The goal for a graduating University of Virginia softball player is to be busy during Final Exercises; to be running basepaths while others are walking the Lawn; to be wearing a visor and jersey rather than a cap and gown.
This weekend, some 360 miles from the pomp and circumstance within Thomas Jefferson’s Academical Village, Eden Bigham and Jade Hylton will celebrate their rare achievement – graduating from UVA in three years – in their preferred style – leading the Cavalier softball team in the NCAA Tournament.
The second-seeded Wahoos begin play in the Columbia, South Carolina, Regional on Friday against the University of North Florida, with Bigham available at pitcher and Hylton starting at shortstop. Both are two-time first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selections who have made history this season. On March 1, Bigham became the first Cavalier to throw a perfect game in 30 years. A month later, Hylton became the program’s all-time leader in home runs.
UVA boasts one of the best duos in the country with pitcher Bigham and power-hitting shortstop Hylton, who plan to continue their playing careers next season while pursuing graduate study. (UVA Athletics photos)
All the while, the third-year students were completing their bachelor’s degrees.
“They’re so well-rounded,” UVA coach Joanna Hardin said. “They can literally do it all.”
From Southside Virginia towns around 70 miles apart, Bigham (a Rustburg native) and Hylton (Martinsville) entered UVA in the fall of 2022 as standout recruits for Hardin’s program – and already ahead academically, having earned associate degrees from their local community colleges in addition to their high school diplomas.
“We actually walked at our community college graduation before we walked at our high school graduation,” Bigham said. “It was kind of funny.”
A message from Hardin on the recruiting trail resonated with the pair upon arrival at UVA.
“Coming here is a 40-year decision, and not just four years,” Bigham, who majored in cognitive science and plans to pursue dentistry, said. “Really, one of the biggest reasons why I know Jade and I came here was because of the academics and how it’ll set us up in the future.”
Hylton majored in kinesiology. She aspires to be a radiation therapist, an occupation she gravitated toward during her late mother’s battle with kidney cancer.
“I know that graduating with a degree here gives me an advantage over other people graduating from other places,” Hylton said. “So being able to do that and also doing well in the softball program, it’s been a blessing.”
Bigham and Hylton, perennially listed on ACC’s Academic Honor Roll, plan to return to UVA for their fourth years of eligibility, continue to play softball and take additional courses toward their career goals. They’ll also be roommates in 2025-26, a fitting development for a pair of best friends who have known each other since they were 10 and first became teammates – on a summer travel team – when they were 14.
“When she’s up to bat, I always feel a sense of comfort,” Bigham said of Hylton. “Even in travel ball, there was just no doubt in my mind that she was going to get it done. And y’all think she's good here, you should have seen her then. It was insane. People were scared to pitch to her.”
“Even when I was younger,” Hylton said, “anytime I saw Eden on the mound, I was like, ‘Oh boy, here we go.’ But just being able to watch her grow and see all she has accomplished, it’s been awesome. Even going back to travel ball, there’s been a sense of comfort anytime Eden’s on the mound, so I know my job will be a little bit easier.
“I’m just really proud of everything she’s done.”
Of the 4,655 UVA students receiving their bachelor’s degrees this weekend, Bigham and Hylton are two of the 256 who completed the requirements in three years or fewer. Their teammate, M.C. Eaton, is another.
“It’s incredible to see those types of students and those types of athletes go above and beyond to make sure they’re successful,” said Ryan Moody, UVA’s assistant director of academic services, who works with the softball team. “It’s normal for students to say, ‘I’m going to put in the extra work in the recovery room and on the practice field to be a better athlete,’ but to see them put just as much work, if not more, in doing the extra steps needed to be a successful student, I think that’s incredible.
“It’s very much reflected in not only what they’ve accomplished to this point in their careers, but reflective in what the rest of the team looks up to and aspires to be.”
