Player Spotlight: Addison Foster is a Dynamic Engine for Virginia Tech Softball

Addison Foster has always had the mindset that getting on base is her job, but she transferred to Virginia Tech this off-season with a larger goal: to play at the highest level of college softball. The lead off batter who plays center field for the Hokies has done more than show she can compete; Addison has flourished as a key cog on a nationally-ranked Virginia Tech team destined for the NCAA post-season tournament.  This player profile features Addison and is complemented by and drawn from the embedded video interview conducted just before the Georgia Tech series.

ADDISON FOSTER AND SOFTBALL

Addison Foster grew up in Lockport, Illinois, a township about 30 minutes outside of Chicago.  Her mother and father are Kate and Brad Foster. She has two siblings, a brother and a younger sister.  Their family also has a 6-year black lab with a mix of boxer, and a little bit of pit bull as well named “Kevin” that Addison says “is the best!”  Her family is close and loves to get together with extended family for fun trips to their lake house in Minnesota.

Addison played a variety of sports growing up. In fact, she started playing basketball when she was in 3rd grade and continued through high school, playing on the varsity team for all four years of her high school career. She described herself as “a point guard. Very on the defensive side. I loved defense and carrying the ball. I wasn’t much of a rebounder or center or anything because of my height. I definitely loved basketball. It is a very fast paced game, and I loved the girls. Just another sport, being very athletic.”

However, softball became her top passion. She picked up softball when she was five and excelled.  Addson had a decorated high school career as a shortstop with the 4A Lockport Porters where she improved each season. She earned 3rd team All-State her sophomore year and 2nd team All-State her junior year, when she led the Porters with a .444 batting average and an .478 on-base percentage.

Addison saved her best for her senior year in 2023 when she earned 1st team All-State honors with a .492 batting average and .545 on base percentage.  Her coach Marissa Chovanec is quoted in a Chicago Tribune Daily Southtown article (Tony Baranek, April 25, 2023)

“Whatever they call it, a triple threat, a five-point …I don’t know, they have special names for it. We’ve just been blessed to have Addy on the field at the top of our lineup for the last three years.”

She helped lead the Porters to a regional championship and a sectional title game win over long-time nemesis Lincoln-Way Central before falling to top ranked Marist. Addison’s postseason highlights included a grand slam inside-the-park homer as the Porters finished the season with a 31-9 record and a #5 ranking in the IHSA state rankings. 

HOW DID SHE END UP AT STETSON?

Addison began her college softball career at Stetson University, a small private Division 1 school in DeLand, Florida, about half way between Orlando and Daytona Beach. Stetson plays in the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN).

How did she end up at Stetson?

Addison played travel softball growing up, most notably with the Chicago Batbusters 14U and 16U teams before switching to play up with the Chicago Cheetahs 18U team in 2022.  Addison said she found out about Stetson through her travel experience with the Cheetahs, “There were a few girls on my travel team who were a year older than me and they were committed to Stetson. Then, that coach had a really nice  connection with my travel coach. So, I went down there for a camp and really enjoyed the coach. She is great. They like a lot of lefty slappers. I first started off slapping as a lefty, and then you know. That is how I ended up at Stetson through my travel coach.”

Foster made an immediate impact as a freshman at Stetson, starting 48 of 50 games that she played in 2024. She hit .315 and had an on-base percentage of .418 leading off. Addison also showed a keen eye at the plate, walking 24 times and only striking out 19 times. She was also a terror on the base paths, hitting seven doubles and one home run, while stealing 24 bases in 27 attempts on her way to earning ASUN All-Freshman and Second Team All-ASUN honors.

She became a force during her sophomore campaign, raising her batting average to a team-high.411 and her on-base percentage to .462 over 56 games.  Her power and speed numbers increased dramatically as she became a terror at the plate: Foster hit 12 doubles, 7 triples, and 5 home runs to produce a .646 slugging percentage, while driving in 45 RBI. She showed even greater discipline at the plate, walking a team-high 33 times while only striking out 7 times.

An example of her impact and confidence that year was a double header against Queens in which Addison went 6-for-6 with two home runs while driving in 5 RBI

Addison also anchored the Stetson infield defense at shortstop, increasing her fielding percentage from .890 as a freshman to .920 as a sophomore.

She was also key in Stetson's run to the ASUN tournament semi-finals at the end of 2025 when she hit .615 (8-for-13), with a double and 2 triples, while scoring 5 runs and driving in 5 RBI. 

Even more telling for her future at Virginia Tech, Addison held her own at Stetson against ranked Power 4 competition from the ACC, Big 10, and SEC. During her sophomore campaign, Addison hit .286 and drew 4 walks against #2 Florida, #8 Florida, #8 Florida State, #10 Georgia, Ohio State, and Arizona State. It should be noted that Stetson lost to then #10 Georgia by a 1-0 score in which Foster went 1-for-2 with a double.

