Hoping to build on recent triumphs, the Virginia softball team opens its home schedule this weekend in the freshly renovated The Park, beginning with a matchup against George Washington.
Virginia (9-5) ends its busy on-the-road run and will play its first home game in three weeks.
“There is nothing like playing in your home stadium, especially since ours is brand new, and we haven’t played any games in it yet,” junior pitcher and outfielder Nicole Koren said. “Since it is our home field, we will have our friends and fans, and we won’t have a lot of the fans from other schools. Overall, it’s just different.”
Thus far this season, the Cavalier offense in particular has been impressive, averaging nearly six runs per game. Four separate players have hit home runs, and the offensive support has been more than adequate in light of equally superb defensive play.
Virginia pitchers only have surrendered an average of three runs per game and have produced a team ERA of 2.56. Most notably, senior pitcher Karla Wilburn has pitched nine complete games — three of which were shutouts. Wilburn said she is confident in the team’s ability to win this weekend.
“I think right now our team is in a very good place,” Wilburn said. “We have been playing really well.”
During the past three weeks, the Cavaliers have faced some proven postseason contenders, competing well against experienced teams. Virginia coach Eileen Schmidt said she believes that playing against such talent will prove advantageous for the squad.
“The competition that we played, especially Louisville and [California,] Fullerton in the Las Vegas tournament, and the first weekend against East Carolina — there are some teams that will make regionals in there, and I liked the way we competed against those teams,” Schmidt said.
George Washington (2-4) is a younger team, returning six of last year’s starters and welcoming eight new players to its squad. While it has not yet had as many opportunities to put its team on the field, George Washington has won its past two games.
Though the Colonials’ offense has struggled to produce runs early, it recently has proven it can score runs during key points of games. The team’s pitching also has come alive, only giving up five runs over two games, including one shutout.
Although the Cavaliers will play against a team that is not as experienced as they are, they must continue to play at a high level if they want to win.
“We like to play to us more,” Wilburn said. “We know what our opponents’ strengths and weaknesses are, and we combine them with our own strengths.”
The Cavaliers are finishing up the first part of their non-conference schedule, with games this weekend as well as during Spring Break. Next week, Virginia will travel to George Mason before returning home to play against against Rider and Lafayette.
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