This weekend the Virginia softball team will open their fall season with the home field advantage.
The Cavaliers will host six teams in the U.Va Fall Classic, with their top competition coming from a Virginia Tech squad that ended last season 42-18 (12-8 Big East) and from a Longwood team that finished 37-14 (19-3 CVAC).
The Cavaliers, who are coming off the second most successful season in school history, will use the Classic and the rest of the fall season to help build a team that can improve on last year's 45-22 record (1-6 ACC).
"The fall is a really good time for us to evaluate all of our talent and give everyone a chance out on the field," Virginia Coach Cheryl Sprangel said.
Virginia will be looking for leadership following the graduation of two-time state softball Player of the Year Kristen Dennis, but Sprangel has confidence in her team's abilities.
She will turn to key returners like sophomore outfielder Valerie Sevilla, and look for immediate contributions from the five freshmen -- each of whom will step onto the field for the first time in a Virginia uniform this weekend.
"We are pleased with [the freshmen's] ability, and how well they are getting along with the rest of the team," Sprangel said.
Achieving team chemistry ranks among the main goals for a fall season that will take the Cavaliers to Blacksburg Oct. 4-5 for the Virginia Tech Fall Tournament, and to Penn State for its fall tournament Oct. 12-13.
Fall is "a time when the team can come together and gel chemistry wise," sophomore shortstop Heather Field said.
The three fall tournaments will give the coaching staff an opportunity to determine the team's strengths and weaknesses before the spring season begins.
Fall games do not "count in the win-loss record, and that is good for evaluation purposes," Sprangel said.
The players appreciate the live game experience that the fall season provides.
"Tournaments like this are good because you can really get a feel as to how everyone is playing," Field said.
The Cavaliers will test their skills with a triple header tomorrow, matching up with Shippensburg at 9 a.m., James Madison at 11 a.m., and Longwood at 1 p.m. On Sunday, Virginia will face Virginia Tech at noon and close out the tournament against Radford at 2 p.m. Games are scheduled for both fields of The Park throughout the weekend.
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