This was a numbers-heavy section (my apologies) that does not truly do justice to the type of player that Addison was at Stetson. She was a versatile player who worked very hard at helping her team win.

DECISION TO TRANSFER

After her two stellar seasons at Stetson, Addison decided to enter the transfer portal with the goal of moving up in competition to a Power 4 school.  She explained that, “My first two years, and after my second year, I was kinda …there was a thought that I wanted to go a little bit bigger. For the school size too. Steston was a small school. Loved it there. I was looking for something a little bit bigger. And then, obviously, competition-wise, I wanted to compete a little bit higher, like ACC and Power 4 teams is kind of what I was looking for.”

When she was looking for a new school, did Addison think about moving closer to her home in Lockport? “Honestly, not really, because I was already so far the two years at Stetson,” she said. “My goal was to play at a higher level, so I don’t think the distance was ever really a problem for me.”

WHY VIRGINIA TECH?

When Addison entered the transfer portal, Virginia Tech coach Pete D’Amour reached out to her which led to her visiting the Blacksburg campus.

While there were other schools interested in her in the Big 10 and ACC, she chose Virginia Tech because of the coaches, but especially the program’s use of modern technology  Addison said,  “There were a couple of other schools. Some in the Big 10 and some in the ACC as well. Virginia Tech kind of stood out to me a lot more. Immediately, I talked to the coaches. I love the coaches. Something that stood out to me for Virginia Tech was the technology and the resources that they have here. It was really cool to see because I have never used any of that. Just the technology, recorded, hitting, fielding, and just all these numbers were cool to see. I never had access to that, so that was something that really stood out to me too for VT.”

TRANSITIONING TO CENTER FIELD

After playing shortstop for most of her career, transferring to Virginia Tech has meant changing positions. She has become entrenched as Tech’s every-day starting center fielder.  When asked about the conversations about playing center field for the Hokies during the transfer process, she said, “Something that I really liked that Coach Pete said to me. Some of the other schools, not really. They like to recruit athletes who can play multiple positions. I, obviously, played two years at Stetson shortstop. Coming in, I was like  I would like to play shortstop, but it was not like my main position. He was talking to me like they have outfield positions open. They have some things that are open for me. I liked to hear that because, even though I could get recruited as a shortstop, there are other positions I could play. That is something that stood out to me. I don’t have a problem with playing outfield. I have played outfield in travel for a little bit, not at Stetson, but I don’t have a problem with the outfield either.”

She added, “I liked center a lot too because it is like the shortstop of the infield. You like to talk, be loud out there.”

”I think the transitioning was a little different. I had a smaller glove, so transitioning to a bigger glove for the outfield was a little weird at first,” Addison said. “Getting reads at first was a little difficult, but practice helped a lot with getting more reads out there. Honestly, it was not too bad of a transition because I had some experience in the outfield before, so it transitioned pretty smoothly for me.”

The transition to center field has seamed seamless from a fan's perspective, even if it has involved adjustments. Indeed, Addison has committed zero errors and has a 1.000 fielding percentage.  She has even made super human plays look routine, like the diving catch she made against North Carolina!

EXCELING ON OFFENSE

Addisonr has evolved as a hitter in a variety of ways. First, per the earlier Chicago Tribune article, she is a natural right hander and started her softball career as a right-handed hitter.  Coaches saw her speed and potential as a lefty hitter and switched to give her that extra advantage to getting to first base. That change led to her becoming more of a slapper.

While she could slap, bunt, or swing in high school depending on how the defense played her, Addison started at Stetson as a slapper. However, she has transitioned more and more to not slapping. In fact, she has only hit straight away this season at Virginia Tech.

When asked about the transition away from slapping, Addison said, “Freshman year of college, I came in as a slapper. I still hit as well. I just slapped a little bit more, especially being in that lead off position. The goal was to get on base a lot, so I had the drag bunt, I had the slapping, and then hitting as well. After my freshman year, I put up good, decent numbers, and one of my coaches at Stetson was like ‘I don’t think you need to slap anymore.’

“At first, I was a little confused but I stuck with my hitting, and it really paid off, so, honestly, I kind of stopped slapping overall.”

DYNAMIC ENGINE - RUN CREATOR

Virginia Tech has a roster of All-Americans and great players up and down the lineup:  nationally-recognized pitchers Emma Mazzarone and Bree Carroco; sophomore sensation Jordan Lynch; power bats in Michelle Chatfield and Nora Abromavage; veterans Zoey Yaeger, Kylie Alridge, Rachel Castine, and Annika Rohs who are just as dangerous; and a class of highly-rated incoming freshman. Not only has Addison shown that she can compete at the highest level, she is having a dominant season in the lead-off spot in that vaunted Hokie lineup.

