Hartigan To Transfer To Virginia Tech

Outfielder Conor Hartigan is transferring to Virginia Tech, Hartigan and Dukes coach Marlin Ikenberry confirmed to the Daily News-Record on Thursday. Ikenberry said Hartigan is a graduate transfer and opted for an academic program that Virginia Tech has and JMU doesn’t.

“That’s what it is, unfortunately,” Ikenberry said. “And we had a lot of long conversations. It was a tough decision for him even to go into the portal to do a grad program, but once he figured out that’s what he wanted to do, it was better for him that way.”

Said Hartigan: “The relationships I built at JMU have meant the world to me and it’s hard leaving, but I’ve got to look after myself at the end of the day. And I’m glad there’s no bad blood at all between myself, the coaches or any of the guys on the team, and I’m going to miss them, but I’m ready for this next chapter.”

Hartigan, who is playing this summer for the Valley Baseball League’s Harrisonburg Turks, batted .364 for the Dukes during the college campaign when he earned All-Colonial Athletic Association second-team honors. He swatted five homers along with 10 doubles and tallied 24 RBIs, and he had a 16-game hitting streak spanning from early April into May.

Earlier this summer in a News-Record story about Hartigan’s success, he said his approach at the plate had improved from what it was earlier in his career compared to what it was in his redshirt junior season during the spring.

He said his strong campaign led to many suitors showing interest in him once he entered the transfer portal. Hartigan decided on Virginia Tech over Coastal Carolina as well as opportunities at about half of the schools in the CAA.

“But there was no in way. ... I could do that,” Hartigan said of potentially staying in the league. “Morally, I would’ve felt terrible.”

Hartigan said Virginia Tech assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Kurt Elbin, a former VCU assistant, had previously tried to recruit Hartigan out of Millbrook High School to play for the Rams before the slugger signed with the Dukes. Elbin was the lead recruiter on Hartigan again, the Winchester product said, and he didn’t want to turn Elbin down a second time.

Another reason why Hartigan valued the opportunity with the Hokies was the chance to play against Power Five competition all season long in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The league had 63 of its players – the second-most from any conference – selected in the MLB Draft earlier this week.

Virginia Tech finished 27-25 and 16-20 in the ACC this past season under coach John Szefc, whose contract was recently extended through 2027.

“It’s really exciting,” Hartigan, who will begin a one-year information technology program in Blacksburg this fall, said. “So, this not only gives me a great opportunity academically, but a greater one on the baseball field to be in one of the best leagues in the country and to see how I hang against the better competition. That was a big push for me to go play in the ACC.”

With the Dukes, his average was higher than it was any season before and his homers, doubles and RBIs this spring were new season-highs for Hartigan, who will have one year of eligibility left to finish with the Hokies.

For the Turks, Hartigan has slugged three homers, four doubles and a triple and driven in 16 runs.

He spent four seasons with JMU, and the extra year stems from the blanket waiver the NCAA gave all college athletes because of the pandemic.

“Wish him the best,” Ikenberry said. “He’s a stud. I love him. And it’s something happening all across the country and where guys are trying to find that one thing they can get out of their last year, whether it be a Master’s degree or something like that. So, that’s one of the things that’s new to all college athletics because they’ve got the extra year of eligibility and they’re trying to figure out what they can get out of that extra year that will benefit them down the road.”