Virginia Tech Shortstop Rachel Castine Named National Player Of Week

Virginia Tech shortstop Rachel Castine said she doesn’t focus on awards. But they sure are nice.

The latest ACC and D1Softball National Player of the Week did in three days what some accomplish in a career. Across five games at the Tiger Invitational in Auburn, Ala., Castine hit home runs in four of her 12 at-bats, including two grand slams, contributing to her .583 batting average and 1.667 slugging percentage.

The No. 17 Hokies (4-0-1) went on a tear during their opening weekend against then-No. 20 Auburn, Illinois and Belmont, scoring an incredible 50 runs, and Castine was a large reason why.

“I think [the opening weekend] just kind of proved that this team is a lot better than people thought we were going to be,” Castine told Tech Sideline. “It was no coincidence that we went out and played so well because we put the work in. We have a lot of talent on this team.”

A junior from Chesapeake, Va., Castine entered the 2024 season as a career .225 hitter with three home runs and 21 RBI to her name. In Auburn, she hit four homers and 12 RBI — a testament to her work ethic, which head coach Pete D’Amour said took “a step forward” going into the season.

“I put in more work during the fall and during the beginning of the spring than I probably did the other years,” she said. “Knowing that the coaches trust me when I go onto the field is a really nice thing — knowing that I worked hard enough to earn the spot.”

Castine is working to make an impact in more ways than just what appears in the box score. Tech added 12 newcomers, including nine freshmen, meaning upperclassmen such as Castine now fill leadership roles, as opposed to previous seasons, when she could afford to follow a bit more.

“This year, I’ve stepped up a little bit and started leading,” Castine said. “With so many new faces, it’s hard not to because you have people coming to you asking questions. You have to fill that role of providing information, providing a good example and pushing each other to work harder.”

What has helped is near-weekly team meetings with Dr. Gary Bennett, Virginia Tech’s sports psychologist. In those meetings, Bennett conducts bonding exercises with the team, playing hide-and-seek and rock-paper-scissors tournaments. No matter how competitive the games may get, Bennett’s intention is to help the team support each other, hopefully carrying over onto the field.

“It’s hard when someone is starting over you or your best friend is playing and you’re not,” Castine said. “It’s hard to still be genuine in cheering them on sometimes. That opened our eyes to that, and we’re doing a really good job of that.”

That emphasis on team bonding is carrying over into the team’s day-to-day interactions. The players spent the eight-hour bus trip to Alabama playing Psych! and Photo Roulette on their phones. They stopped for ice cream on the drive back to celebrate their undefeated weekend. Now more than ever, Castine believes, the team is “people-oriented.” 

“We’re softball players, yes, but this year, we’re more focused on getting to know each other on a deeper level and enjoying each other’s company, as well as enjoying each other on the field,” she said. “It makes it a lot more fun to play on the field, knowing we have each other’s back.”

With that in mind, the Hokies are meshing better than ever. Of the seven players to start all five games, the lowest batting average among them is .385. Five of them have a batting average of at least .500. And Castine leads them all.

“This year, I think we have a lot to prove,” Castine said. “We have a lot of people underestimating us and I think we know how good we are and don’t have a doubt about it. We know how much we love each other, and that’s going to take us a long way.”