She was also named the 2021 ACC Pitcher of the Year. Rochard was named the third All-American in program history in 2021 and the second First Team member. The senior pitcher is the first Hokie drafted professionally since Courtney Liddle was drafted in 2013 in the NPF Draft. Rochard was the second overall pick in the draft. Win or lose this will be an amazing building block for this young team.NEW YORK CITY – Keely Rochard has been selected as one of 13 total athletes in the Athletes Unlimited Softball Draft, taking place at the ESPNW Summit. As I mentioned earlier, this team is very business like and are as competitive as they come. I don't expect the Hokies to roll over though. #KEELY ROCHARD SOFTBALL SERIES#I expect a low scoring series with the edge going towards UCLA as their strength, pitching, tends to be our kryptonite from time to time. Coach D'Amour and his team are very good at manufacturing runs no matter the circumstances with only a few exceptions throughout the season. I expect Coach D'Amour to have his players approaching the plate with an aggressive mentality and attacking pitches they feel they can hit and doing everything he can to move those runners around into scoring position. The Hokies will face the best pitching staff in the Pac 12, and likely the best one in the country this weekend. Working the outside of the plate, a pitch the Hokies have struggle with throughout the season, and absolutely buckling them with the changeup - all series long. In the only series the Hokies lost all season (one where they were swept), Notre Dame executed from the circle perfectly. However, if there is a weakness that can be exploited with this young Hokies squad it is the inconsistencies at the plate when facing good pitching. When the bats are hot this is a really fun team to watch! There really isn't a glaring weak spot anywhere in the lineup. The Hokies look to get on base and move those runners around in aggressive fashion never relenting at putting pressure on both the pitcher and the defense. Sophomore speedster and JMU transfer Kelsey Brown sets the tone with her expertise a the plate and on the base paths. 6 different players throughout the entire lineup, including DH Grace Chavez hit HRs.īut this team isn't just about power. Her performance likely overshadowed a dizzying array of fireworks from the Lady Hokies bats throughout the three games in Tempe. This all coming off a great finish to the regular season. In her three games in the Tempe Regional she went 9/10 with 4 RBIs and 3 HRs. On offense there isn't anyone hotter in the country right now than sophomore Kelsey Bennett. Both Rochard and the Hokies defense will need to be extra sharp in this series to minimize damage that the Bruins appear to do once on base. Good for 2nd in the Pac12), and appear to be good at getting those runs across the plate (4th in the Pac 12 in runs scored). When the Bruins do get on base they appear to be aggressive (64 stolen bases on the season. 419, but they also lead the conference in strikeouts. UCLA is 3rd or 4th in the Pac 12 in just about every offensive category with the exception of two. I don't know a ton about this UCLA team, but the stats do tell us a little. What the Hokies will see when they are on defense is a bit of a mystery to me. To be sure, Rochard appreciates the work of the defense as much as the defense appreciates the work of Rochard. Which pairs well with the Hokies superb first basemen from Scott Depot WVa., Jayme BaileyĪs mentioned a moment ago, there is a ton of speed in the outfield with each player having a capable arm meaning that extra bases are difficult to come by against this Hokies team. She and Kelsey Bennett really do a tremendous job locking down that side of the infield Star freshman Cameron Fagan has been back from injury for a few weeks and seems to be getting her legs under her defensively. I look for her to have success against this Bruins team.īehind Rochard is a very solid defensive unit on the infield with tons of speed in the outfield. Rochard also has, when her stuff is on, a sweet little off speed pitch that slows down considerably (in the low to mid 50's) that drops to the inside of RH batters. UCLA will see Rochard try to work the edges of the zone early and try to finish with a multi-level rise ball that power hitters especially cannot seem to lay off of. She really is a dominant force in the circle no doubt. She led the conference with 326 strikeouts, good for 10 per game (also tops in the conference) and was third in the ACC with an ERA of 1.24. I've never seen her rattled, and its her coolness that sets the tone for a very business like Hokies softball team. Rochard is a poised veteran who is always in control she's cool, calm and collected. pitcher and ACC pitcher of the year Keely Rochard.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |