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BLACKSBURG (hokiesports.com) - The Virginia Tech softball team will kick off its 2013-14 season on Sunday with an exhibition doubleheader against King University of Tennessee starting at 1 p.m. at Tech Softball Park. The games will be the first of eight non-traditional (exhibition) games for the Hokies this fall. Tech will also play four games the following weekend at the Botetourt Sports Complex and will wrap up action on Oct. 13 at home against Richard Bland College and West Virginia Wesleyan.

Tech will be breaking in some new faces this fall as they have to replace four senior starters who helped lead the program to back-to-back NCAA appearances. Newcomers Cailey Isaacs, Toni Erwin, Vanessa Gonzalez, Elizabeth Birle, Aysha Richardson and Alyssa Clark will all see their first action in the maroon and orange and Katey Smith and Kelsey Mericka will return after missing either most or all of the season due to injury.

The Hokies welcome back three pitchers who have seen extensive action in their careers in Kelly Heinz, Maggie Tyler and Bailey Liddle. The trio is coached by new pitching coach Angela Tincher O’Brien.

Starters Amanda Ake, Lauren Gaskill, Kat Banks, Kylie McGoldrick, Dani Anderson and Logan Spaw all return as do key reserves Laura Wolff, Nina Compton, Jessica McNamara, Kiara Ota and Alex Barnes.

Tech begins the 2014 season in February, opening the campaign in Nashville at Lipscomb University. You can view the complete fall and spring schedule here.

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