RADFORD — Frigid, windy and fairly lopsided, Virginia Tech baseball’s 6-1 win against Radford on Tuesday was the quintessential New River rivalry game.
The Hokies (17-8) moved to 7-0 in midweek games this season and 10-1 against the Highlanders (12-11) in their last 11 matchups. With no game between the neighboring schools being particularly close since a 3-2 Tech win in 2020, and the latest rendition being no different, storylines appeared away from the scoreboard.
Most notably, Hokies outfielder Cam Pittman returned to Williams Field, the ballpark he called home for the first three years of his collegiate career. He hit .309 and stole 30 bases across three seasons (2022-24) at Radford.
“It felt pretty weird, it was bittersweet,” Pittman said of his return, which saw him record a walk and a run. “I played three years here, started my career here. I feel like this place turned me from a boy to a man. To come out here on the other side, definitely a little weird.”
At Nansemond River High in Suffolk, Pittman and then-teammate Clay Grady both drew interest from Tech, but Grady was the only one to head to Blacksburg, while Pittman landed at Radford.
Hokies coach John Szefc said that a mass of outfield talent at the time — headlined by a young Gavin Cross and Jack Hurley — made adding Pittman difficult. His progress, combined with annual showcases against the Hokies and a need for outfielders, landed him a spot in Blacksburg this past offseason.
“We’ve been playing these guys ever since I’ve been here, and it’s just tough to get him out,” Szefc said of Pittman. “You get sick and tired of trying to get Cam Pittman out, and then he’s in the portal, and I’d like to have that guy on our team.”
Then and now, Pittman prefers Tech, but he looks back on his time at Radford fondly.
“Like I said, I grew into a man,” Pittman said. “Just from development, two head coaches, all the guys that I met and played with, these guys are still my brothers to this day. This place got me to where I am today, and I’m always grateful for it.”
On Tuesday, Pittman was on the winning end of the matchup for the first time since April 18, 2023, when the Highlanders, coming off 22 straight losses, shocked the Hokies in a 16-8 win. Pittman recorded five walks in that matchup, then one in this week’s game as a member of the opposite dugout.
He came around along with Anderson French off a Jared Davis (2-for-3) double in the sixth, making it 4-0. French (sacrifice fly) and Henry Cooke (single) accounted for the first two runs, which were the only ones necessary after a lights-out start from freshman pitcher Chase Swift.
He shut out the Highlanders through four innings, throwing 41 strikes in 62 pitches with five knockouts and a single hit allowed. As always, he capped off innings with energetic bellows, namely after strikeouts in the second and fourth frames.
It was a comeback outing for Swift after his first career weekend appearance against Louisville last Saturday, where he allowed two earned runs without recording an out.
“That’s a really well-pitched game,” Szefc said. “In order to have that, you have to get off to a good start. Swift did that. He almost went two times through and it was just a really quality start, and he’s done a good job for us. Did a good job at here, and then at JMU, and then last week against VCU.
“I’d like to think he could [eventually] be a weekend starter. It just depends on how his velocity and his pitchability develop.”
Tech pitchers Preston Crowl and Josh Berzonski also had bounceback outings, combining to allow one earned run across the final four innings. Mathieu Curtis — who picked up his third win of the year — threw a two-strikeout fifth frame and hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last 5 ⅔ innings.
On the other side, David McCann — who’s batting .143 in ACC play — had what Szefc hopes to be a back-on-track performance Tuesday. He cracked a double and a two-run homer in a pair of at-bats, boosting his batting average back above .300, which has fallen since his early-season tear.
Next, the Hokies turn their attention to this weekend’s series against No. 16 Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, starting Friday at 6 p.m. ET on ACC Network Extra.
The Demon Deacons (20-6, 7-2 ACC) controversially fell five spots in the latest D1Baseball ranking despite narrowly losing to No. 6 Clemson last weekend. They’re likely to be Tech’s most potent challenge yet.
Box Score: Virginia Tech 6, Radford 1