LOS ANGELES - Preparing for its second ever appearance in the NCAA Super Regionals, the No. 21/22 Virginia Tech softball team heads to California for a date with the defending national champions, No. 2/2 UCLA.
The Hokies (36-13) will face the No. 2 nationally-seeded Bruins (44-4) in a best of three series starting Thursday night at 9:30 ET on ESPN. The Hokies are 1-1 all-time against the Bruins but their head coach, Pete D'Amour, has more experience versus the Pac-12 powerhouse. While on staff at Missouri, D'Amour went 1-1 in Super Regionals hosted by UCLA, advancing to the 2009 WCWS after upsetting the No. 2 Bruins.
SUPER REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Game 1 | Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET | at No. 2/2 UCLA | Watch
Game 2 | Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET | at No. 2/2 UCLA | Watch
Game 3 (if necessary) | Saturday at 9:30 p.m. ET | at No. 2/2 UCLA | Watch
WHO TO WATCH
Keely Rochard was named the ACC Pitcher of the Year after a 24-7 regular season with 288 strikeouts and 13 shutouts. The junior was also the lone Hokie named to the ACC All-Tournment Team.
Kelsey Bennett leads the team with 13 home runs on the season and is coming off a regional weekend where she went 9 for 11 with two home runs and four runs batted in in the Hokies' three games in Tempe, Arizona.
LAST TIME OUT
The Hokies advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals for the second time in program history behind Alexa Milius' walk-off, solo home run to beat BYU in the Tempe Regional Final 11-3 in five innings. It was the Hokies' second win over BYU of the weekend after defeating the Cougars 5-2 in Game 1 of the regional. Tech went undefeated at an NCAA Regional for the first time in school history as they also beat No. 15 national seed Arizona State 8-2 in the 1-0 game.
SCOUTING UCLA
Record: 44-4 (19-2 Pac-12)
Head coach: Kelly Inouye-Perez (669-177-1, 15th season)
All-time series: Tied 1-1
UCLA is the defending national champions after winning the 2019 Women's College World Series. This year, the Bruins are the No. 2 national seed in the tournament and are the reigning Pac-12 champions.
