After Its Fabulous Run to the ACC Championship Finals, Virginia Tech Softball Heads to LSU for the NCAA Regionals

ACC SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

The Virginia Tech softball team entered the ACC Softball Championship last week as the no. 3 seed in the tournament likely needing to win out in order to have a chance at hosting a NCAA regional. It faced an intimidating gauntlet of top teams in the ACC.

ACC QUARTERFINALS:  #13 VIRGINIA TECH  3,  VIRGINIA  1

Virginia Tech’s ace Emma Mazzarone started the quarterfinal matchup against Virginia and pitched the gem of the year. 

The game started out shakily, however, for Mazzarone and the Hokies. UVA’s lead off hitter shortstop Jade Hylton reached and advanced to second on a throwing error to first. Then the ever dangerous hitter Macee Eaton, the hero of Virginia’s win over Pitt the previous night, walked, and a wild pitch allowed Hylton to move to third.  The Cavaliers had runners at first and third with no outs.  Mazzarone looked like adrenaline and post-season emotions were affecting her. 

Then, like flipping a switch, she locked in. Mazzarone struck out two batters swinging and got the third out via a flyout to center fielder Addison Foster.  From there, she dominated. A Virginia batter reached base in each of the next five innings, but each time, Mazzarone erased any hope of a Cavalier score with a swinging strike or fly out. Indeed, she had seven strikeouts through four innings.

She had help from her defense.  After a walk put Alex Call on first with one out in the top of the second, right fielder Madison Greene attempted a bunt to move Call over. However, first basemen came flying in to make an incredible catch in front of home plate and threw back to Rachel Castine covering first to get the inning-ending double play.

Meanwhile, Virginia freshman pitcher Taylor Smith matched Mazzarone through the first two innings in what appeared to be a classic pitcher’s duel. 

The Hokies broke through in the bottom of the third. Addison Foster smoked a hit over the first baseman into the right field corner.  She was off to races for a triple and then scored when a Virginia throwing error on the relay to third sailed high, allowing her to run into the jubilant arms of her teammates and giving the Hokies the 1-0 lead.

Virginia Tech extended its lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the third.  Second baseman Rachel Castine walked with one out and was replaced on the base paths by pinchrunner Sara McNelly. After McNelly moved to second on a wild pitch, catcher Zoey Yaeger doubled into the right-center gap to bring home McNelly for the 2-0 lead.

That was it for Virginia’s Smith. The Cavaliers brought in Eden Bigham, but two batters later, shortstop Annika Rohs pummeled an RBI double to the left field fence that scored Lily Pallante, pinchrunning for Yaeger.

Staked to that 3-0 lead, Mazzarone continued to dazzle, tying her career high strikeouts with eleven through six innings. 

The top of the seventh inning, however, brought intense drama. With one out, Mazzarone hit Madison Greene to put her on first, and then an infield single put runners at first and second. Another walk to load the bases with one out risked fazing Mazzarone. 

With Macee Eaton up to hit, the Cavaliers were a hit away from scoring at least two runs. Mazzarone induced Eaton into a grounder to Chatfield at first, who threw home to get the important second force out.  Virginia third baseman Bella Cabral drew a walk to bring home a Cavalier run to make it 3-1.

That brought up Virginia catcher Reagan Hickey with the base loaded and the Cavalier fans buzzing in their own stadium  Mazzarone refocused and struck Hickey out swinging to end the game and the Cavalier’s tournament hopes.

Emma Mazzarone pitched the complete-game victory, giving up only four hits, five walks, and one earned run in seven innings. She had a career-high 14 strikeouts, all of them swinging, to go with her 16th win of the season. 

Notables:

• Emma Mazzarone threw a career-high 14 strikeouts, all swinging
• Addison Foster recorded her fourth triple of the season. She was 2-for-3, the only Virginia Tech player with more than one hit
• Virginia Tech only had 4 hits for the game but made them count: three of those hits produced the three runs. The Hokies were 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
• Zoey Yaeger hit her 11th double of the year.
• Annika Rohs hit her 9th double of the season.

