VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (WTKR)- Virginia Wesleyan has become a nationally-recognized name in Division III softball. Brandon Elliott has guided the Marlins for 17 seasons and elevated the program into a powerhouse.
Elliott picked up career wins number 600 and 601 with Wednesday's double-header sweep of Eastern Mennonite. He now holds a career mark of 601-148-1 at the head of the program. Ask him, and he'll tell you the success is due to the players and coaches around him.
"When the boat sinks, it's the captain," he said. "When the boat's successful it's not and it's the kids. I haven't thrown a pitch, I haven't swung a bat. I think I've lost games, I haven't won games, but super excited for our program to have this and for people to see the sustainability of our success."
"We're super proud of him," added sophomore catcher Olivia Knight. "He doesn't like to take all the credit, but he's a great coach and he's won three national championships. We do give him some credit for that because he's made the team to where we are today."
Virginia Wesleyan has made the NCAA Tournament every season since 2013 (with the exception of the cancelled 2020 campaign). The Marlins claimed national championships in 2017, 2018 and 2021 and have advanced to the Super Regional in each of the last two seasons, where they fell to 757 foe Christopher Newport. The sustained success means that the program enters every game with a target on its back, something the players embrace.
"Coach Elliott says it a lot, but pressure is a privilege," Knight noted. "That's something that we have to sometimes acknowledge, but also we can't let that get to us."
"That's the expectation," Elliott added. "We told this group early on that's the challenge. If you want to come to Virginia Wesleyan the expectation is going to be high, a target's going to be on your back and there's a high expectation to win softball games."
Injuries have plagued the Marlins this season, but they've managed to remain afloat. VWU has rattled off eight straight victories and currently holds a 19-6 record. Elliott and his players believe the team's best softball this season has yet to be played as they charge towards a hopeful ODAC title and return trip to the NCAA Tournament.
"We have one senior on this team and a lot of girls with some really big postseason experience," the head coach pointed out. "Figuring out now there's expectations and learning how to play when you have real expectations has been challenging for them, but they continue to come to work every day and it's exciting. I think this team is fun to watch."
Virginia Wesleyan is back in action Saturday when the Marlins host the University of Lynchburg in a double-header.
