Virginia Tech Softball: Preview for Game One of Tuscaloosa Regional

Opening up the Tuscaloosa Region matchups will be between the No.2 Virginia Tech Hokies (41-11, 18-6 ACC) against the conference champs of the Missouri Valley, the No.3 Belmont Bruins (40-14, 20-7).

It will be a tough task for the Bruins to go against a power-four school in their first game of their first NCAA championship appearance.

Redshirt junior Maya Johnson has been a dominant part of Belmont's defense and success all season, showcasing her talent in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, in which she tossed back-to-back complete games to punch Belmont's ticket to the big stage.

Tech has a phenomenal ace in the circle as well, Emma Lemley, who, along with Johnson--are tied for the most no-hitters in softball this season, with four. Along with both being in the top three for active career strikeouts. Johnson is also the NCAA leader in strikeouts this season with 355.

While the Bruins heavily rely on Johnson to alleviate the pressure off the offense, Tech can enter any game prepared for a shootout with its offense if the pitching is down.

The Hokies are known for their offensive prowess, nationally ranking second in home runs per game and fifth in team slugging percentage. The attack at the plate will prove Johnson's role to be even more difficult, having yet to face a top-25 team this season--not pitching in Belmont's contest against the ranked Oregon Ducks.

Leading the team, both figuratively and literally by batting leadoff, Cori McMillan was the ACC Player of the Year and is currently a top-10 finalist for USA Softball's Player of the Year award.

McMillan at the plate slashed .452/.566/1.096 with 30 home runs while appearing in every game for Tech.

Lemley and McMillan were both selected in the opening round of the inaugural AUSL draft on May 3rd, with the season starting this June, after the College Softball World Series wraps up.

With both teams looking to stay atop the winner's bracket, this game could ultimately end up boiling down to who can get the elusive first run, which could come very fast for the Hokies with McMillan in the leadoff spot. This season, if Tech has scored in the first inning of a game, the Hokies have gone on to win each of those contests--a perfect 24-0.

Tech is also 36-2 if they tack on the first score of the game, further cementing how crucial the first run of any contest is.

The opening game of the regional competition can prove to be the most important to win. Without winning game one, if a team wishes to make Supers--they would then need to win four straight games with their backs against the wall.

Being the fifteenth overall regional, the level of play is closer than in a regional such as the College Station Regional. With two conference champions and two squads earning at-large bids with impressive RPIs, this will be one of the more exciting regionals of the weekend.

Tech head coach Pete D'Amour, a savvy mind, has set up his squad with many scenarios to replicate regional play all season. Even including taking his team down to T-Town earlier in the season for a two-game series against the Crimson Tide--which could potentially set up a third game between these two in the regional.

In game one of this series, Lemley pitched her way into a low-scoring victory, 2-1. Before in-game two, Alabama adjusted and beat the Hokies 9-1 to even up the series and send Tech on its way.

Consistency will be needed for any team to advance into Super Regionals--with a bare minimum of three wins in a row needed to advance. Especially with softball being a game of inches, with any team having the potential to beat any other team on any given day.

The victorious team standing atop of the Tuscaloosa Regional will have a Super Regional matchup with the victor from the Norman Regional.

The Hokies and Bruins will open the Tuscaloosa Regional with a 3:30 p.m. EST first pitch. Coverage will be available on ESPN+ and the ACC Network.

NCAA Baseball Field of 64 Projections: The Virginia Tech Hokies are out of contention

Virginia Tech Softball: Meet the Hokies' Opponents in the 2025 Tuscaloosa Regional