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Quickly …
Opponent: RV Louisville (22-9; 11-1 ACC)
Times: Friday, 7 PM; Saturday, Noon (DH)
Location: Tech Softball Park in Blacksburg, Va.
Broadcast: ESPN3 (Game 1, Game 2, Game 3)
Announcers: Danny Nokes, Al Brauns, Hannah Martin
Live Stats: Available on hokiesports.com/softball/live
In-Game Updates: @VT_Softball on Twitter

This Weekend’s Headlines
• Virginia Tech enters this weekend at 25-9 overall, but just 3-8 in the ACC. The Hokies enter the series on a six-game conference losing streak after getting swept at home by No. 10 Florida State and then getting swept at Notre Dame the past two weekends.

• Kelsey Mericka has 12 home runs on the season and is chasing the school record of 16 set by Megan Evans in 2005.

• Senior Lauren Gaskill, who already holds the school record for career runs scored with 167, has started all 215 games Tech has played in her four-year career.

• Virginia Tech is ranked 41st in the second NCAA RPI with just one top-50 win (James Madison). Louisville is 49th in the RPI.

Going, Going, Gone
• Virginia Tech is among the nation’s leaders in home runs with 43 and is second the ACC. The Hokies hit 59 home runs last year to set a new school record and are on pace to break that record this year. The Hokies feature a lineup where 11 players have at least one home run on the season. Eight players have three home runs or more, three of whom have five or more. Kelsey Mericka leads the way with 12, which is second the ACC.

About Louisville
• Conference newcomer Louisville is 22-9 overall, but is tied for first in the ACC with an 11-1 conference mark. The Cardinals have swept Virginia, Georgia Tech and Syracuse and took two of three from hard-hitting North Carolina.

• The Cardinals feature a high-octane offense that hits .349 and is led by three starters hitting over .400: Kelsi Jones (.446), Maryssa Becker (.404) and Jordan McNary (.403). Eight other batters are hitting .300 or higher for the season for a lineup with 30 home runs, 65 doubles, six triples and 114 walks.

• Louisville uses three pitchers extensively: Shelby McComb (8-2, 2.90 ERA, 70.0 IP, 47 K), Becker (8-3, 3.00 ERA, 86.1 IP, 83 K) and Madi Norman (6-4, 3.90 ERA, 46.2 IP, 25 K).

• Tech and Louisville have a short history that dates back to 2006. The two have played three times and all three times came in NCAA Regional play in Knoxville, Tennessee. In 2006, the two met twice, splitting a pair of games. The Hokies won the first game 1-0 in 12 innings on a walk-off single from Callie Rhodes, but came back and lost to the Cards 10-1 in five innings in an elimination game. In 2008, the Hokies beat UL 1-0 in 10 innings on a walk-off home run from Misty Hall en route to winning the regional.

For updates on Virginia Tech softball, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_Softball