Virginia Tech (45-9, 18-6 in the ACC) defeated its in-state rival Virginia for the fourth time this season without having hit a home run in the confines of Palmer Park. Nevertheless, the Hokies found ways to win and advanced to the ACC Semi-Finals to face second-seed Duke.

ACC SEMI-FINALS:  #13 VIRGINIA TECH  5,  #12 DUKE  0

Earlier in the season, #12 Duke had taken the series with Virginia Tech 2 games to 1, though the Hokies run-ruled the Blue Devils 10-2 in the third game of that series. Second-seeded Duke entered the semi-final having roared from behind to run-rule North Carolina in its quarter-final game. Duke was also looking to build on its resume to claim a top seed in the NCAA regionals.

Virginia Tech was likewise looking to bolster its bid to host a regional and came into the game fresh off the momentum of its win over Virginia.

Enter first baseman Michelle Chatfield. With two outs in the top of the first inning, Chatfield launched a solo shot over the left-center field wall to give Virginia Tech the early 1–0 lead. The home run off Duke starter KK Mathis was Chatfield’s 14th of the season.

Not to be outdone, left fielder Nora Abromavage struck with her own deep shot in the second inning, this one an opposite field dinger that got over the right field wall to give Virginia Tech a 2-0 lead. That was it for Duke’s Mathis; the Blue Devils brought in Cassidy Curd who would pitch five plus innings in relief.

Bree Carrico got the start for Virginia Tech and simply shut down the same Duke lineup that scored sixteen runs the previous day. After giving up a single to start the game, Carrico got Duke’s All-ACC Aminah Vega to pop out in foul territory beyond third   She then rolled through the next six batters, including striking out the side in the second inning.

Carrico ran into trouble in the bottom of the third. She walked a batter with one out, a fielding error allowed a second baserunner on, and then Carrico hit a batter with two outs to load the bases. After a mound visit from Virginia Tech’s pitching coach, she got the final out on three straight strikes.

Reinvigorated, Carrico cruised through the next two innings, only giving up a hit by pitch while setting down every other batter. Going into the sixth, she had only allowed one hit and two walks in what was a close 2-0 Hokie lead.

Virginia Tech second baseman Rachel Castine added an insurance run to lead off the top of the sixth when she set a screaming home run off Cassidy Curd over the left field fence, her 15th of the season, to give the Hokies a 3-0 lead.

Just like late in the Virginia game, the bottom of the sixth brought drama as the Blue Devils tried to respond. Tyrina Jones singled through the left side of the infield with one out. Then, Layla Lamar reached on fielder’s choice when Castine went to second to get the lead runner on the ground out. However, with two outs, KK Mathis singled into shallow left field to put two on. After Carrico started the next batter with two straight balls, the Hokies decided to bring Emma Mazzarone in relief. 

Mazzarone inherited a 2-0 count but could not get the out; a walk loaded the bases for Dukes’s first real threat. Mazzarone, though, induced a soft out to shortstop Annika Rohs to extinguish Duke’s rally.

Virginia Tech extended its lead in the top of the seventh as third baseman Jordan Lynch led off the inning with a double to center field. Two batters later, designated player Kylie Aldridge roped a two-RBI home run over the right field fence to give the Hokies crucial insurance and a 5-0 lead.

Mazzarone quickly struck out the first two Blue Devils in the bottom of the seventh before Duke had a final chance to save its tournament hopes. Aminah Vega reached on an infield error, and then the next batter singled to put two on.  Mazzarone, however, shut the door on the Blue Devils with an emphatic swinging strikeout to end the game and send the Hokies to the ACC Championship game for the first time under Coach Pete D’Amour.

Notables:

• Virginia Tech scored 5 runs on 4 hits.
• Michelle Chatfield hit her 14th home run of the season.
• Nora Abromavage hit her team-leading 18th home run of the year.
• Rachel Castine hit her 15th home run of the season.
• Kylie Aldridge gave the Hokies five players with double digit home runs when she hit her 10th of the season.
• Bree Carrico earned the win to go 14-1 on the season. She gave up 3 hits, 2 walks, while striking out 4.
• Emma Mazzarone earned her first save of the season. She gave up 1 hit and struck out three.
• Carrico, Mazzarone, and the defense behind them shut out Duke for the first time this season. It was the first time Virginia Tech shut out Duke since 2019 (fact attributed to Virginia Tech athletics).

