If Wednesday evening was an indication, No. 6 Virginia Tech (15-3, 3-0 ACC) likes the friendly confines on Tech Softball Park.
After 17 games on the road to open the season, the Hokies welcomed East Tennessee State to Blacksburg with an 18-2 offensive explosion that included six home runs. The homestand continues this weekend as Syracuse visits for an ACC series.
The Orange (10-6, 1-2 ACC) come to Blacksburg after opening ACC play last week in Raleigh, losing two out of three to NC State. Due to weather, a Friday doubleheader with games at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. kick off the weekend before one contest on Sunday at 12 p.m. All games will be televised on ACC Network Extra.
As far as the forecast goes, Friday looks good with temperatures in the 60s, but winter weather rolls in early Saturday morning with a possibility of snow before clearing on Sunday.
“Going into the weekend, we need to prepare for Syracuse like we have prepared for any team we’ve faced this year,” Tech head coach Pete D’Amour said. “Syracuse is a good team and we’re coming off a good weekend, so we’re expecting Syracuse’s ‘A’ game.”
The Orange finished eighth in the ACC last season and graduated four regulars who each started 38 or more games, as well as pitching ace Alexa Romero. As a result, they were picked 12th in this year’s ACC preseason poll.
Because of its youth, the Syracuse schedule this year has been less than challenging: 12 of its 16 games have been against teams with RPIs of 145 or lower. In the four remaining games, the Orange lost 9-0 to Auburn and then two-of-three to NC State by scores of 8-2 and 5-4. They won the Saturday game against the Wolfpack 9-3 when they pounded out 14 hits.
Syracuse is hitting .336 with five players batting .356 or better.
Graduate student Neli Casares-Maher leads the team with a .426 average that includes five home runs. Redshirt senior Carli Campbell (.378) usually bats leadoff and hit .500 in Raleigh last weekend (6-for-12). Freshman Tessa Galipeau (.356) and sophomore Angel Jasso (.420) usually bat second and third.
Syracuse head coach Shannon Doepking subscribes to the second leadoff hitter philosophy which finds Paris Woods (.361) hitting in the No. 9 spot. The Orange aren’t particularly deep as eight players have started 10 or more games.
They’ve struggled in the circle with a team ERA of 4.00 and only three complete games. Sophomore Lindsey Hendrix (3.85 ERA, 30 Ks in 23.2 innings) has started a team-high six games, and she got the lone win in Raleigh. Freshman Summer Clark (3.05 ERA, 34 Ks in 36.2 innings) is second in starts with four and was in the circle in Syracuse’s opening game in Raleigh.
D’Amour hopes Hokie Nation will show up and give his team the support they deserve.
“We have our first home ACC series of the year this weekend,” D’Amour said. “We’re a top-10 program in the country and our players are incredible ambassadors for our university. We need everyone who’s able to attend to come pack our stands, not just this weekend, but every conference game the rest of the year.
“Our young ladies have run the gauntlet in front of 4,000 Alabama fans and 2,000 at Clemson. A definitive ‘home field advantage’ is another step in establishing our program as one of the best in the country.”
The tale of the tape is below.
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Don’t pay a lot of attention to those SU stats. Their schedule has been a joke. Think what VT’s offensive numbers would look like if we had played ETSU eight games. That’s sort of what SU has done.
Hope we get a good crowd out there.!The girls deserve it!