To say that Virginia Tech alums Kylie Aldridge, Cori McMillan and Bre Peck are enjoying their time in the Professional Softball League (PSL) would be an understatement.
Aldridge and McMillan play for the Kansas City Diamonds, while Peck suits up for the Florida Vibe.
“It’s great, it’s a lot of fun,” McMillan told Tech Sideline. “I try not to take it too seriously because this game can be hard sometimes, but it’s really fun to get to play with Kylie and to play against Bre.”
“It has been so much fun,” Peck added. “All the players are amazing. It’s awesome playing against Cori and Kylie. Sometimes we get to hang out at the hotel and dorms after the game, and it feels like home.”
All three players had outstanding careers in Blacksburg and left the Hokies with career batting averages over .300. Peck and McMillan also rank first and second on Tech’s all-time home run list.
Not surprisingly, all three are hitting well in the PSL, with Aldridge and McMillan ranking in the top three in the league in hits and in the top seven in RBI. McMillan has a unique distinction of leading the league in stolen bases (9), and is also tied for second in the league in home runs (6).
Diamond coach Thomas Macera has been impressed with his two Hokies.
“They are big pieces of the puzzle,” Macera said. “They contribute every day, and it’s great to have them here.”
Aldridge and McMillan typically bat first and second in the Diamond order. Last week, they reverted to their Hokie playbook to score two runs.With Aldridge on third base and McMillan on first, Aldridge signaled to McMillan to run Tech’s “pickle play.” McMillan broke for second but stopped halfway, allowing Aldridge to dash home. It worked to perfection against both the Florida Breeze on Wednesday and the Vibe on Saturday.
However, they both have respected Peck’s arm when she is patrolling right field for the Vibe.
When Macera questioned Aldridge on why she stopped at second on a single by McMillan on Thursday night, she replied, “Because Bre Peck is playing right field. She has a cannon for an arm and would have nailed me at third.”
Vibe head coach Mike White is pleased to have Peck on his squad.
“Bre has exceeded my expectations,” White said. “First, she is an amazing young lady. Secondly, she is really versatile. I had seen her play outfield, but I discovered she can play anywhere — first base, third base, anywhere. She is an amazing individual. I have nothing but accolades for her.”
The three former Hokies took different paths to arrive in the PSL. Peck completed an online interest form, and White instantly reached out to her.
“Being from South Carolina, we immediately knew who Bre was,” White said. “So, we immediately made a phone call, and we are blessed that she said yes.”
McMillan was recruited by former James Madison and Auburn head coach Mickey Dean, who visited Blacksburg to convince the North Carolina native to come and play for Kansas City.
And when the Diamonds needed a catcher early in the season, McMillan nominated Aldridge. She quickly made a splash, getting a pinch-hit single in her first game and then going 3-for-3 when starting the next night at first base.
“It’s not something I thought I would get to do, so when the opportunity fell into my lap, I had to take advantage of it,” Aldridge said. “I had to trust Cori and the process of getting out here, but now that I’m here, I really love it. I’m having fun. I have awesome teammates.”
The Diamonds own the head-to-head series with the Vibe 4-3 this year, but they’ll meet again July 19-21 in Kansas City. The inaugural PSL season will conclude August 5-8, with the league championship in Birmingham, Ala.
All three players have post-graduation plans for the fall lined up. Peck plans to work on her physical education certificate, McMillan has her eye on PA school and Aldridge will return to Blacksburg to serve as a graduate assistant for the Hokies while working on her master’s degree.