ACC FINALS:   #13 VIRGINIA TECH  1,  #10 FLORIDA STATE  2

After Virginia Tech dispatched the second-seed Duke Blue Devils, it turned its attention to the top-seed #8 ranked Florida State Seminoles in the ACC Softball Championship game. The matchup was highly anticipated as Virginia Tech and Florida State did not play each other this season. In addition, the game pitted two of the top pitchers in both the ACC and the nation against each other: Emma Mazzarone and ACC pitcher of the year Jazzy Franclik.

The Hokies struck first in the top of the first against Franclik when third baseman Jordan Lynch doubled down the left fight line with one ou ton the first pitch she saw. With two outs, first baseman Michelle Chatfield hit a high bouncer toward shortstop that all-ACC FSU shortstop Isa Torres jumped to nab but rushed a throw to first that skipped in the dirt into foul territory. Jordan scored the unearned run from second to give the Hokies the early 1-0 lead.   Franclik got out of the inning without allowing any more damage.

Emma Mazzarone pitched well to start the game. In between allowing a walk and a hit by pitch that put a batter at second, she induced three strikeouts, all swinging in a performance reminiscent of her out against Virginia.

Unfortunately, Florida State took the lead in the bottom of the second. Mazzarone gave up a full-court walk to lead off batter Bella Ruggerio.   The next batter drove a 1-0 pitch deep to center field that bounced off the wall for a double that scored Ruggerio to tie the game. The relay throw home got away from catcher Zoey Yaeger, which allowed Harp to move to third. The very next pitch to the next batter got away from Yaeger bringing Harp home to make it 2-1 in favor of the Seminoles.

Mazzarone gave up two more walks - in between two outs - with pitches that were not really close at times, but was ultimately able to get out of the inning.  

Freshman Avery Layton came in relief of Mazzarone to start the third inning and pitched magnificently.  She only gave up two hits and one walk over the final four innings, never allowing a batter past second base. 

Florida State pitcher Jazzy Franclik held the Hokies in check as well, only allowing the random walk or double through the fifth inning

Virginia Tech had its best chance to break through in the top of the sixth inning. Center fielder Addison Foster led off the inning with a single through the right side of the infield. Jordan Lynch struck out but Foster stole second to put the tying run in scoring position. Left fielder Nora Ambromavage grounded out on a throw to first, but that allowed Foster to move to third.  Both first baseman Michelle Chatfield and designated player Kylie Aldridge drew walks to load the bases with the two outs.  Unfortunately, second baseman Rachel Castine lined out to shortstop to end Virginia Tech’s threat.  The Hokies were not able to muster anything in the seventh to end the game with Florida State winning 2-1.

Mazzarone took the loss to go 16-5. She gave up one hit and one earned run, while striking out four batters. The only blemish in her performance was the four walks in two innings. Layton pitched brilliantly through four innings, giving up two hits and one walk, while striking out two.

Both teams’ offenses were largely shut down by opposing pitchers. Virginia Tech’s score came off an error on a throw to first, and Florida State’s runs came from an errant throw home and a passed ball. Other than those situations, Florida State  had three hits and five walks. Virginia Tech only mustered four hits and three walks. In addition, neither team could take advantage of their limited opportunities.

Even though its run to the ACC championship ended with a loss in the final, Virginia Tech showed that it could play with Florida State, the top team in the ACC and a perennial nationally-ranked program.

PLAYER PERFORMANCES: 

Virginia Tech batters faced quality pitchers in all three ACC tournament games who were largely able to keep the Hokie prolific offense in check. However, several players deserve highlighting:

Addison Foster:  Foster scored the initial run against Virginia in the quarterfinals when she tripled into the right field corner and scored on an errant relay throw to third base. In games in which hits were hard to come by, Foster reached base in all three games.

Michelle Chatfield: Chatfield also reached base in all games. She went 4-for-7 (.571) to go with three walks and only one strikeout. She hit her 14th home run of the season against Duke and is two RBI from matching her career high.

