Virginia Tech softball looks to make huge weekend statement at Duke in Top 25 matchup

The Virginia Tech softball team is off to a perfect start to the 2024 season and is currently the only undefeated team in the ACC. They are two games up on their closest challenger, Duke. It just so happens that the Hokies will be playing the Blue Devils this weekend with a chance to make a big statement on the road.

Virginia Tech is 9-0 in conference play and the Blue Devils will host them at 7-2 in second place. The series will begin Thursday night and continue Friday night then Saturday afternoon as the weekend series begins a day early with it being Easter Weekend.

Virginia Tech’s numbers are eye-popping

The Hokies, ranked 11th in the latest ESPN.com/USA Softball poll, enter the series with 84 runs scored to just 19 allowed, which is by far the biggest differential in the ACC. Duke, ranked fifth, enters with a 46-21 differential. Last weekend, Virginia Tech split a series on the road against Alabama, losing the opening game and taking a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh only to watch as the Crimson Tide rallied to force extra innings. Tech scored five runs in the top of the eight to win 8-3 and improve to 25-5-1. 

Like the baseball team, the softball team is hitting home runs at a crazy pace. As a team, they have 67 with Michelle Chatfield leading the way with 14 and Cori McMillan has nine. Emma Ritter and Bre Peck each have eight. As a team, they have 58 doubles and are hitting .358. In the circle, they have a team ERA of 2.43 and Emma Mazzarone leads the staff with a 1.97 ERA. Lyndsey Grein leads the staff with seven wins while Mazzarone and Emma Lemley each have six.

Something has to give this weekend

It’s going to be strength vs. strength this weekend in Durham between Virginia Tech and Duke. This is the first big weekend series for the Hokies as their three sweeps have come against Notre Dame, Louisville, and Pittsburgh. Now they get one of the top teams in the conference in the road and like last weekend in Alabama, it’s a good test to close out the month of March.