ACC Baseball News & Notes: Second half sees Clemson on top

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The countdown toward the postseason is on, and even though all 16 teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference make the league tournament, positioning for the event is still key. Since the league decided before the season began to be a single-elimination tournament, playing as few games as possible will be huge for all teams. So, with six weeks left, here is how things shape up in the ACC.

As of this past Monday, 10 of the 16 teams had an RPI inside the Top 40, and five of those teams were inside the Top 25. The league leader, the Clemson Tigers, lead the list at #2. Georgia Tech follows them at #10, Wake Forest at #18, North Carolina at #22, and Florida State at #24. With six weeks left in the regular season, the ACC is in good shape to have several teams playing in June.

The Virginia Tech Hokies (22-10, 9-6) find themselves in this week’s D1 Baseball poll for the first time since April 15, 2024. VT has won its last three conference series, two of which were against ranked teams. This weekend, they will get another chance to make a statement as they will host #9 Florida State.

Speaking of those Seminoles (25-6, 8-4), Joey Volini was named the NCBWA Pitcher of the Month for March. He posted a 5-0 record with a 1.09 ERA. In 35 innings, he struck out 50 hitters. He was also named to the D1 Baseball Midseason All-American and the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List. The ACC has 12 players named to the 45-man Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List. There are three Florida State players on that list. Wake Forest also has three on the list. They lead the ACC.

While it is still a little early to start thinking about the field for the NCAA Baseball Tournament, the league is looking at a well-represented group. The D1 baseball field of projections has 11 of the 16 teams in the field. Three of them, Clemson, Florida State, and North Carolina, as regional hosts. Georgia Tech, Louisville, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest as #2 seeds. Duke, Stanford, NC State, and Virginia as the three seeds. Baseball America has two schools, California and Boston College, as members of the First Four out and Next four out.

The league has done a real nice job of winning games against other Power-4 conferences. Overall, the ACC has a 32-19 record vs these leagues. VS the SEC, they are 8-8, the Big-12 they are 10-8, the Big-10 they are 14-3. These numbers will also help come Selection Monday.

The ACC Player of the Week is Wake Forest infielder Dalton Wentz. He went 8-for-16 with a .500 BA, including 6-for-13 (.462) last weekend in their series win over Florida State. Wentz would homer in all three games vs the Seminoles. He becomes the first Demon Deacon to homer in all three games of a league series since 2024. Wentz slugged 1.125 for the week, driving in 11 runs.

The ACC Pitcher of the Week is Ryan Reed of Pittsburgh. In game two of a doubleheader vs Miami last Friday, Reed threw seven shutout innings vs the Hurricanes. He struck out five and allowed just four baserunners. It is the second time this season Reed has thrown seven shutout innings in a start. He is seven strikeouts away from 100 for the season.