Three Thoughts for Virginia Tech Softball Entering Baton Rouge Regional

Virginia Tech softball is two days away from the Baton Rouge Regional, where it opens play with South Alabama on Friday, May 15, at 4 p.m. ET (TV: ESPN+). Ahead of the clash, here's

𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 NCAA Regional appearance‼️#Hokies pic.twitter.com/VL2ppWjjxw
— Virginia Tech Softball (@HokiesSoftball) May 10, 2026

No. 1: Pitching will come at a premium, and Virginia Tech is well-positioned.

"Pitching's the name of the game" was head coach Pete D'Amour's answer when asked about postseason play during the team's Selection Sunday watchparty. For the Hokies, they've relied on a 1-2 punch of junior Emma Mazzarone and redshirt freshman Bree Carrico, with Avery Layton operating as a third option.

Mazzarone has operated with speed all year, throwing a dropball that tops out at 73 mph while pairing that with a high-50s changeup. She's struggled with control at points throughout the season, yielding 90 walks, but when on, few pitchers can duel against the left-hander. This year, Mazzarone holds a 16-5 record with a 2.91 ERA and 168 strikeouts entering regional play.

Then, there's Carrico, who thrives off the off-speed. This year, she's thrown a team-best — and ACC-leading — 1.63 ERA (min. 10 IP), yielding only 25 earned runs in 107.1 innings, racking up 121 strikeouts.

At the ACC Tournament — a tournament that fits the mold of regionals, since teams enter the tourney not knowing what team is next on the horizon in the event of a victory — both pitchers were superb. Mazzarone threw a career-high 14 strikeouts in Virginia Tech's 3-1 quarterfinals victory over Virginia, while Carrico tossed 5.2 scoreless frames in the Hokies' 5-0 semifinal shutout of Duke.

Heading into the NCAA Tournament, Virginia Tech’s pitching staff appears to be in a stable spot, with at least three arms capable of taking the circle at different points throughout the weekend.

No. 2: Virginia Tech's first opponent in the NCAA Tournament is an all-righty pitching staff, while LSU — the likely matchup in an event of a victory — is headlined by a lefty.

All six of the Jaguars’ arms — senior Tori Miller, sophomores Sydney Scapin and Ella Ussery, juniors Ryley Harrison and Caiilyn Heyl, and senior Olivia Cato — are right-handed, meaning Virginia Tech will not have to adjust to a change in handedness, though varying pitch mixes and styles could still present different looks throughout the weekend.

Several of the Hokies' players hit better against left-handed pitchers as opposed to right-handers. For example, left fielder Nora Abromavage is currently hitting at a .400 (10-for-25) clip against left-handed pitchers as opposed to a .348 (35-for-108) clip against righties. The same applies for first baseman Michelle Chatfield (.480 vs. LHP, .373 vs. RHP), center fielder Addison Foster (.517 vs. LHP, .408 vs. RHP), third baseman Jordan Lynch (.481 vs. LHP, .437 vs. RHP) and right fielder Gaby Mizelle (.333 vs. LHP, .311 vs. RHP).

That could work in the Hokies’ favor if they win their opening matchup; LSU ace Jayden Heavener — a left-hander — presents a different look after Virginia Tech faces South Alabama's all right-handed staff. The sophomore owns a 2.88 ERA across 126.1 innings pitched this season.

No. 3: A Super Regional is possible.

As far as regional pairings go, Virginia Tech receives a solid trio in its regional. Akron is making its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, while South Alabama went 32-25 with a 13-11 record in the Sun Belt.

No. 16 national seed LSU shapes up as the Hokies' toughest foe. Virginia Tech took down South Carolina twice in its season opening tournament; LSU won its series over South Carolina, losing the series opener in a 12-inning affair, 6-5, before bouncing back with 5-1 and 2-1 victories to claim the series.

LSU also closed the regular season with a sweep of Auburn, highlighted by a 25-0 run-rule victory in the middle game of the series. The Tigers, however, were eliminated by Georgia in the second round of the SEC Tournament on May 6, falling 7-3. Virginia Tech, meanwhile, swept a two-game set against Georgia earlier in the season on Feb. 21-22, winning both contests by 9-3 margins.

While the Hokies are far from a lock to reach a Super Regional, the path in front of them is favorable, and a potential game two matchup with LSU projects as a relatively even showdown.

Add us as a preferred source on Google