As part of our in-depth preseason college softball coverage, today we dive into the ACC and forecast what could be in store for the league during the 2023 season.
For our remaining Conference Forecasts in 2023, we’ve also added a team-by-team breakdown and analysis of every program in the conference. Check that out in Section XI below.
1. Conference Breakdown
Virginia Tech won the ACC’s regular season crown a year ago, but Florida State pulled away in the conference tournament. The two teams went on to earn the #3 and #2 overall seeds in the NCAA tournament, respectively.
The ACC was the only Power 5 conference not to be affected by this year’s conference realignment, either in actual movement or announcement form. The league’s 13-team softball offering remains intact.
Among those thirteen programs that compete in the ACC are Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, NC State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia, and Virginia Tech.
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II. Award Predictions
Player of the Year: Emma Ritter, Virginia Tech
Pitcher of the Year: Kathryn Sandercock, Florida State
Coach of the Year: Lonni Alameda, Florida State
Conference Champions: Florida State Seminoles