Late Season Surge Propels Softball Into ACC Tournament

After Notre Dame completed a sweep of the Boston College softball team on April 12, the Eagles were very much on the outside looking in for a spot in the 8-team ACC softball tournament. But a late season surge reversed the team's fortunes, culminating ina two-game doubleheader sweep on Saturday of a Virginia Tech team that came in to the weekend 33-18 on the year. Saturday's games clinched BC's tournament spot, despite a loss on Sunday to the Hokies to wrap up the regular season.

BC's 27-23 record represents a slight step back from last season when the Eagles went 30-22 in the regular season, but remains a dramatic improvement over the several seasons preceding last year. It's also worth noting that BC had an entire three-game home series against a weak Syracuse team canceled due to the series of February snowstorms. (Thanks, Mother Nature, for messing with our #OrangeEagle chances. In case you're wondering, Syracuse did NOT qualify for the tournament, so the only way softball racks up #OrangeEagle points is if they win the ACC title.) Much like the baseball team, softball's entire season was heavily impacted by the weather and field conditions, with the team only able to play 13 home games on the season.

The ACC softball tournament is played in a single-elimination format (which is pretty crazy), and the bracket is viewable here. Boston College will face top-ranked powerhouse Florida State in the tournament opener on Thursday morning at 11 AM, with the game airing on ACC regional sports networks (either NESN or NESN+ in New England) and ESPN3. The tournament is being held on Virginia Tech's campus in Blacksburg.