Nora Ambromavage: In her first full season as the starting left fielder, Ambromavage is hitting.350 and  is tied for the team lead on home runs, including hitting her 18th of the year against Duke.

Rachel Castine:  Castine hit the solo home run against Duke to provide insurance in a tight 2-0 game. It was her 15th of the year, a career high. 

Jordan Lynch: Lynch scored the Hokies’ lone run against Florida State and scored against Duke.

Zoey Yaeger: Yaeger hit a double against Virginia for an RBI that padded Virginia Tech’s early lead.

Annika Rohs:  Rohs also hit a double in the Virginia game for the third run in the eventual 3-1 Hokie win.

Kylie Aldridge: Aldridge drilled the two run home run, her career high 10th of the season, to extend the Virginia Tech lead against Duke to 5-0. She struck out a career low 5 times the entire year.

Emma Mazzarone, Bree Carrico, and Avery Layton combined to throw 20 innings and only gave up a total of 11 hits in 70 ABs, good for a.157 batting average against. The trio only gave up 2 earned runs total and no home runs against the high-powered offenses of top ACC teams. The main drawback was 12 walks, an average of 4 a game.  

Emma Mazzarone: Mazzarone pitched brilliantly against Virginia to start the tournament. She struck out a scintillating 14 batters, every single one of them swinging. In a time game, any of those swings could have produced a dangerous ball in play. She showed command, poise, and mental fortitude in closing out a tight 3-1 game with the bases loaded in the final inning. She followed that with a commanding save to finish the Duke game.

Avery Layton:  Layton came in relief of Mazzarone against top seed Florida State and shined. She pitched four innings and only gave up 2 hits, 1 hit, while striking out 2 batters

Bree Carrico:  Carrico dominated the Duke offense, pitching 5.2 innings of 3-hit ball. She only gave up 2 walks while striking out 4 batters. She left the game with an upper arm issue. While she was not used in relief against Florida State, head coach Pete D’Amour said she was fine and was available.

Carrico won the ACC Freshman of the Year award and was placed on the NCFA Top 10 Freshman of the Year watch list after her first year of pitching for the Hokies.

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All-Tournament Team:  Emma Mazzarone, Bree Carrico, and Michelle Chatfield all made the All-Tournament Team for their performances over the weekend.

All-ACC Conference Teams: Virginia Tech placed eight players on the All-ACC Teams.

First Team: Jordan Lynch and Bree Carrico both made the All-ACC First Team

Second Team:  Michelle Chatfield, Nora Abromavage, Kylie Aldridge, Addison Foster, Rachel Castine, and Emma Mazzarone all made the All-ACC Second Team

NCAA TOURNAMENT - REGIONAL SEEDING - “TO HOST OR NOT TO HOST”

After the conclusion of the ACC tournament on Saturday, May 9, the Virginia Tech softball team had to wait until Sunday evening during the Selection Committee show to find out its seeding and destination for the NCAA Tournament.

The NCAA tournament selection committee revealed its bracket and seeded Virginia Tech in the 17th to 20th range, which put it outside the top 16 teams who will host regionals in their home stadiums.

Instead, the Hokies will travel to Baton Rouge to play in the regional hosted by No. 16 LSU. The other two teams in the regional are Akron and South Alabama.

Virginia Tech will kick off its first game on Friday at 4:00 pm ET against South Alabama. The game will be televised on ESPN+.

NCAA Division 1 Softball Committee Chair Natalie Honnen discussed what factors went into seeding Virginia Tech 16th. She identified LSU and Texas A&M as the other two bubble teams that the committee selected as hosts over Virginia Tech. 

• Virginia Tech finished 18th in the RPI.  LSU finished 13th. Texas A&M finished 17th.
• Virginia Tech’s strength of schedule was 57th but its non-conference strength of schedule was 152 whereas LSU’s non-conference strength of schedule was 14 (overall 9th best strength of schedule).
• LSU went 11-16 against Quad 1 teams, Texas A&M went 14-14 against Quad 1 teams. LSU also had 21 Quad 2 wins.
• Virginia Tech was 8-5 against top 25 teams, 10-3 against top 26-50, 7-2 versus 51-100, and 21-1 against teams worse than 100.

