Collegiate Times

Freshman Abbie Rexrode prepares to deliver a pitch in a fall exhibition.

The Virginia Tech softball team's 2008 season was magical -- a 49-19 regular season concluded with a second-straight Atlantic Coast Conference title as well as a run to the Women's College World Series, the first in the program's history.

This year, the team has a much different face.

Gone is prolific and nationally acclaimed pitcher Angela Tincher along with power-hitting shortstop Misty Hall and Tincher's battery-mate, catcher Kelsey Hoffman. All three graduated last spring and leave big holes to be filled at their respective positions.

Pitching, in particular, is the Hokies' most-pressing concern entering the 2009 campaign. Junior Heather Lowry, the only returning pitcher to sport a winning record for Tech in 2008, will miss the entire season rehabbing from Tommy John -- or UCL reconstruction -- surgery.

Tech's only other returning pitcher, sophomore Kenzie Roark, has impressed head coach Scot Thomas in the off-season, and the team will rely on her heavily. Freshman Abbie Rexrode is also expected to be put into the mix immediately. Classmate Kristen Graham is currently rehabbing and will be out for at least the first half of the regular year.

The team does, however, sport two new coaching additions that will help to raise the fairly inexperienced pitching staff. Barb Sherwood is the new pitching coach after having spent last season with Florida State.

"She gives us a quality assistant and has done a great job with the pitching staff thus far," Thomas said.

And while Tincher's absence from the mound will be hard to ignore at first sight in 2009, the most-decorated female athlete in school history is not completely gone. Tincher will stay on the team as a volunteer assistant.

"You can definitely tell that she influences the other players on the team," said assistant head coach Al Brauns.

Tincher, who was present for most of the off-season, did however sign with a Japanese pro team in the fall and will spend the majority of her spring in the Far East.

"She won't be around as much as we first expected," Thomas said. "She's in Japan for three more weeks before returning to Blacksburg to spend at least a little time with the team."

Despite the concerns with pitching, the Hokies have not dropped far from the rankings as they start their season ranked No. 20 in the nation. The team finished No. 16 in the final polls last season.

But what the team lacks in defense it makes up for in offense.

Leading the Hokies offensively will be senior third baseman Charisse Mariconda who placed sixth in the conference in hitting last season.

Mariconda bettered her sophomore batting average by nearly .100 when she hit .340 last season as a junior. The Hollywood, Fla., native also drew more walks and struck out less in 2008.

"I just got tougher mentally," Mariconda said. "That's what softball is -- a mental game."

Including Mariconda, the Hokies return six seniors -- all positional players who will be assets at the plate. Starting first baseman Beth Walker, shortstop Erin Ota and outfielders Jessica Everhart and Jenna Rhodes will all give their "last hurrahs" in 2009.

The Hokies also welcome five freshmen, including catcher Kelsey Hensel and second baseman Kristen Froehlich who are expected to start.

The team plays its first 24 games on the road, most of which will be played as part of tournaments at moderately warmer locations. In fact, the Hokies do not play at home until March 14 when they open conference play against the NC State Wolfpack.

"We would love to go to Florida each weekend to play in tournaments, but it's just not in our budget," Thomas said. "So we go to Tennessee to begin our season and South Carolina and Georgia a couple of times."

The team begins its campaign to another conference crown this weekend as it travels to Chattanooga to play five games, the first of which will come against Maine slated for a 12:30 p.m. start on Friday.