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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (www.hokiesports.com) - The Virginia Tech softball team (34-18, 9-11) will begin action in the 2013 ACC Softball Tournament hosted by Florida State Thursday morning as the No. 6 seed, taking on third-seeded Maryland (31-25, 13-7) at 11 a.m. at JoAnne Graf Field. The game will be broadcast live on the ACC’s regional sports networks (see below) as well as online on ESPN3 outside of the ACC footprint (blacked out in ACC area).

The two teams squared off in the final weekend of the regular season this past weekend at Tech Softball Park. The Terrapins swept a doubleheader on Saturday before the Hokies downed Maryland, 4-0, on Sunday.

The Hokies are 16-8 all time in the ACC Tournament, as their first appearance dates back to 2005. Tech has advanced to at least the semifinals in six of the eight ACC Tournaments it’s played in, including four championship game appearances. The Hokies have faced Maryland five times in the conference tournament - three times in the first round - and have never lost to the Terrapins.

In the nine ACC Tournaments, the Hokies are 5-0 against Maryland, 3-0 against North Carolina, 3-2 against both Florida State and Virginia, 1-1 against NC State and 1-3 against Georgia Tech. The Hokies have never played Boston College in the ACC Tournament. Three of the four matchups against Georgia Tech have come in the finals, including last year in Chapel Hill.

The last time Tech traveled to Tallahassee for the conference tournament, the Hokies captured their first ACC title in 2007, beating Virginia, Florida State, North Carolina and Georgia Tech. The following season, Tech won its second conference title as it faced Maryland in the opening round for the first time.

No host team has won the ACC Championship since Florida State did in 2004. This year, the Seminoles are the top seed on their home field.

All seven tournament games will be broadcast on either ESPN2, ESPN3, or the league’s regional sports networks (RSN). Thursday’s first two games at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. will be carried by both RSN and ESPN3, with the night games at 5 and 7:30 p.m. on ESPN3. Friday’s semifinals will be on RSN at 1 and 3:30 p.m., and the championship on Saturday at 6 p.m. can be seen on ESPN2. Tech’s opener against Maryland will have Leah Secondo and Barbara Jordan on the call.

Tickets are available for $5 for adults and $3 for youth 18 and under for each day. ACC students with a valid school ID get in free. For more information on the 2013 ACC Softball Championship, visit: http://theacc.co/SBChamp.

Below is the full schedule for the tournament:

2013 ACC Softball Championship Schedule

Thursday, May 9
Game 1: #3 Maryland vs. #6 Virginia Tech, 11 a.m., RSN/ESPN3
Game 2: #2 NC State vs. No. 7 Virginia, 1:30 p.m., RSN/ESPN3
Game 3: #1 Florida State vs. #8 Boston College, 5 p.m., ESPN3
Game 4: #4 North Carolina vs. #5 Georgia Tech, 7:30 p.m. ESPN3

Friday, May 10
Game 5: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, 1 p.m., RSN/ESPN3
Game 6: Game 3 Winner, vs. Game 4 Winner, 3:30 p.m., RSN/ESPN3

Saturday, May 11
Game 7: ACC Championship, 6 p.m., ESPN2

RSN Clearances for the 2013 ACC Tournament
Thursday, May 9 – Quarterfinal Games 1 & 2 – 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
• FS South
• FS Florida
• Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic
• NESN
• FS Arizona
• FS North Plus
• FS San Diego
• FS Prime Ticket

Friday, May 10 – Semifinal Games – 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
• FS South
• FS Florida
• Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic
• NESN
• FS Arizona Plus
• FS North Plus
• FS San Diego
• FS Prime Ticket

For updates on Virginia Tech softball, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_Softball).