Reeling from a 5-2 mid-week loss to Charlotte, No. 6 Virginia Tech heads to Clemson, S.C. this weekend to open ACC play against the No. 14 Tigers.
The Tigers are 12-3 on the season and are riding a seven-game win streak after a 6-0 win over Gardner Webb Tuesday night. Clemson’s losses have come against No. 10 Texas (4-0), No. 14 Northwestern (7-0) and Wisconsin (2-1), who is receiving votes. Ironically, the Hokies have recorded wins this season against the latter two teams, but, the Tigers beat Charlotte 5-2.
The extended weather forecast is for temperatures to be in the 70s all weekend, so it should be a perfect environment for softball. All games are sold out.
Friday’s game is a 5 p.m. first pitch and will be shown on the ACC Network. Saturday’s game is set for 1 p.m., while Sunday’s contest is at 12 p.m. The latter two games will be televised on ACC Network Extra.
The Tigers, who won the ACC regular season championship last season (44-8 overall, 29-5 ACC), were picked to finish second this year by the league coaches. Clemson returns all of its starters from 2021 with the exception of the left side of the infield. Shortstop Ansley Gilstrap (51 starts, .292 average) and third baseman Casey Bigham (39 starts, .215 average) both graduated.
Returning starters include Preseason All-ACC selections Mackenzie Clark (OF) and Valerie Cagle (RHP/UTL).
Clark was Clemson’s leadoff hitter last season, batting .355, scoring 47 runs, and stealing 23 bases. She has fallen off just a bit to start 2022 (.283 batting average), but she’s still near the top of the lineup, usually batting second.
Last year, Cagle became the first player in ACC history to earn both Freshman and Player of the Year honors in the same season. She posted a 1.16 ERA with 267 strikeouts in 216.2 innings from the circle while hitting .404 and leading the ACC in home runs (17) and RBIs (45).
Cagle appears to be on her way to another stellar season at the plate, hitting .370 with four home runs and 15 RBIs. However, she is getting a lot of support from freshman Aby Vieira (.368), sophomore Alia Logoleo (.366), and graduate students Cammy Pereira (.357) and Marissa Guimbarda (.333, 4 HRs, 15 RBIs).
The Tigers also received a nice addition from the transfer portal with graduate student Sam Russ. Russ played four years at NC State, leaving Raleigh as the Wolfpack’s all-time leader in stolen bases (103) and fifth in career batting average (.319). She has taken over the leadoff role for the Tigers, is currently batting .319 and is 9/9 in stolen bases.
In the circle, Cagle has picked up where she left off last season. She’s appeared in 10 of Clemson’s games this season with seven starts, a 5-2 record, a 1.40 ERA and 53 Ks in 40 innings. Cagle currently has a string of 18 scoreless innings, which came in games with Washington, Charlotte, Boston University, Akron and Gardner Webb.
Behind her is another Virginian, Bedford’s Millie Thompson from Liberty High School. Thompson, who has started four games this season, has cut her ERA from last year (2.05) almost in half (1.25) and has 23 strikeouts in 22.1 innings. Often seeing relief work is Brooke McCubbin (10 appearances, 1.33 ERA) who has 53 Ks in 40 innings of work.
Final Thoughts
This is an exciting way to start off the ACC softball season with two nationally ranked squads colliding. The fact that the Tigers were picked second in the ACC this season and eliminated Pete D’Amour & Co. from last season’s ACC tournament probably doesn’t set well with the Hokies. On the other hand, Virginia Tech’s No. 6 national ranking provides a nice target for the Tigers.
The series is sold out and McWhorter Stadium should be rocking. However, the Hokies played two games in Alabama against the Crimson Tide, so the crowd shouldn’t be a deciding factor.
The unexpected loss to Charlotte slightly dampens the showdown, but it also provides an additional motivation for the Hokies.
“We need to have a short memory,” D’Amour said, referencing Wednesday’s loss. “The team we’re facing this weekend is as good as they come in our league. Like I told our players, Wednesday’s game won’t define our season. We need to play a little cleaner defense, pitch a little better and control the strike zone a little better.”
“Preseason” is over. Now things get serious.
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