Virginia's softball team will open their ACC season this weekend against the best the conference has to offer, hosting the defending ACC Champion Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (26-15) for a Saturday afternoon doubleheader.
Conference success has been a stated goal of the Virginia team (25-16) since the start of the season, as an outright ACC title is the only way to earn an automatic bid to NCAA Regionals. This is not the case in other, larger conferences, but salvaging pride and respect may be bigger motivators than post-season aspirations for a Cavalier squad that posted a 1-6 conference record last year.
"I think in the past we've gotten too uptight and not been able to play to our potential," coach Cheryl Sprangel said. "We want to be focused going into [tomorrow's games] and we're going after it. We don't have anything to lose."
Georgia Tech also will be playing with no-holds-barred this weekend, as they set out to right their ship after dropping two straight games to hometown rival Georgia. The Yellow Jackets will have no time to wallow in the losses at the hands of the No. 8 Bulldogs, as the series at the Park marks the start of a six-game road trip for Tech. They will get their fill of conference competition, facing Maryland for another doubleheader the day after their competitions with the Cavaliers.
Virginia players and coaches acknowledged the importance of ACC victories, but were careful not to create a pressure situation so early in the season.
"We're just going to come out and play how we've been playing, not change anything," senior third baseman Ruby Rojas said.
Continuity will be key for the Cavaliers, who carry a six-game winning streak into their conference opener. After sweeping a home doubleheader with UNC-Greensboro, Virginia went on to defeat Hawaii in round-robin play at the Tar Heel Invitational last weekend, then to take three consecutive games from East Carolina University. The Cavaliers topped the Pirates first in Chapel Hill, where they went on the win the Tar Heel tournament title, and then twice Tuesday at The Park. In the second game of that doubleheader, Virginia needed a two-run double from Rojas in the bottom of the seventh inning to seal a come-from-behind victory.
"Ruby is awesome," Sprangel said. "She's the best hitter probably in the conference. If I were them, I would have put her on, but you're not always in that position."
Georgia Tech has two outstanding players of their own, both of whom the Cavaliers will be actively attempting to shut down Saturday.
Sophomore hurler Jessica Sallinger, the Yellow Jackets' ace, was last year's ACC Rookie of the Year. She was the most valuable player of the 2002 ACC Championships, earning three wins while allowing only one earned run in the tournament. Despite being only a freshman, Sallinger set single-season school records at Tech for wins (28), strikeouts (337), complete games (32), and innings pitched (257).
"They have a real strong pitcher that throws a lot of riseballs and likes to get in on the inside," Sprangel said. "We can hit her if we're smart."
Smart play by Virginia also will be crucial to containing junior shortstop Tara Knudsen. Knudsen is a force at the plate, hitting 16 home runs last season to tie the Georgia Tech and ACC single-season record. She also led her team in nine offensive categories last year, including batting average, RBI, slugging percentage, and total bases.
"She hits a lot of home runs," Sprangel said. "We will have to watch how we pitch to her."
The ACC season will begin for the Cavaliers and the Yellow Jackets at noon tomorrow, with the second game scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
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