Two years ago, Cori McMillan was playing softball for Radford University.
On Wednesday, she was named the ACC player of the year.
McMillan, in her second season with Virginia Tech after transferring from Radford, became the first Hokie to earn ACC softball player of the year honors since former Tech ace Angela Tincher in 2006.
鈥淪he had really lofty goals this year, so she worked harder than she did last year,鈥 Tech coach Pete D鈥橝mour said of McMillan in a phone interview. 鈥淭he time that you practice, you have to maximize that. She did that. And then you see her in the indoor (facility) on her own or with partners and she鈥檚 hitting extra, too.鈥
Seven Hokies and three Virginia players made the All-ACC first, second or third team Wednesday in voting by the league鈥檚 coaches.
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McMillan, a senior right fielder, leads the nation with 29 homers.
This is the second straight year that McMillan has broken the Tech single-season mark for homers. She belted 21 last year.
What has enabled her to hit even more homers this year?
鈥淢y coaching staff, they put all the confidence in the world in me and they do great things with my swing,鈥 she said after Tech鈥檚 win Sunday.
McMillan is batting .454, up from .379 last year. She has 10 doubles, 59 RBIs, 70 runs scored and 14 stolen bases for the third-place Hokies (40-10, 18-6).
McMillan was chosen in the first round of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League draft.
鈥淜nowing that my career can start at a mid-major and 鈥 I have a coaching staff now that trusts me and works with me enough to get me to the point where I can get drafted is just such a surreal feeling,鈥 she said.
McMillan made the All-ACC first team for the second straight year.
Tech first baseman Michelle Chatfield also made the first team Wednesday. The sophomore is batting .382, up from .275 last year. She has 15 homers and 51 RBIs.
鈥淟ast year towards the middle of the year a lot of things got fast for her, and I鈥檓 not just talking about softball. Academics, it was a load on her,鈥 D鈥橝mour said. 鈥淭his year she鈥檚 able to compartmentalize a little bit better.鈥
UVa鈥檚 Jade Hylton and Eden Bigham made the first team for the second straight year.
Hylton, a Bassett graduate, entered Wednesday batting .375 鈥 up from .335 last year. The junior shortstop has 46 RBIs and a school-record 17 homers.
鈥淪he鈥檚 never satisfied with any performance, so she鈥檚 hungry to grow and get better,鈥 UVa coach Joanna Hardin said in a phone interview. 鈥淪he鈥檚 going to leave no stone unturned and be really diligent in bettering herself.鈥
Hylton already owns the UVa career mark for homers with 41.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no moment that鈥檚 too big for her,鈥 Hardin said.
She has walked 32 times this year.
鈥淗er and Jeff (Tylka), our hitting coach, have been working really hard together to ensure that she鈥檚 disciplined at the plate and taking her walks,鈥 Hardin said. 鈥淪he gets walked a lot more now because of 鈥 what she鈥檚 done.鈥
Bigham, a junior, entered Wednesday with a 16-8 record. She has a 2.08 ERA and 117 strikeouts in 131 innings.
鈥淪he developed more tools in her tool kit in the circle,鈥 Hardin said. 鈥淲e talked to her 鈥 when she was throwing at Rustburg (High) 鈥 鈥榃e鈥檙e going to have to develop a change-up.鈥 She鈥檚 (now) really consistent with that. It鈥檚 a high swing-and-miss pitch for her. 鈥 They can鈥檛 sit on one speed and one spot.
鈥淎nd this year she鈥檚 developed a dropball, so she鈥檚 able to throw to all four quadrants with movement 鈥 and mix in the off-speed.鈥
Virginia Tech junior Kylie Aldridge made the All-ACC second team at catcher, although she has also seen action as the designated player. She is batting .352, up from .283 last year.
鈥淰ery, very hard worker,鈥 D鈥橝mour said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 taking extra reps all the time.鈥
UVa sophomore first baseman Macee Eaton also made the second team. She is hitting .340, up from .211 last year. She has 11 homers and 57 RBIs.
鈥淢acee just believes she鈥檚 a great hitter,鈥 Hardin said. 鈥淪he knows she鈥檚 capable and she goes to a different level when the lights are on. 鈥 When we need her to come through, she comes through a lot.鈥
The third team included Tech鈥檚 Jordan Lynch, Zoe Yaeger, Emma Lemley and Emma Mazzarone.
Lynch is hitting .366 with seven homers and 38 RBIs. She also made the all-freshman team.
鈥淲hen she came here, she was a mentally strong 鈥 kid with physical ability, so the learning curve for her wasn鈥檛 as big as sometimes it can be for freshmen,鈥 D鈥橝mour said. 鈥淪he doesn鈥檛 let adversity beat her up too much; that鈥檚 hard for a freshman.鈥
Yaeger is batting .324, up from .300 last year. The sophomore catcher has nine homers and 37 RBIs. She is more confident than she was last spring.
鈥淪he鈥檚 a different player (this year) when she gets in the box and when she鈥檚 behind the plate,鈥 D鈥橝mour said. 鈥淭he hard work has let her to be more confident in herself.鈥
Lemley (Jefferson Forest), a senior, is 16-6 with a 2.73 ERA. The first-round draft pick has 174 strikeouts in 141 innings.
鈥淪he has big goals. And when you have goals, you have to work towards them,鈥 D鈥橝mour said. 鈥淪he (has) come in every day and she鈥檚 working hard (at) 鈥 being able to throw different pitches, be more confident in throwing them in different counts so you can鈥檛 just expect the riseball from her.鈥
Mazzarone, a sophomore, is 11-2 with a 3.36 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 81 1/3 innings.
鈥淪he鈥檚 70-72 (mph). She鈥檚 added a change-up this year (and has) a decent riseball,鈥 D鈥橝mour said. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 hard to prepare for her and it鈥檚 hard to get comfortable in the box against her.鈥
Lonni Alameda, who steered Florida State to the ACC regular-season title while batting breast cancer, was voted the coach of the year.
