter for the Thundering Herd; Marshall has started two separate pitchers in each of its midweek matchups so far.

The same can be said for Virginia Tech; I believe that Aiden Robertson will get the start to try and build some confidence after a turbulent start to the season.

Marshall's most impacful hitter through ten games in Evan Bottone, who is hitting at a stellar .400 clip with four home runs, 11 RBI and an .800 slugging percentage.

As a team, Marshall strikes out a decent amount and does not walk much at all, averaging 7.2 strikeouts per game and just 4.1 walks. That alone will be a good test for Virginia Tech pitching, especially when it comes to working their way out of jams.

Virginia Tech's offense has failed to work through a plethora of struggles, scoring five or fewer runs in five of their 11 games so far. Marshall's pitching is relatively middle-of-the-road, boasting a 5.63 ERA. However, the Thundering Herd strike out over 11 batters per game and walk just 3.5.

This could be a good opportunity for a get-right game for the Hokies. I am watching for a few true freshmen — aside from Ethan Ball — to find playing time and get a chance to prove themselves as reliable hitters as Virginia Tech readies for conference play.

CJ Oxendine and Aimon Chandler are my top two contenders there. The staff was high on Oxendine when he got to campus in Blacksburg; he produced a well-struck single against Mississippi State as a pinch-hitter in the latter stages of the blowout.

Chandler also had high hopes coming in, especially after a strong summer performance in an independent league. Following Oxendine's hit, he struck an opposite-field home run that scorched off the bat at nearly 108 miles per hour.

With an offense that needs a spark, those two could get a chance to provide just that against a Marshall team that has had a spotty start to the season, losing six of its last eight. Virginia Tech's contest against the Thundering Herd is set to begin at 4 p.m., with the game set to be carried on ACC Network Extra.