Honnen said, “When you are comparing them to the last 15, 16 [seeds], they [Virginia Tech] had more Quad 3 and 4 loses than Texas A&M and LSU. Their non-conference schedule as well, they were 152 from a non-conference perspective. They were discussed, but they were not the 15 or 16 seed.”

Virginia Tech intentionally scheduled early-season games against SEC teams in SEC venues.  It went 6-0 against South Carolina, Georgia, and Auburn. Unfortunately, these teams did not have as good of seasons as was expected of them - Georgia, South Carolina, and Auburn finished 11th, 25th, and 33rd in the RPI ranking, which affected Virginia Tech’s out of conference strength of schedule.

Virginia Tech’s Bid to Host a Regional Denied

The other key piece of information that came out of the NCAA selection committee media session with Honnen was that the NCAA denied Virginia Tech ‘s bid to host a regional. The regionals conflict with Virginia Tech’s graduation, and the university was not able to secure hotels within the mandated 30-mile or 45-minute radius of Tech Softball Park. 

Schools wanting to host had to submit bids to the NCAA by April 17. The bid includes a plan for lodging, which requires hotel space for 30 rooms for each of the three other visiting teams plus rooms for officials and other 

Honnen said that “Virginia Tech is in position with graduation that those hotel rooms are tied up years in advance. All three hotels they provided were more than a 50-minute drive from Virginia Tech’s campus. The rule is no more than 30 miles and 45 minutes.”

If Virginia Tech HAD been a top 16 seed, it was not going to be able to host because the locations of the hotels were outside the parameters required to host. If Virginia Tech does advance to the Super Regionals, it could only host a Super Regional only if Alabama loses its regional.

In response to questions, Honnen emphasized that the hotel and bid situation was not a factor in seeding Virginia Tech outside the top 16. “What I am saying is that Virginia Tech was not a top 16-seed,” Honnen said. “That did not come into our thought process when we were seeding the top 16.”

Virginia Tech Administration Response:

The Virginia Tech administration released an official statement about the bid situation to Techsideline.com:

"Virginia Tech Athletics confirms it submitted Regional and Super regional bids and would like to provide additional clarification regarding houseing requirements for the NCAA Softball Championship.  Due to University Commencement activities and the NCAA's required hotel accommodation standards for participating teams and officials, Virginia Tech was unable to satisfy the necessary criteria to host a regional in Blacksburg if selected as a Top-16 seed. The department worked extensively with the NCAA and explored all available alternatives, but no viable solution met championship hosting requirements. As a result, Virginia Tech's bid to host a Regional was denied by the NCAA.  Virginia Tech's Super Regional bid has been received and meets all NCAA hosting requirements should the Hokies earn the opportunity to host."

COACH PETE D'AMOUR'S REACTION TO REGIONALS, SEEDING, AND TRAVELING TO LSU:

Coach D’Amour did not speak specifically about the bid situation in an interview after the selection show. He just said that “we are prepared to host and we are prepared to go on the road. I am confident we had a strategy to host here, and we are not, so we are going to go to plan B and go on the road and see what we do.”

Thoughts On the Regional:

“Another regional for us. 8 years in a row. We don’t care who we play and where we play. We will get ready to have a good practice tomorrow and see what happens on Friday."

What Does it Mean to Make Another Regional?

“Consistency. You know it is just one of those things where I have been in this room one time in my career not knowing if you are going to make it or not. And it hasn’t been here. We know we are going, just where are we going? So, we are just a consistently good program.”

Thoughts on the Teams Virginia Tech Will Play in the Regional

“Everybody is in the regionals for a reason. Going to LSU will be a tough environment.I know Akron is playing well. South Alabama had a good weekend and is in a good league too. Everyone is good. We just have to prepare like we did last week.”

Did You Think It Was Going to Come Down To You, LSU, and Texas A&M?

“If you look at the metrics so to speak, you have a good feeling about being the last pick, so it did surprise me.”

You Faced Quality Pitching This Weekend. You are Going to Face More. Does that Affect or Change the Mentality at the Plate?