Addison is not just a speedy lead-off hitter who is relied on to get on base, steal bases, and score runs. She is a dynamic engine who is generating offense and creating runs. In fact, she is among the team leaders and has reached career highs in several statistical categories:

Offensive Stats (through the UNC series on April 26, 2026; career highs in BOLD):

• Batting Average: Addison is hitting a career high .417, which is 2nd on the team.
• Hits: Her 65 hits are 2nd on the team and is approaching her career high of 72 that she achieved her second year at Stetson.
• Runs:  She has scored 47 runs, good for 3rd highest on the team.
• Doubles - Addison is tied with Jordan Lynch for second on the team with 16 doubles, which is a career high.
• Triples: She has hit 3 triples, second on the team behind Lynch’s 4.
• Home Runs:  Addison has hit a career-high 6 home runs. She also has a career high .673 slugging percentage.
• RBI:  She has driven in 39 RBI, which is 6th on the team. Her career high is 45.
• Walks: Addison has drawn 23 walks, which has contributed to a career-high .489 on base percentage.
• Stolen Bases: She is 8-for-8 in stolen bases
• Addison has reached safely in 18 straight games dating back to the March 27 doubleheader against Boston College.
• She has had 23 multi-hit games this season.

Addison leads the Hokies in ACC conference play with a .429 batting average and has hit 10 of her 16 doubles against ACC-level competition though the North Carolina series.  

In addition, she has hit .500 across the seven games Virginia Tech has played against Top 25 competition this season

Regarding her ability to create runs, Addison has pointed to the approach that Coach D’Amour emphasizes in finding your pitch and swinging hard. “I have kind of developed a little bit more power over the years. A lot of it goes to Coach Pete as well. I was never really told to swing HARD and try and hit for a lot of power. We work every single day in the indoor,” she said. “ A lot of my power comes from just swinging hard and seeing my pitch, and the pitch that I know that can hit hard versus other pitches that maybe I won’t hit as hard. Seeing those pitches and going up with the mindset of ‘I am looking for this pitch’ and I know I can hit it very hard and take my at bats one pitch at a time. Seeing the pitches that I want to hit.”

Her approach at the plate has changed this year under the guidance of the coaching staff. Addison emphasized. “I feel like I definitely have more of a plan up at the plate. I always knew what I was looking for in previous years, but I kind of definitely figured out a plan and what I am looking for every time I come up to bat. It increases my confidence. This game is all about confidence, so it helps alot.”

HITTING LEAD OFF AND USING HER SPEED

Virginia Tech has had different types of lead off hitters over the last several years, whether it was the 31-home run hitting Cori McMillan last year, the slap hitting Kelsey Brown, or the all-round power hitter with speed Addison Greene. Addison Foster has thrived in the lead-off role at Tech by bringing her own mentality of getting on base whatever it takes. 

“Being in that lead off position, I have always been lead off pretty much. That has kind of just  been my spot in the lineup,” she said “My goal is to get on base, and that is what I think before every game. Not trying to do too much. Just be a leader. Get on base whether it is a walk or it is a hit. That is my goal, and I know my teammates behind me will score me. We all have so much trust in each other.”

Addison is fast, and it shows on the base paths. She is among the team leaders in doubles because it seems like she has that aggressive mindset coming out of the box. When asked about her mindset and whether she is automatically thinking double, she said,  “We talk about that a lot at practice, too. When we think there is a hard hit through the infield, we are always thinking two until either our first base coach stops us or we see they get the ball in quick. That is kind of always our mindset when we are hitting: Think two until you are stopped otherwise.”

With Jordan Lynch hitting behind .434 behind her, Addison has the speed to seemingly go from first base to third on any hit to the outfield   She explained how. “We do have some rules with outs and where we are positioned on the bags as well too. I just like to be aggressive, so anything I see…something I can make or make a close call, depending on the outs, of course, I am going to try to get that extra bag, for sure.”

FAVORITE AND MEMORABLE MOMENTS

When asked if she had any favorite or memorable moments in her first season at Virginia Tech, Addison didn’t point to a specific event or highlight. Instead, she focused on loving being on a fighting team, especially when the Hokies have had to fight back from behind. She said, “Being with the team, we are a fighting team. We never give up, so honestly, there have been some games. I don’t know if there is a specific game or specific moment, but being with this team and all the games we have won, I feel like there have been a couple of games where we have been behind but we stuck with it, we stuck our plan, and that just shows to me that every single one of these girls on this team is willing to fight and push until the end. It just kind of shows that we are a great team, and every single one of these girls is going to give everything to win. That kind of sticks out to me that I love to be a part of.”

