Brady Kirtner’s aunt, Brittney, played basketball at the collegiate level while attending East Tennessee State University, but the youngster did not follow her lead, instead playing baseball at Christiansburg High School. After graduating in 2020, he honored his commitment to Virginia Tech, literally 10 minutes up US-460. He red shirted in 2021 for developmental reasons, working out, building up muscle and athleticism that was lost after missing the entire 2020 season due to COVID-19.
The right-hander made his Hokies debut in 2022, roughly 20 pounds heavier than he was when he first joined the program. Appearing in 18 games, all in relief, he posted a 7.