Virginia Tech News: Spring football practices, curious ACC coaching decision, softball sweeps Louisville

It was a busy weekend and coming week in Blacksburg.
Nov 9, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA;  Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Brent Pry and Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney talk before the game at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images
Nov 9, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Brent Pry and Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney talk before the game at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

The Virginia Tech softball team spent the last five days in Kentucky, opening the trip with a 2-0 shutout of Kentucky on Wednesday afternoon with pitcher Emma Lemley firing her fourth no-hitter of the season. That was a quick stop on their way to Louisville for a three-game weekend series with the Cardinals and it turned out to be a perfect weekend.

After taking two games on Friday, then having an off-day on Saturday because of the weather, the Hokies completed the three-game sweep on Sunday using the long-ball for a 12-5 win. The win improves No. 16 Virginia Tech to 23-5 overall and 5-1 in the ACC.

Virginia Tech scored early and often against Louisville with Cori McMillan leading off the game with a solo home run, followed by Michelle Chatfield for a 2-0 lead two batters into the game. Chatfield launched her second homer of the game in the third and a two-run shot from Jordan Lynch and a solo blast from Kylie Aldridge made it 6-0. The Hokies never looked back.

Emma Mazzarone worked the first four innings giving up three runs, three hits and striking out seven before giving way to Lemley who closed out the final three innings allowing two runs and striking out six. The Hokies will host Longwood on Wednesday for a doubleheader before taking some time off and not returning to the field until a three-game weekend series in Blacksburg against Stanford on the weekend of March 28.

Spring football spring practices begin Wednesday

As we enter the middle of March and the men's and women's NCAA Basketball Tournaments get going this week, so do the spring football practices for Virginia Tech. The Hokies will officially kick off camp Wednesday with the annual Spring Game on April 13 at Lane Stadium.

Clemson not to broadcast Spring Game

A couple of weeks after Clemson coach Dabo Swinney called out schools for canceling their Spring Game, the Tigers head coach had a curious decision about their game this spring.

“We’re going to have a spring game,'' Swinney said. "Whether you have a spring game or not, it’s going to be tampering. Ain’t nobody going to go look at the spring game, go, ‘Oh yeah, boy.'"

Clemson announced that they were not going to broadcast their Spring Game this season, which seems like an odd decision after Swinney's comments a couple of weeks ago.

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