As Virginia Tech got deeper into ACC conference play, it suffered near identical Friday night losses to start conseutive series against Clemson and Virginia. Addison discussed how the team responded to win those series. “We will talk at the end of every game. We don’t get freaked out because we know we are a better team than how we showed during those games,’ she said. “So, we kind of just stick to our plan, and we like to talk about being the attacker, and I feel like in those games, we have kind of lacked that a little bit. We are just very strong. Attacking right away. He brings that up. Not to freak out. We are good. We just have to play our game. After those games, we come out, we attack right away. We stick to our plans. Unfortunately, they have been the first losses of the season, but we have just kept sticking to our plan, and we will be fine.”

“AHA” MOMENT AND HER GOAL FOR IMPROVEMENT

When Addison entered the transfer portal, she had the goal and the confidence that she could play at a higher level. However, could there have been any doubts about whether a team would want her and was there a point that it hit her that she could play at this level? Hearing from schools like Virginia Tech helped alleviate any doubts she might have had.

Her response:  “I think right away, when I was transferring, I didn’t know what kind of schools were going to reach out to me at all. I was looking all over the place for schools. It has always been a dream to play power 4, higher level.  Softball has always been a huge passion for me. Right away, entering the portal. I didn’t know what I was going to see. I always wanted to play Power 4, but I didn’t know if they were going to reach out. I got those looks right way, and it was kind of an aha moment for me. It made me feel a lot better. I put in the work the first two years. It felt great to see that achievement from other power 4 teams.”

With her having such a great season, what are her goals to improve either during the season or in the off-season? She is focusing on the mental side of the game as an area for improvement for both her and the team:  “I think there is always room for improvement from everyone. For me, especially, I think attitude is a big thing on our team. Having that quick mindset change. If you don’t have a good at bat, or you make an error, being able to flip that super quick is a hard thing to do. I know our team is working on all of that because you want to have a quick mindset change. Not that I am bad at it, I think there could be a quicker turnover a little bit. For me and all of us on the team, we need to work on that.  I don’t think it is necessarily a bad thing. It shows that we care, and a lot of the time, you are not going to be perfect. It is a game of failure, so just accepting that and being able to switch it fast is something that I can improve on. Definitely, at bats and getting reps, there is always room for improvement.”

GETTING TO KNOW ADDISON A LITTLE BIT MORE

Transferring to a new school can have its academic and social challenges. It can feel like starting over. For Addison, the transition has been mostly smooth, especially feeling welcomed by her new teammates, “It is definitely a big change. I was a little bit nervous about it coming in. Meeting new people. New coaches. Living a completely different life, but it was very welcoming as soon as I got here. All the girls. I live with all the juniors. They are so welcoming. The coaches are very welcoming, and there are just so many more resources here too, like academic advisors. Just like people that are reaching out to you and helping you if you need help. So, transferring was very smooth, and I didn't have very many problems at first.”

She has had to adjust academically due to the process of transferring credits. Addison said, “One thing that did kind of stink a little bit was the credits transferring. I was coming from a private school to a public school, and especially Virginia Tech…there were some credits that didn’t transfer, so it kind of set me back a little bit. I had to change my major right away, but everything is back on track now.The process of transferring a little bit was tough.”

Right now, she is a communications major. She was a marketing major at Stetson, but when she transferred, she came in as a sociology major because it was the best fit based on the credits she could transfer in. Now, though, she said, “I just recently changed from that to a communications major. I want to be involved with sports. I love sports. I am not exactly sure what I still want to do, but I do have an internship this summer, looking at Play Fly Sports. They are a company, very involved in sports. Where I am heading.”

Passions:  Addison loves music and is always mixing in different kinds of music with anything she might be doing.  She loves all kinds of music but primarily listens to rap. 

Favorite Place to Eat in Blacksburg:  Her favorite place to eat in Blacksburg is El Rods, a favorite Mexican food restaurant favored by many Virginia Tech athletes.

Pre-Game Routines/Superstitions:  Addison does not have any superstitions. Her main pre-game goal is to “definitely make sure I feel good before every game because feel good, play good. So, just getting our stretches in. Making sure I get good hits off BP.” She added, “Feeling very warm before a game is definitely super important because sometimes we have such a long warm up, and you could get tired a little bit and then the game starts, and you are like “ew” Just making sure that I am warm and ready to go for the first pitch.”

PARTING THOUGHTS

When asked if there was anything else that she would want fans to know about her, Addison focused on how hard her Hokie softball team works. She emphasized, ““I love this sport. I am very passionate about it. There are times I am going to put in the extra work. My team and I are working very hard every single day. We expect results that maybe some other teams are expecting too, but we put in the work. I am hoping to see the results at the end of the year.”

The team’s goals are to finish the regular season strong, win the ACC tournament, and ultimately advance out of an NCAA regional to the NCAA Women’s College World Series. Addison Foster and her teammates are putting in the hard work and have shown the resilience in the face of adversity that can help them achieve those goals.