D'Amour Shaping Hokies Softball into a Modern Contender

The Virginia Tech softball team, currently 28-4 on the season, appears to be on its way to another 40+ win season under head coach Pete D’Amour. In his eighth season in Blacksburg, D’Amour eclipsed the 300-win mark as a Hokie last weekend, but what’s truly remarkable is how he’s evolved during that time.

Today, we’re going to take a peek at a few trends that show how his teams’ makeup has changed in recent years. It is a recipe for more success in a changing environment, and may just be the difference between another solid season and a trip to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.

Since D’Amour’s arrival, the college landscape has certainly changed – NIL, unlimited portal movement and expanded rosters. D’Amour has navigated these changes quite well, with this season’s successes bearing that out. Let’s take a look at some of those changes.

FROM ACE-DRIVEN TO STAFF-DRIVEN

For years, many schools relied heavily on a single ace pitcher, and the Hokies often did, too. The softball pitching motion is less taxing than it is in baseball. So pitching back-to-back days (or even both ends of a double-header) was commonplace, especially if a pitcher had ace-level talent or there was simply a talent drop-off. 

Talent has improved nationally, both in the circle and in the batter’s box. Add in the rapid advancement of hitting technology and scouting, and it’s become increasingly difficult for even elite pitchers to navigate a lineup three times.

D’Amour has leveraged recruiting and development to bolster his staff and this season has the most evenly distributed innings since he got to Tech. It’s a significant shift. Just five years ago, Keely Rochard threw 71.9% of all innings for the Hokies. Here is the post-Covid trend by year:

It’s not solely the number of pitchers that D’Amour is throwing this year; each has a distinct skill set and style, so opposing hitters have a tougher time locking in. Adjusting your staff approach takes time, but so far this season, the results speak for themselves. ERA, K/7, HR/7, H/7 and Opponents’ BA are all the best they’ve been since Rochard’s final season (2022) when Tech was a game away from a trip to Oklahoma City:

This isn’t just a deeper pitching staff; it’s talented and has strategic variability that can get the Hokies through tough lineups more successfully.

POWER + CONTENT = MODERN OFFENSE

There is a misconception in some circles that the Hokie softball team’s sole hitting philosophy is “Just Hit Dingers”. Home runs are great, but D’Amour clearly places a premium on good at bats, making contact and hitting the ball hard. That philosophy has been evident across the board this year. Check out these stats:

This is the highest-scoring team in recent history, but not necessarily because of the long ball. Though the Hokies are 8th in the country in HR, they’re hitting them at their lowest rate since 2022. Nevertheless, extra base hits are up significantly, which means Tech is hitting the ball hard and logging a lot more doubles and triples. They’re also striking out considerably less, which means they’re having good at bats and making contact. In nearly every outward measure, this season’s offense is historically elite. The hitting is matching D’Amour’s preferred approach.

This leads us to one final theme.

STABILITY BREEDS PRODUCTION

Whether it’s better recruiting, development, roster management, or a mix of all three, D’Amour has gradually gotten to a place where he’s settled in on his lineup. In prior years, he may have been more compelled to mix and match his lineups a bit more. This year, that stability has paid dividends in the numbers seen above, as well as reflecting how deep his starting lineup is:

 The Hokies have still had 18 total players step to the plate this year, and 10 with “meaningful” at bats (>4% of total team at bats). But never has D’Amour had as many players grabbing a large percentage of at bats (7) as he does this year. And they’re really good hitters, so there’s a reason he’s sticking with them. Regardless, it’s no surprise to see the positive trends in the above chart. In short, D’Amour has a lineup he can count on, one that resembles a modern, balanced offense.

There’s a lot of good happening with Virginia Tech Softball right now, and the team plays a really good brand of softball. If you haven’t paid attention lately, you might want to start. This isn’t just a good team. It’s a program evolving in real time. And if these trends hold, Virginia Tech could make a serious run to the Women’s College World Series.