Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 10 No. 5 | May 2018

inside.hokiesports.com 11 Get your Nike ® apparel at Tech Bookstore The best place for your gear 118 S. Main Street TechBookStore.com a lot of talented players who committed to this program because of that defensive tradition. The initial glimpses that we got of his newly constructed defense during spring practice were promising. Dylan Rivers made tremendous strides at mike linebacker, and to my eye, stood out during the Spring Game, along with a handful of young cornerbacks and emerging defensive linemen. Like the offense, many integral expected pieces missed the game and much of spring, but I came away encouraged about what the group will look like come August. So I head into the summer in a place of excitement for this program. Who will step up? Who will have a breakout year? Which veteran has waited his turn to emerge? To me, watching the cupboard get stocked with talent and speed leads to fun offseason conversations and hopefully some fall surprises. Baseball in Blacksburg has a bright future I took the opportunity to get more involved with baseball this spring, and I couldn’t be more bullish on the program’s potential. I think Whit Babcock made a home run hire in John Szefc. In the handful of games I called for ACC Network Extra, Szefc’s team played the game with fundamental integrity and intelligence. The Hokies’ record hasn’t reflected a meteoric rise in the standings, but that was unrealistic. His first-year team was competitive night in and night out. Give it a little time, and I firmly believe baseball will be rising in Blacksburg. And if the environment for the Grand Opening of English Field at Union Park is the barometer, this place has the potential to be a spirited baseball town again. I was fortunate enough to call that game, during which I said, “History won’t remember the outcome of this game … but it will recall the significance of this night in regard to Virginia Tech baseball.” I absolutely believe that. The design of the ballpark is stunning and perfectly encapsulates Tech—Hokie Stone accenting the grass-lined third-base side, along with state-of-the-art media facilities to allow Tech to be on the cutting edge both on the field and in the press box. The sky is the limit, and the investment made in the facility and the program will prove to be a shrewd one in the not-too-distant future. On a personal note, getting back in the baseball booth has been amazing. I think, in life, there are a lot of times when we leave things behind and forget howmuch we enjoyed them. Broadcasting baseball is one of those things for me. It feels like home when I am there, and I intend to do as much as I can to contribute. That goes for the ACC Network as well, as that is about to begin building into a source of pride for Tech, too. There are a lot of talented people whom you probably don’t know by name putting in a tremendous amount of behind-the-scenes work to make it happen. A lot of exciting things are coming, for sure! Here comes the wedding Which brings me to May 19, a day for which my bride-to-be, Renée Blessington, has a countdown hanging below our television. Our wedding day. As with all significant life events since I have been a part of Hokie Nation, I have received countless well wishes, as we have worked toward this day. And as always, that outpouring of love has been overwhelming. However, in this instance, it is overshadowed by my ability to overwhelm myself— in a good way. I’ve made all the requisite marriage jokes, and I’ve done my share of grumbling about the wedding planning, but the truth is I’ve never been more eager for any event in my life. I’m 38 years old. I’ve had my personal missteps and mistakes, and if you’re like me at all, you can understand that there are times when you can’t help but question whether you’ll find the person who completely gets you — your personality, ambition, flaws, and everything else. Renée is that person for me. She is fierce protector, warm encourager, tough-love motivator and angel, all rolled into one very diminutive package. Point is, I’m counting down to May 19, too, because she is the missing piece to having the life for which I have always dreamed. It can’t get here soon enough, and I am also grateful that so many Hokies will be there to share the day with us. Alright, with that, I have a marriage license to procure and a baseball game to call. Congratulations to all Hokies for their accomplishments this past year! I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us. Until then, my friends, get outside! It’s finally above 60! Tech’s offense featured some much-needed playmakers in the Spring Game, including tailback Deshawn McClease, who rushed for a 49-yard touchdown in the game.