Perched atop the ACC standings, the Virginia softball team travels to Harrisonburg today to face off against James Madison (14-17, 2-1 CAA) in an in-state test to maintain its position while preparing for what lies ahead.
Virginia (18-13, 5-0 ACC) enters the match after last weekend's sweep of conference rival Virginia Tech in a series for the first time since 1998. As the Cavaliers prepare to face the Dukes, they know that this game is a pivotal opportunity to steel themselves for this weekend's upcoming home matchup with No. 19 North Carolina.
"[James Madison] is very similar hitting-wise and running-wise to North Carolina," coach Eileen Schmidt said. "Obviously, we want to use a midweek game to keep us heading in the right direction and keep us sharp."
Virginia's success this season has gone hand-in-hand with the improvement shown by pitcher Melanie Mitchell. As the freshman has become more comfortable with collegiate pitching, she has lowered her ERA to 2.58, while compiling 171 strikeouts in 143.2 innings. Mitchell will face a Dukes lineup that features senior first baseman Shannon Moxey, whose 33 hits and .337 average place her at the forefront of James Madison's hitters.
"[JMU] always swings the bat, and they always run well," Schmidt said. "Moxey has been swinging well, and their 1 and 2 hitters are getting on for her. They've played a lot of people, so they have a lot of kids with a lot of experience."
The Dukes' own talented freshman pitcher, Cara Stecher, likely will take the circle with a 6-6 season record and a 3.34 ERA. Stecher also is carrying in CAA Co-Rookie of the Week honors after a series win against George Mason last weekend.
But Stecher will find a daunting opponent in Virginia's senior right fielder Sarah Tacke, who is batting .413 on the season and does not seem to be showing any signs of cooling off. Tacke's home run and five RBIs in the Virginia Tech series helped lead the Cavaliers to a sweep. And she is not the only Cavalier who has been bolstering the lineup, as freshman second basemen Alex Skinkis also is becoming increasingly threatening at the plate. She collected ACC Player of the Week honors after hitting .467 and helping the team to a 4-1 record during that stretch.
"[That award] is pretty exciting, but I honestly didn't even know until the coaches told me," Skinkis said. "You just have to do your thing, and help the team."
Thus far, Virginia's competitive showing in prestigious tournaments and 5-0 start to conference play have attracted national attention. Following the Virginia Tech series, the Cavaliers even received votes in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association top-25 ranking poll.
"It's nice to be recognized, but we still have things to work on," Schmidt said. "Our focus in the preseason was to prepare for the ACC and get better in the ACC, so I feel like we're making headway there."
Tonight's game versus the Dukes will be the Cavaliers' last chance for adjustments before returning to conference play against North Carolina's star senior pitcher, Danielle Spaulding. The lefty's r
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