Virginia Softball Eager For Postseason Opportunity

The Virginia softball program doesn’t have a history filled with postseason opportunities. Outside of the conference tournament, in fact, the Hoos own just one postseason appearance at all. They made their only NCAA Tournament appearance in 2010.

So when a chance to participate in the 2022 National Invitational Softball Championships (NISC) arose? Let’s just say, it didn’t take long for the 2022 team to make a decision.

“We were all in immediately,” UVA junior Katie Goldberg said. “I don’t think there was any second-guessing. Our team knew we wanted to play postseason ball so as soon as Coach Jo brought up the opportunity, everyone was like ‘Alright, yeah, let’s do it, let’s make it work.’ We know it’s a good opportunity to see what we’re working with next year, looking at the team, playing different positions, and getting after postseason ball and the ultimate goal of winning the entire thing.”

The NISC is a Division I postseason tournament that features 12 teams in a double-elimination tournament. Games are held on consecutive days in Fort Collins, Colorado, at TC Colorado Field. That’s located just outside the offices of Triple Crown Sports, which presents the event in partnership with the National Fastpitch Coaches Association . Triple Crown Sports runs both the preseason and postseason WNIT basketball events as well the men’s and women’s Cancun Challenge basketball tournaments in November.

The NISC is equivalent to the WNIT in that sense as it brings in some of the top teams in the nation that did not make the NCAA Tournament field. Teams must have an RPI in the top 100 or having a winning record if its RPI is greater than 100.

Virginia earned the No. 1 seed, followed by Baylor, UNLV, Central Arkansas, George Washington, North Alabama, Rutgers, Stephen F. Austin, Bowling Green, UC San Diego, Tarleton State, and Kansas. The top four seeds open with a bye and begin play on Saturday.

For the Hoos, their tournament action beings on Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. They will face the winner between Stephen F. Austin and Bowling Green, who play on Friday at 8:30 a.m. The other teams in this part of the field include George Washington and Kansas, who play at 11 a.m. on Friday to try to advance to face Central Arkansas on Saturday at 11 a.m. All games will be streamed on FloSoftball.

UVA played in four tournaments early in the season, but Virginia coach Joanna Hardin is eager to see her team in this postseason format.

“I’m so excited,” Hardin said. “This is the team of the future. This is the team that’s going to be playing together. These are just amazing opportunities and at-bats. Win or go home. Your back’s against the wall every single game. Even in the winner’s bracket, one loss puts you down in the loser’s bracket and you’ve got to fight your way out. They’ve played in these types of tournaments growing up in travel ball … but it’s a little bit different when it’s your first time as a college team, for our program, but also as this unit working together. So I am so excited.”

Some of the season’s key contributors are likely to be central figures in Fort Collins as well. Goldberg and freshman Sarah Coon, who earned a spot on the All-ACC Freshman team, each drove in 32 RBIs. Goldberg’s 10 home runs were just one shy of the team lead. Sophomore Leah Boggs led the team with 44 hits and a .293 batting average. She struck out just 18 times this season and stole 8 bases in 11 attempts. Boggs also tied for the ACC lead with 15 players caught stealing from her catcher’s spot.

In the pitching circle, Virginia sophomore Mikayla Houge and junior Molly Grube each pitched in most of the games down the stretch. Houge has soaked up 94 innings of work this season with a 3.57 ERA, while Grube has tossed 45 innings with a 4.98 ERA. Sophomore Madison Harris posted 6 saves this season, while Houge had 2 to go with a 9-5 record overall. Junior Mackenzie Wooten owns a 4-1 record this season, including a game two win at Louisville in the final regular season series. She has a 2.35 ERA.

Those players and more helped the Hoos finish above .500 in the ACC at 13-11. They had an 11-3 record at neutral sites like where this tournament will be played. That’s part of what landed Virginia the No. 1 seed and the team is not taking the opportunity for granted.

“Our team has worked really hard this season and we deserve that No. 1 seed and we deserve to come out here and win this entire thing,” Goldberg said. “The goal is to come home with the trophy. We know what we’re capable of and what we can do as a team so it’s just leaning on one another and just focusing on that goal. Yeah we’re here and this is a really cool trip, but we’re here to win.”

Regardless of how the NISC plays out for the Cavaliers, the 2022 season set the program on a positive trajectory.

This is just the ninth time since the year 2000 that the Virginia program posted a winning record. They own a 27-24 record entering the event, guaranteeing a winning record for the first time since the 2012 club finished 26-25. The 27 wins represent the most since the 2010 team went 34-23 and made the program’s only NCAA Tournament appearance.

Still, the Hoos are not as focused on the progress right now as much as the postseason. They want to add some more wins to the total.

“There’s this fine balance of patting yourself on the back and embracing these changes and these experiences and also looking forward,” Hardin said. “We’ve been building t this for a long time so I in general am not a celebrator, I’m not one who sits and smells the roses. I’m like what’s next, let’s go, go, go. So I’ve had to just enjoy it, enjoy the ride, enjoy the journey. … The thing for us is enjoying it, enjoying the experience, but getting out and getting after it. We’re here to win it. We’re here to come home with the trophy. That’s the goal.”