Mark Berman

Roanoke

Sports writer for The Roanoke Times @roanoketimes . Beats include Va. Tech basketball. AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll voter and Heisman voter. Syracuse grad.

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Articles

Homers, ejections part of Virginia Tech baseball's win over No. 12 North Carolina

5 days ago | roanoke.com | Mark Berman

BLACKSBURG — Saturday's baseball game between Virginia Tech and No. 12 North Carolina featured six home runs and four ejections. The Hokies smacked a season-high five homers in a 10-6 win in front of a season-high 2,581 fans at Atlantic Union Bank Park. Henry Cooke, Sam Tackett and David McCann homered in the first inning to give Tech (25-14, 10-10 ACC) the lead for good at 5-0. Tackett flipped his bat after his homer, prompting an umpire to warn both teams about excessive celebration.
Virginia Tech's Sam Tackett enjoying 'pretty cool' turnaround

6 days ago | roanoke.com | Mark Berman

BLACKSBURG — Sam Tackett did not hit .300 last year. He did not even hit .200 last year. Tackett batted just .189 for the Virginia Tech baseball team last season. But this season, the fifth-year senior is batting a robust .360. Has he surprised himself? “A little bit,” Tackett said in an interview this week.
Roanoke College wrestler Samuel relishes NCAA title, win over rival

1 week ago | roanoke.com | Mark Berman

No matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, Roanoke College wrestler Mark Samuel was never able to beat rival Josh Wilson of Greensboro College. Not last year, when Wilson beat Samuel four times, including in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference finals, the NCAA Division III regional semifinals and the NCAA Division III national semifinals. And not in their first two meetings this year, when Wilson again beat Samuel in the ODAC finals and in the NCAA Division III regional semifinals.
Virginia Tech men add Delaware transfer Pasha

1 week ago | roanoke.com | Mark Berman

The Virginia Tech men's basketball team picked up its second transfer of the spring Monday. Former Delaware point guard Izaiah Pasha, who was named the CAA rookie of the year last month, announced on Instagram that he has committed to Virginia Tech. Pasha, who entered the transfer portal last month, averaged 11.9 points, 3.9 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 29.8 minutes for the 16-20 Blue Hens as a freshman this year. He had 132 assists and 90 turnovers. He played in 34 games, starting 33 of them.
No. 9 Florida State sweeps baseball series from No. 25 Virginia Tech

1 week ago | roanoke.com | Mark Berman

BLACKSBURG — Runs were again in short supply for the Virginia Tech baseball team Sunday. Ninth-ranked Florida State beat the 25th-ranked Hokies 4-2 at Atlantic Union Bank Park to sweep the three-game series. The Seminoles (28-7, 11-4 ACC) held Virginia Tech to four runs in the entire series. FSU had swept a doubleheader from Tech on Saturday, winning the first game 3-1 and the second game 12-1.
Receiver Greene throws TD pass in Virginia Tech spring game

1 week ago | roanoke.com | Mark Berman

BLACKSBURG — Kyron Drones did not throw a pass Saturday. Pop Watson did not throw one, either. But wide receiver Ayden Greene did. With Virginia Tech’s top two quarterbacks missing Saturday’s spring game because of injuries, Greene grabbed the offensive spotlight by throwing a touchdown pass and making a touchdown catch in the defense’s 50-21 win over the offense on a cold afternoon at Lane Stadium.
Oklahoma State opportunity 'dream come true' for Northside grad Abshire

1 week ago | roanoke.com | Mark Berman

Cam Abshire has always wanted to play major-college football. He's going to get his wish. The Northside High School graduate plans to transfer from NCAA Division II member Emory & Henry to Big 12 member Oklahoma State. "It's a dream come true," Abshire said Friday in a phone interview. "This is what I worked for."The wide receiver received a number of FBS offers after entering the transfer portal last month. He visited Oklahoma State this week and announced his commitment Thursday on Twitter.
Former Virginia football players remember Danny Wilmer as 'father-like figure'

1 week ago | roanoke.com | Mark Berman

Danny Wilmer was a football coach with a knack for recruiting. But his relationship with players did not end once he convinced them to suit up for Virginia. “He was a father-like figure for me,” former Martinsville High School and UVa quarterback Shawn Moore said in a phone interview this week. “Whenever I ran into any trouble, he was the first person I would call because he recruited me and we established that relationship during the recruiting process. He became my go-to guy.
Stinespring tackles spring football practice at Roanoke College

1 week ago | roanoke.com | Mark Berman

As usual, the spring sports season at Roanoke College has meant the return of baseball, softball and lacrosse action. But this year, it has also brought spring football practice. After playing football games last fall for the first time since the 1940s, the Roanoke College football team has been hitting the practice field this spring. And the Maroons could certainly use the practice because their first taste of varsity football since the 1940s is only five months away.
Radford's Fagan has morphed from football player to softball coach

2 weeks ago | roanoke.com | Mark Berman

RADFORD — Back when he was a defensive lineman, Kevin Fagan won a national championship with the University of Miami and won two Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers. He is now coaching at Radford University. No, you did not miss an announcement that Radford has started a football team. Fagan, 61, is in his first season as the Highlanders’ softball coach. How did a guy with Super Bowl rings in his safe wind up coaching softball? Fagan and his wife have four daughters and two sons.