virginia tech 2022 softball preview

By Colby Talley, Ishan Lamba & Caleb Wetzel

Staff Writers

February 11, 2022

BLACKSBURG -- Virginia Tech begins its 2022 season with a trip down south to play in the Northern Lights Southern Nights event in Florida against Wisconsin, Northwestern, Michigan State, No. 11 Missouri, No. 19 Kentucky. Here’s everything you need to know before Tech takes the field on Friday afternoon.

Key Returners

On June 22, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. Virginia Tech softball fans got the news they had been anxiously waiting for: All-American pitcher Keely Rochard announced she’d return for a final season for the Hokies.

This announcement alone is reason enough for fans to be excited for the season. Rochard was untouchable last season, pitching 72% of the team’s innings and finishing with a 29-10 record with 348 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.38.

But Rochard returning is not the sole reason the Hokies have such high rankings and expectations coming into the 2022 season.

Along with Rochard, the Hokies return an astonishing three more players named to the Preseason All-ACC team in Kelsey Bennett, Kelsey Brown and Cameron Fagan.

Bennett hit a team-leading 13 home runs and tied for the team lead in RBIs (42). Jayme Bailey also will return and is set to make another big impact for the Hokies. They'll fill out the middle of the order and provide a significant power threat as they combined for more than a third of the team’s home runs last season.

Brown, returning for her junior season, provides a speed threat and consistency that any team would want at the top of their order.

She led the team in on-base percentage (.406) last season and finished with the second highest batting average (.384). She stole all 31 bases she attempted last season.

Last season’s team leader in batting average, Cameron Fagan, will be another key returner on offense and defense. She is expected to fill out one of the key infield spots on the left side and provide a huge impact again with her bat.

The Hokies, along with these preseason All-ACC players, also return what made up their entire starting lineup for the majority of last season. Darby Trull, Mackenzie Lawter, Emma Ritter, Alexa Milius and Addy Greene are all back and looking to build off of strong performances the previous seasons.

The Hokies are ranked No. 10 heading into this weekend’s action after finishing last season ranked No. 13 and making it all the way to the Super Regionals. With almost that entire roster returning this season it is safe to say that expectations are high for this team in Blacksburg.

Key Losses

One key departure for the Hokies will have drivers on Beamer Way breathing a sigh of relief.

Cana Davis, often making appearances as the designated player, transferred to Florida Gulf Coast University after graduating from Virginia Tech last spring. She finished with a .300 batting average and six home runs, one of which hit a moving car beyond the left field wall.

Appearing in 36 games last season, it’s a big loss for the Hokies, who often leaned on her reliable hitting in the middle of the lineup.

Aside from Davis, Tech lost some pitching depth from last season in Kaylee Hewitt and Keara Napoli.

Hewitt pitched over 40 innings in the pandemic-shortened season and expected to see her production increase last season, but it fell to just a single relief appearance in February 2021.

Hewitt transferred to UTEP in hopes of propelling the C-USA school into the conversation with Power-5 teams.

Napoli, who did not play in any games last season, graduated from the university and has opted not to use her extra eligibility anywhere else.

Outside of these three exits, Virginia Tech has retained nearly the entire roster from last year, and has added some exciting new pieces that can propel the team to new heights.

Key Transfers/Freshmen

The Hokies brought in a total of seven new freshmen and transfers, but the three who are projected to have the most immediate impact are pitcher Emma Lemley, infielder Ally Repko and utility player Brianna Peck.

Lemley is an intriguing addition to a pitching staff looking for support behind Rochard. Not only did Lemley record a 0.80 ERA in highschool while averaging two strikeouts per inning, but she also recorded a .408 batting average as a hitter. Whether or not head coach Pete D’Amour intends to use her in a two-way role is a mystery, but the potential is certainly there.

Next, Repko transferred to Virginia Tech after serving as a starting infielder for four years at Elon University. During her senior season with the Phoenix, Repko led the team in batting average (.340), slugging percentage (.670), homeruns (9) and RBIs (34) while also earning All-CAA First-Team honors.

While it seems unlikely that Repko will take Cameron Fagan’s spot at shortstop, she could possibly challenge Addy Greene for starts at second base due to her superior offensive numbers.

Finally, the Hokies’ top recruit from the 2021 signing class was Brianna Peck. Coming out of Royersford, Pennsylvania, Peck ranked as the No. 22 player in the 2021 class according to Extra Inning Softball. It’s unlikely that Peck will get a notable amount of playing time due to the talent returning to the roster, but spending a year sitting behind the starters for the current No. 10 in the nation may do her some good in the long run.

Outlook on the season

Caleb Wetzel:

There is absolutely no reason to sell this Virginia Tech team short of anything less than a deep postseason run. It returns the best pitcher in college softball and almost its entire starting lineup, which was dominant top-to-bottom last season.

The Hokies have an extremely difficult non-conference schedule facing multiple ranked opponents, along with many difficult conference games in the ACC. These games will help prepare them for the playoffs and any competition that they will face there.

Keely Rochard is going to have a dominant season with an offense that is going to put up a lot of runs behind her and the Hokies have a great chance at finishing atop the ACC and making a deep run in the postseason.

Ishan Lamba:

Virginia Tech was able to make a run to super regionals and go toe-to-toe with the defending champions, UCLA, because of the chemistry and talent this team has. With nearly the entire roster returning, as well as a few interesting additions, this team seems poised to make a run to the Women’s College World Series this year.

It won’t be easy though.

Tech faces one of the toughest schedules in the NCAA, which includes the likes of Missouri, Kentucky, and Alabama. With their work cut out for them, the Hokies will need to rely on pitching depth to make it further than last season. If other reliable options emerge alongside Rochard, I don’t see why Tech couldn’t make a deep run.

Colby Talley:

The Hokies have front-loaded their schedule with plenty of nationally ranked non-conference opponents. Not only will these games reveal the true quality of the team, but they might also affect their seeding in May.

There is no doubt Virginia Tech will be in the running for the ACC crown, but its performances against the likes of Alabama and Missouri will determine whether or not this team can go higher than a conference title. If the Hokies can hold their own early in the season, then just about anything is possible.