“Not really, because this time of the season you face good pitching. You got to stick with it, and like I said after the Duke game, we scored 5 runs on 4 swings. That is what post-season softball is. So, we hit the ball in the air and maximize your swings, and you have a chance against anybody.”

Despite Having the Resume to Host, Was it Disappointing to Not Host?

“I don’t think disappointing is the right word. I just feel like going into this season, we thought that we had a really good schedule lined up for us and we just got unlucky that some teams that we played didn’t have the years that we thought they would have. Hopefully, you get a projected RPI. What do you think it is going to be when we schedule right now for next year? We just don't know what teams are going to be like with transfers and all that kind of stuff. So, it is not a disappointment thing. It is a “learn and how can put we ourselves in a better situation.”

What Have Your Girls Learned the Most in the Losses This Season That Will Carry You Guys?

“I think the big one was yesterday. We played Florida State. It is a 2-run ball game. It was a tough game. We didn’t give up. We were in the game the whole time. They are hosting. They won the league, and we proved that we belong on the field with them. So, I think that is the loss that you look at the most that just solidifies the year we had.”

The Great Pitching You Got in the ACC Tournament Made You Pretty Encouraged By What You Can Do in the Post-Season?

“Pitching is the name of the game. When you look at the selection show and all that, they talk about offense, but if you don’t have pitching , you are not going to go very far. We keep doing what we did last weekend, we have a chance against anybody.”

You Have a Number of Juniors and Seniors Who Represent a Bridge from Previous Eras and This Current Era. Can You Talk about Their Impact on Your Culture, Your Program?

“It is very similar to year’s past because you think about our first year and (Caitlyn) Nolan and (Emma) Strouth and (Olivia) Latin and they passed it on to others that were (Keely) Rochard and (Mackenzie) Lawter and they passed it on to (Kelsey) Bennett and (Jayme) Bailey and then you have  (Cameron) Fagan and (Addison) Greene. It is just a continuation of what we do here. Sometimes, there are tweaks. Every team is different, but the whole nucleus of what we do really doesn’t change. Our kids know what it is like to be a softball player here, and they are proud to pass it on to the next generation, so this group of leaders has been the same as the others.”

The Mentality of “We Host, We Host. We Don’t, We Don’t. Does He Feel Like that Mentality Has Been Passed Down to the Players?

“I don’t think our kids care. We played 45 games on the road. We played 13 at home. To be good here, you have to be good on the road. That is just the way it is. We have to go south in the early season and you have to get your RPI games. We have to play well on the road. Just no way around it."

PLAYER INTERVIEWS WITH ZOEY YAEGER AND KYLIE ALDRIDGE:

What is it Like Watching Your Name Get Called?

Yaeger: “A lot of anxiety every year. It is my third year. Every time, I like sweat even though I know we are going to get in. It is always exciting to see where we will end up.”

What Was Your Reaction to Hearing You Won’t Host a Regional?

Aldridge: “I am still excited to make it. There are a lot of teams around the country that don’t get that opportunity, so you want to go out there and play our game and show what we can do. I think that is the best thing we can do.”

What Does it Mean To Be in the NCAAs Again?

Yaeger: “It is cool, but we are used to it. It is what we are supposed to do. We do it every year, for seven years in a row I think under Coach Pete. It is just the standard around here."

Can You Put Into Words How You and the Three Putchers Worked Together This Weekend, and Did You Feel the Intensity of the Late Innings With Bases Loaded Trying to Get the Last Out?

Yaeger: "Super proud of all three of them. They pitched lights out. It is an honor to catch them. Kylie knows how hard it is to catch them too. You see how hard it is to hit them. It is arguably just as hard to catch them. I am really proud of them and can't wait to watch them pitch this weekend."

What Makes It So Hard to Catch Them?

Yaeger: "I mean it is just the different combination of what they throw. Mazz is hard, 73 drop, don't know where it is going to go, and then she has the off-speed rise. Then Bree is soft, down, off-speed to hard up. It is super hard. It is really hard to hit them, so it just as hard to catch them."

Kylie, What Does it Mean to Finish Your Career in the NCAAs, and Making the NCAAs Every Season?

