Virginia softball travels to Fullerton, Ca. this weekend to compete in the Judi Garman Invitational, looking to fortify its play before heading into the core of the team's conference schedule.
"When you start in ACC play, everyone has an 'A,' and it's yours to lose," coach Eileen Schmidt said. "These games are kind of like a practice test - not an easy test, but it's another opportunity to go against highly ranked national competition."
The Cavaliers (12-9, 2-0 ACC) will find no shortage of fierce competition this weekend. The team will face No. 2 Arizona (22-1), No. 9 Oklahoma (22-4), previously ranked Fresno State (16-9) and Louisiana Lafayette (15-7), and a tough San Jose State squad (20-5).
"They're all good," Schmidt said. "All you can really do is take it one game at a time. We played against strong opponents at the beginning of the year, and now we can see how much we've grown."\nJudging by Virginia's recent outings, the team has grown substantially. After opening their season with a 4-7 record, the Cavaliers enter the tournament having won seven of their last nine games.\n"I think our communication is a lot better," junior outfielder Cynthia Javaras explained. "Just knowing the situation, knowing what our individual jobs are, helps us as a team."
Another key to the Cavalier's success has been the play of senior outfielder Sarah Tacke and freshman pitcher Melanie Mitchell. Both players garnered ACC accolades following stellar performances recently. Tacke hit .562 in six games to earn an ACC Player of the Week distinction. For the season, her .471 batting average, .576 on-base percentage and .784 slugging percentage all rank second best in the conference. Mitchell snagged ACC Pitcher of the Week honors after finishing 3-1 on the week, posting a 2.59 ERA.
"It's nice to be recognized, and we just need to continue it," Schmidt said. "Melanie, and everybody really, has gone through a little bit of growing pains and been up and down. They're learning from it though, and that's the important part."
The Cavaliers will face their own share of freshman pitching talent this weekend. Arizona's freshman pitcher Kenzie Fowler has been almost unhittable this season, to the tune of a 15-0 record, miniscule 0.84 ERA and 126 strikeouts. Freshman Keilani Ricketts has been similarly strong for Oklahoma, posting a 9-3 record and 1.64 ERA.
"Fowler is probably one of the best freshman pitchers coming out this year," Schmidt said. "Oklahoma has Ricketts, and we have to see both of them. That's what makes you better though."
The Cavaliers will look to achieve success against the strong pitching of Oklahoma and the rest of the field in the tournament, as it gears up for the bulk of its ACC campaign. They began ACC play last Sunday, defeating Maryland in a double-header on the road, and will resume conference games March 27 against Virginia Tech.
"We'll have warm weather, great fields and good competition," Javaras said. "It should be a good test for us, but I think we're ready for it"
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