Villanova softball stands atop the Big East leaderboard at the end of the regular season for the first time in program history, but head coach Bridget Orchard and the ‘Cats have their eyes on the postseason.
After claiming last weekend’s series against UConn 2–1, the Wildcats (27–20 overall, 18–3 conference) are poised to make a run at the Big East Championship.
“Our goal was to get the number one seed,” Orchard said. “The regular season title is nice, but doesn’t really mean a whole lot. We try not to celebrate too much and we know that the tournament is a big deal. [We are] definitely excited about it.”
Villanova has just one home series left, against Butler on May 3–5, before the conference tournament begins on May 8. The Wildcats must win the Big East Championship to move onto the NCAA Tournament later in the month.
Sealing the Big East Championship is an especially meaningful objective for the Wildcats as back-to-back champions in 2021 and 2022. Seton Hall robbed Villanova of a third consecutive title in 2023, winning, 6–1, in the final last May.
“We’re not forgiving the loss but using it as fuel to get us back,” Orchard said in February. “[The players] have super high expectations and I think the fact that we lost last year is motivating them.”
The Wildcats came out full-force in their bid for vengeance against the Pirates. Villanova swept Seton Hall in the Big East home opener in early March, only allowing five runs across the three games.
Villanova quickly became a formidable team in the conference, working up to a 9–0 streak with sweeps of No. 6 Providence and No. 8 Georgetown. No. 2 Creighton was the only Big East team to take two wins from Villanova on April 5–6.
Much of the Wildcats’ strength in Big East play can be attributed to the challenge of its competitive non-conference schedule early in the season. In February, Villanova traveled for the Buzz Classic and Duke Invitational, taking on nationally-ranked opponents including No. 6 Duke and No. 11 Alabama. The ‘Cats suffered hard losses but showed their capacity to compete at the highest level.
Defense has been the backbone of Villanova’s success, with senior pitchers Caroline Pellicano and Alyssa Seidler leading from the circle.
Pellicano had a phenomenal weekend that earned her a spot on the Big East Weekly Honor Roll. She tied the Villanova record for career saves, marking her seventh in the 3–1 win over UConn on April 27.
On the offensive side, five Wildcats have a batting average higher than .300, with sophomore second baseman Lilly St. Jean batting .352. Redshirt junior utility Brooklyn Ostrowski leads the team with 11 home runs.
While both Creighton and UConn can be expected to bring intense competition in the playoffs, one of Orchard’s biggest expectations is facing the defending champion.
“[Seton Hall] is going to be somebody that is really tough, but we swept them during the regular season,” Orchard said. “They are going to be out to get us. We have a lot of good rivalries with these [Big East] teams.”
As the No. 1 seed, Villanova will receive a bye in the first round of the Big East Championship tournament. The Wildcats will then travel to Providence, RI for their first game on Thursday, May 9.
