Marty Gordon
One of the top available softball pitchers in the transfer portal has announced plans to attend Radford University.
Abby Peace said on Twitter this past week she would transfer from WVU Potomac State College.
In one season at the Keyser West Virginia, she earned third-team All-America honors for the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II. In 29 games, Peace pitched 152.2 innings and had a 22-2 record (tied for eighth in NJCAA Division II in wins), 1.33 ERA (fifth nationally), 22 complete games, two saves, 270 strikeouts (third nationally, 12.38 per seven innings).
Peace also excelled at the plate in leading the Catamounts to a 43-5 record and a berth in the NJCAA DII College World Series, hitting18 home runs, 60 RBIs, a .340 batting average and a .745 slugging percentage.
Peace will be a sophomore for Radford, which went 16-34 overall and 5-16 in the Big South last year.
This transfer news comes just days after Radford University lost one of its best softball players to cross the river rival Virginia Tech.
The Virginia Tech softball team and head coach Pete D’Amour announced the addition Cori McMillan to the 2023-24 squad on Monday. McMillan joins the Hokies as a transfer from Radford after playing two seasons with the Highlanders.
During her time at Radford, McMillan posted a .345 career average, tallying 102 hits, including 22 doubles and 17 home runs. She had 59 RBI for the Highlanders, with a .611 slugging percentage, .391 on base percentage, adding 31 stolen bases.
McMillan had a standout freshman season in 2022, named an NFCA Top-25 Freshman of the Year Finalist after batting .365 with 14 home runs and 13 doubles to lead the team. In 148 at bats, she posted a .736 slugging percentage, adding 36 RBI, which was another team-high.
McMillan scored 38 runs and also stole 11 bases in her rookie campaign. Defensively, she had 87 assists to lead the team, as well as 70 putouts. In addition to being a Freshman of the Year Finalist, she was named First Team All-Big South, Big South All-Freshman, First Team NFCA Mid-Atlantic Region and VaSID All-State Second Team.
As a sophomore, McMillan continued to lead the Highlanders, ranking in the top three on the team with a .324 batting average with 48 hits, earning All-Big South for the second straight season. She finished the 2023 season with nine doubles, three triples and three home runs, adding 23 RBI and a team-high .486 slugging percentage.
On the base paths, McMillan stole 20 bases on the year and had a .375 on base percentage. Defensively, she recorded 93 assists and 52 putouts on the year at third base.
In the classroom, McMillan is a two-time NFCA Scholar Athlete, as well as a member of the Dean’s List and President’s List at Radford for all four semesters she attended.
Staff reports
