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BLACKSBURG, Va. - As the Virginia Tech softball team begins the 2016 campaign this weekend, here are five key things to note about the season. Head softball coach Scot Thomas breaks down the details.

1. Previewing this season's opponents

The Hokies begin their long-awaited 2016 season this Friday at the USF-Wilson DeMarini Tournament in Tampa, Florida. Tech will face three 2015 NCAA Tournament teams including South Carolina, 2014 and 2015 national champions, Florida and 2015 runner-up, Michigan.

“Our schedule is a tough schedule. It’s a fair schedule. All the competition we’re going to see is going to help prepare us for a tough ACC run. The biggest thing is by the time we play NC State in the first run, we will have seen the best the country has to offer. We will be ready,” Thomas said.

The Hokies turnaround and head to Tallahassee, Florida the following weekend for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge with Michigan and Minnesota followed by the USC-Upstate Tournement before beginning conference play.

“As far as us going out right now, have fun, compete, and minimize mistakes. If we can do those things, we will be successful win or lose,” Thomas said.

2. Young Talent

Of Virginia Tech’s 2016 softball roster, 15 of the 21 members are freshmen or sophomores. With the 15 young athletes, Virginia Tech has the largest number of freshmen and sophomores than any other ACC softball team. The Hokies graduated four starting seniors last May, bringing in seven incoming freshmen this fall as well as red-shirt freshman, Chelsea Whitcomb.

“Our freshman are a larger group but it’s very talented…In the fall, they all stepped up and did a great job. The sophomore class with Breanna [Davenport] back healthy and with Chelsea [Whitcomb] being that age then Caroline [Schoenewald] and Jessie [Mehr] who did a great job have another year behind their backs. It’s a savvy group from a talent standpoint and certainly one we’re going to lean on,” Thomas said.

3. Senior Leadership

This year’s squad features four seniors, including two who redshirted earlier in their careers at Virginia Tech. Katey Smith redshirted for the 2013 season while Kelsey Mericka did so the following year. In addition, pitcher Maggie Tyler and infielder Kiara Ota add value to the Hokies’ maturity with three years of experience coming into the season.

“I’ve said it all along. Katey [Smith] is a very mature fifth-year and certainly Kelsey [Mericka] is too with two engineering students who are academically-sound and have a greater vision of what they’re doing and where they are in life. That’s not to knockoff anything Maggie [Tyler] and Kiara [Ota] do for us. Both of them are able to do the exact same thing. It’s a good group from a leadership standpoint. Obviously we’re leaning on them to deliver on the field as well. If they continue to build on the great things they’ve done the past, we should be great there as well,” Thomas said.

4. Preseason #6 in the ACC

The Hokies softball team was selected to finish sixth in the ACC’s preseason poll as announced by the Atlantic Coast Conference on Monday.

“The ACC right now is pretty wide open. There are more odd question marks than we’ve ever seen. The top six or seven teams are going to be vying for the top four spots. That’s not to say someone below that isn’t going to battle in there as well. It doesn’t surprise me a lot, but preseason polls are just that,” Thomas said.

Florida State was chosen as the preseason favorite to win the ACC this season, earning 99 total points and nine of 11 first place votes. Notre Dame picked up the remaining two votes in their second place spot with Louisville and NC State tied for third and North Carolina in fourth.

“For us with a lot of freshmen and sophomores. Being in the middle of the conference is a very comfortable spot for us. It gives us an opportunity to look for something to achieve higher,” Thomas said.

Tech finished the 2015 season in the seventh spot in the conference standings, falling to North Carolina in the ACC Tournament.

Click here for the ACC’s full release.

5. Checkout these videos

Earlier this week head coach Thomas and red-shirt senior Smith sat down with Hokie Vision to talk about the upcoming season.

Click here for Thomas' preview.

Click here for Smith's Q&A.

Stay tuned to Tech softball as the team travels to Florida on Friday to begin the 2016 season.

For updates on Virginia Tech softball, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_Softball