As an elite ace pitcher, you want to be the top dog. That is the nature of being the ace on a staff. In both baseball and softball this is the case. It is very difficult to play second fiddle if you are an ace your mentality is to be on that mound and leading your team to victory. Eberle, Rosenberry, and others left for the SEC and Big 12. There are probably more that I don't know of, but both these pitchers left for top notch programs and excelled. I'm not sure what transpired on the bench or in the bullpen, but there was obviously a funk that was bringing down the entire team. Over the last several years, there always seems to be something going on with the team toward the end of the year. It's tuff playing second fiddle to anyone at any postion, but competition is usually a good thing and is rewarded if you are getting the job done on and off the field. We have a bench full of softball stars that don't get to play that offend and they were used to be their team star in high school and don't understand sometimes that you have to pay your dues, at least that's what we had to do when I was a baseball player in high school. If you had what it took and got the job done, then you usually got the start. If your play suffered the next man up mentality was used. Unfortunely in this day and time, too many baseball and softball, plus other sports think they should be the top dog. There is so much softball talent on our bench, it will be hard to keep every player for next season. I understand where they are coming from though, if you feel that you can start somewhere else, then they should pursue it if they are not getting the playing time they feel they should be getting. Many of those players who have left VT, have gone elsewhere and started on other teams. That's how good of recruiting, mainly Coach Lewis has done. Now with Coach Josh Johnson, he is out hunting for top elite pitchers and is finding some. Good luck to our players, coaches, fans and community in the last games of the regular season and the ACC softball tournament. Let's getter done and be ready for regionals and beyond! Go Lady Hokies Softball Team!