Adridge: "It is exciting, but it is part of the reason I came to Virginia Tech, knowing that there is a standard of excellence here. So, making the tournament and going out there competing is something that we do year in and year out under Coach Pete."

Can You Reflect on Your Growth as a Player From Your Freshman Year To Now, and What is Your Secret to Not Striking Out That Much?

Aldridge: "My freshman year, I think it was a lot of getting stronger and trying to figure out the college strike zone, and just figuring out what I could do, and figuring out who I am as a hitter. I am not necessarily going to hit a whole bunch of home runs. I am going to work gap to gap more so than anything. I think that is part of it. Also, I was a slapper growing up, so that kind of helps with my strikes, my not striking out that much."

Do You Like the Way You Guys Are Playing Going Into the NCAAs?

Aldridge: "I really like the way our pitchers are throwing. I think they are getting hot. We talk about it alot: the team that peaks the latest and stays up here the longest, so I am really excited at the way we played in the ACCs and just trying to go off of that and take that momentum into next week."

What Are Your Impressions of the Teams You Are Going to Face This Weekend?

Yaeger: "Really good. Everyone in regionals is going to be good.  South Alabama won their conference, so it is going to be a tough first game.  Whoever we face on Saturday also is going to be a tough game. So, they are going to get Hokie softball no matter who it is."

How Does Having the ACCs (Championship) Prepare You for the NCAAs?

Aldridge: "You are going and playing tough teams. What, the ACC takes top 12, so you are going to face the top 12 teams in the ACC. To hopefully keep workng and try to get to that championship game. So, trying to be able to get hot at the right time and just play that one game at a time, like one game a day series helps."

Facing Good Pitching in the ACC Tournament As Well as Now Going to Face More Good Pitching. Does That Affect Your Mindset at the Plate? Change it? More Patient?

Yaeger: "Makes us prepared. We faced Cassidy Curd, really good; Jazzy Franclik, obivously ACC Pitcher of the Year. We are now more prepared than ever to go into regionals."

What is The Mentality of Having to Go Somewhere Else to Play Regionals?

Aldridge: "We played in some tough environments earlier in the season, so I think being able to channel that energy of what we had in the beginning and taking it wherever we go, whether it is LSU or even if we were here, just taking that same energy and playing Hokie softball."

You Play at LSU Last Year. What is Like Pllaying Down There?

Yaeger: "Tough, It is an SEC environment, but arguably, I think our fans are louder and they might be little more loose, maybe. It is fun. You get to play in environments like that. It is what you dream of as a kid."

How Confident Does Your 6-0 Record Against the SEC Make You Going into This Regional?

Aldridge: "I don't think it is anything that most of us have thought about. We need to kind of reset. It is a new season, Everybody is 0-0, so go right at whoever we play. We will start with South Alabama. If LSU wins, we will play them and just go from there."

21-4 on the Road. What Does That Mean About Your Ability to Go on the Road and Perform?

Yaeger: "It means we can play with anyone and anywhere, so it makes us really confident playing on the road."

MATCHUPS:

Below is a quick "Tale of the Tape" that compares key statistics across the four teams in the LSU Regional.  At first glance, Virginia Tech has the best offensive and pitching numbers of all four teams.

Softball America picked the LSU Regional as the fourth toughest Regional. It referenced Virginia Tech's trio of pitchers in Emma Mazzarone, Bree Carrico, and Avery Layton in adition to its potent offense and said that LSU's offense would have to do its part to get out of the regional.

USA Today Softball writers picked the Hokies to win the LSU Regional

Austin Curtright, USA TODAY: Virginia Tech. I'm taking the Hokies to upset LSU in the Baton Rouge Regional, as Virginia Tech's offense matches up well with the Tigers' pitching staff. Virginia Tech had a real case to host a regional, but ends up against the lowest-ranked host in LSU.

Mitchell Northam, USA TODAY: Virginia Tech. The Hokies are 6-0 on the road against teams from the SEC this season, including road sweeps of NCAA Tournament teams in Georgia and South Carolina. After being seeded one spot out of hosting rights, and after losing a one-run game to Florida State for the ACC title, Virginia Tech will likely be playing with a chip on their shoulder