Alexa Milius Reflects On Virginia Tech Softball Career

TEMPE, Ariz. — When Alexa Milius walked into the Arizona State softball stadium on Feb. 16, she was smiling. And although she was ecstatic to catch up with her former teammates, there was a very special memory that came to her mind.

Flashback to May 22, 2021. Virginia Tech was playing BYU in the NCAA Regionals in Tempe, Ariz., with the chance to punch its ticket to its first NCAA Super Regional since 2008. However, Keely Rochard had given up a three-run homer in the top of the fifth, meaning the Hokies needed three runs of their own to claim the run-rule victory.

With two outs, Cameron Fagan hit a two-run shot to right field, giving Tech a chance. Then Milius followed with her own blast to center to clinch the Hokies’ spot in Los Angeles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIc0pAOM3oA

“Before that at-bat, we just knew we needed one more run to send us to the super regionals,” Milius told Tech Sideline in February. “Coach Pete [D’Amour] came up to me as I’m getting ready to hit and says, ‘Just hit a home run,’ and I was like, ‘OK.’ And I went up there and hit a home run. Just celebrating with everyone was the best feeling.”

Television cameras caught the celebration between Milius and Fagan, who shared in the joy of the moment.

“It was so exciting for both of us,” Fagan said. “I had just hit a home run before her and then she walked us off. She was really clutch.”

The game-winning dinger capped off quite the Regional for Milius, who was on fire that weekend. In the three regional contests, she went 7-for-11 (.636) with a double, two home runs and five RBI.

But she was more than a one-weekend star for the Hokies. After transferring to Tech from Central Connecticut, she appeared in 68 games, starting 42. She compiled a career batting average of .302, hitting nine home runs and driving in 32 runs.

But her contributions to the program extended further than just the numbers.

“Alexa was a special player who meant a lot to the program,” Fagan said. “Coming in, she was just an instant friend to everyone. She was just a good all-around player.”

“Alexa embodied what it means to be a Hokie softball player,” D’Amour said. “She worked extremely hard, accepted her role, improved every year and was always ready when her number was called. I can’t remember Alexa ever complaining, she was always just so appreciative of being in our program.

“It was so great to see her this weekend. I’m extremely proud of Alexa and all she’s doing with her life.”

Milius is one of the rare collegiate athletes who transferred three times. She started her career with the Blue Devils but entered her name into the transfer portal in an effort “to just do better for myself.”

“Coach Pete reached out to me and I didn’t know a lot about Virginia Tech,” she recalled. “I did some research, saw the facilities, saw the past record of the team and said, ‘Sign me up.’ Going into the ACC was a dream of mine so I was like, ‘Let’s do it.’

“It all worked out for the best. It was the best thing I’ve ever done in my life. It was just so much fun. It would have been hard not to be a team player because just playing with those girls I played with and the coaches I played for, you wanted to be a team player. Those girls were so good and you knew the team was good — we just worked great as a team.”

One of her other special memories from her time in Blacksburg was when the Hokies hosted the NCAA Super Regional in May 2022.

“The atmosphere was unreal,” Milius said. “It was something that I’ll never forget both as a person and as a softball player. … And Arthur [Erwin], I still think about that little man all the time. He is the center of this team and always keeps everyone grounded. We’re so lucky to have him.”

She has a special respect and admiration for D’Amour, who coached her for two seasons. He was a great influence on her, so much so that they still keep in touch.

“Everything he does makes you go, ‘Wow, that makes sense,’” Milius said of D’Amour. “You just really trust him. … Even now that I’m done and I’m retired, I still text him and talk to him about stuff. He is just one of those people that leaves an impact for you on your whole life because of his coaching style. He’s such a great person to learn from.”

In games that she wasn’t in the lineup, Milius often charted data for the team while standing next to D’Amour in the Hokies dugout.

“It was so nice being in the dugout next to him and know how he’s thinking about the game,” she said. “That’s where I learned the most. Being in the dugout and just charting stuff and listening to him talk about the game, it improved my softball IQ by 1,000 percent.”

Milius flourished in the classroom at Virginia Tech, graduating with a 3.9 GPA as a double major in sociology and criminology. She was named an Easton/NFCA All-American Scholar Athlete in 2022.

But as her senior year approached, she realized that Tech didn’t have the master’s program that she could afford and that would benefit her in her career path, so she opened up her options.

“I talked to Coach Pete about it,” Milius sad, “and he completely understood, and by October, I knew I was going into the portal for my fifth year, which was a whole year away. It was simply academics, not for playing time or anything else — I would have stayed at Virginia Tech for 18 more years if it had what I needed.”

She transferred to Arizona State for the 2023 season and ranked second on the team in batting with a .336 average. She had 44 hits, including 10 doubles and one home run, in addition to 16 RBI.

“The weather is gorgeous here, of course,” said Milius at the Littlewood Classic in Tempe. “I just wanted to do what I could to be a team player, to be that leader, especially coming from the ACC where we had such good years.”

Milius has just two classes left in her master’s program in crime analysis, which is what drew her to Arizona State. She has a 3.9 GPA and is on track to finish strong. She’s starting her career before wrapping up her degree in the fall.

“For now, I’m just putting my head down and grinding it out — just like I did for softball,” she said.

Milius is hoping to end up with a career in law enforcement, a goal that was nurtured during her time in Blacksburg when she served as an intern with the Virginia Tech police department. She stays in contact with them and said they really help her out.

Today marked the last day with our fantastic summer intern & @vt_softball star, Alexa Milius. A big thank you to @hokiesports for making this opportunity possible. We are excited to cheer you & you teammates on the next time you take the field. Great things are in your future! pic.twitter.com/CCMQWH3hGa

— Virginia Tech Police (@VaTechPolice) August 6, 2021

Milius understands that the transfer portal can be an emotional subject for fans, but she’s a great example of someone who found a new home because of it.

“I’m a rare three school athlete, but it worked out really good for me,” Milius said. “… Some of the best years of my life were spent in Blacksburg. I am forever in debt to Coach Pete for recruiting me there. I’m a Hokie forever. Even though I’ve been to other schools, that place will always have a special place in my heart. I owe a lot to Hokie softball.”