Stanford Softball's ACC Championship Hopes May Hinge on Alyssa Houston

Stanford softball is rolling entering the ACC Softball Championship. Ending the regular season at 36-12 (18-6 ACC) and riding a 14-game winning streak, the vibes are high for the Cardinal as they enter the ACC tournament as the No. 4 seed.

Going into Charlottesville as a true contender, the Cardinal will be looking to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

But winning the ACC tournament will not be easy. Earning a first-round bye as a top four seed, the Cardinal will face the winner of the No. 5 Louisville-No.12 NC State game on Thursday, May 7, hoping to get one step closer to Saturday's championship.

The ACC is loaded conference though, and with several teams in the conference testing Stanford all year long, the Cardinal will need to put their best foot forward. Here are keys to an ACC tournament victory for Stanford.

Will Alyssa Houston Redeem Herself?

The top pitcher for Stanford, finishing the regular season with a 2.31 ERA in 28 appearances, Houston has evolved into one of the top pitchers in college softball, anchoring a Cardinal pitching staff that has been dominant over the last couple of seasons.

While Zoe Prystajko is the main arm for the Cardinal, appearing in 39 games and amassing a team-high 136 1/3 innings with a 2.52 ERA, Houston has been the second in command that provides Prystajko time to rest while also providing solid innings herself.

In her last eight appearances, Houston has continued to impress, going six straight appearances without allowing a run.

However, Houston did struggle at times this season, particularly in the series against Notre Dame and Louisville, taking a loss in the second game of the Louisville series. In two games, she totaled 2 1/3 innings and gave up six earned runs against the Cardinals. Against Notre Dame (No. 8 in tournament) she gave up four earned across 1 2/3 innings.

On the bright side, she pitched well against FSU, going 3 1/3 innings and giving up one earned in two appearances. If Stanford wins their first matchup, then they may very well be in line to face Florida State again on Friday. In order to get that chance, she may have to put in work against Louisville on Thursday, and how she pitches will be crucial to the Cardinal's chances in the tournament.

Kern, Chan, Gall and Jones need to mash

This season the Cardinal have been lead offensively by four players with an OPS above 1.000. Taryn Kern, who is AUSL bound with her golden ticket holds a 1.463, followed by Kyra Chan (1.145), Ava Gall (1.090) and Emily Jones (1.033).

Kern especially has been a major bright spot in the Cardinal's lineup, hitting .388 with 18 home runs and 43 RBI, cementing herself as a top player in all of college softball. While Kern leads the team in home runs, freshman Addyson Sheppard is second on the team with eight, making her yet another bat to keep an eye on.

Gall is another one that has flown under the radar a bit, but her .496 OBP is second to only Kern on the club, and her five home runs are tied with Chan and Joie Economides for third. This team has bats up and down the lineup that can do damage, making them a tough team to face in the ACC tournament.

Stanford's path to the finals is set, with plenty of competition standing in their way. They'll just need the big hit — or pitch — in the game's biggest spots to help them advance.

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