Inside HokieSports 5/22: Punchin' Tickets

Hokies Earn 29 Spots At NCAA East Preliminary Round

May 22, 2026

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Good morning, Tech Fam. Looking to add a few more highlights to the reel this morning (NEW TIME - 11 a.m.) in Charlotte!

What else are we covering in today’s edition, Hokies?

🎟️ Punchin’ Tickets
⚾️ Tar Heel Tussle
🏊 Showin’ Out
🦃 And much, much more!

🎙️ ALL NEW EPISODE

Virginia Tech baseball advanced to the ACC Baseball Tournament Quarterfinals for the first time since 2013 with a 17-10 win over Notre Dame on Wednesday.

Evan Hughes recaps the win and details the program records that were broken in the win. Hear the highlights, audio from coach John Szefc and players, and a look ahead to today's showdown with North Carolina.

🔼 Punchin’ Tickets. The road to the NCAA Championships start now.

On Thursday, the NCAA announced all the qualifiers for the first round of postseason action, the NCAA East Preliminaries in Lexington, Kentucky, set to take place from May 27-30.

Auburn earned a total of 28 bids by 25 athletes who will compete in 19 individual events along with two relays to qualify for the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon, June 10-13 at Hayward Field.  The men’s team will send 17 competitors, while the women’s team will send eight.  

🔼 Tar Heel Tussle. As if you needed another reason to skip out early today, we’ve got Hokies Baseball action this morning at the ACC Tournament.

After a thrilling 17-10 come-from-behind win on Wednesday night, Tech returns to the diamond to take on second-seeded North Carolina this morning in the quarterfinals.

The Tar Heels entered the postseason ranked #2 in the country in the final regular season poll of the year. It is the first meeting this season between the two programs.

First pitch is set for 11 a.m.

🔼 Showin’ Out. With some of the best swimmers in the world alongside them, a pair of Hokies are showin’ out at this week’s TYR Pro Swim Series in Sacramento.

The TYR Pro Swim Series is a premier competitive swimming circuit organized by USA Swimming. Designed for elite athletes, the series features Olympians, National Team members, and top international swimmers. It serves as a vital platform for athletes to compete in long-course racing and prepare for major global championships.

🏈 CROWDED HOUSE

Demand for Virginia Tech Athletics football continues to surge heading into the 2026 season, as the Lane Lounge inside Lane Stadium has officially sold out for the upcoming campaign. 

Combined with the previously sold-out club seating inventory, the Lane Lounge sellout marks the fastest premium seating sellout in program history and further reflects the momentum surrounding the James Franklin era in Blacksburg. 

With premium inventory at an all-time high demand, the Sandman Suites are the only remaining premium seating option for the 2026 season. 

🤔 HOKIE TRIVIA

Entering next week’s NCAA East Preliminary Round in Lexington, how many Hokies rank in the top-10 in the region in their respective events?

Got a guess?

Scroll to the bottom and find out!

📆 THE DAYS AHEAD

*all times are ET*

Friday, May 22
⚾️ Baseball vs. North Carolina @ 11am | ACC Network | Listen | Live Stats
(ACC Tournament Quarterfinals - Charlotte, N.C.)

Saturday, May 23
⚾️ Baseball vs. TBD @ 5pm | ACC Network | Listen | Live Stats
(with quarterfinal win - ACC Tournament Semifinals - Charlotte, N.C.)

Sunday, May 24
⚾️ Baseball vs. TBD @ 12pm | ACC Network | Listen | Live Stats
(with semifinal win - ACC Tournament Championship - Charlotte, N.C.)

🤝 SPREAD THE WORD

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🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: Nine

🦃 Have a great weekend, y’all!