North Carolina State University Athletics
Softball Swings to ACC Tournament
5/11/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 11, 2004
RALEIGH, N.C. -
Game Notes in PDF Format
13th Annual ACC Tournament *Face GT in Game 1 * 11 a.m.
NC State finished the regular season with a 32-25 overall record and went 3-7 in conference play. The Wolfpack split the home series with Georgia Tech, which stands with an overall record of 41-15 and 5-5 in the ACC, back on April 17. The Jackets are currently ranked 24th in the nation.
What Next?
A win would pit the Pack against the No. 5 Florida State on Friday at 5 p.m. If a loss occurred, NC State would face the loser of the game between UNC and the winner of the UVa/Maryland game at 12:30 on Saturday.
The Last Time
In the earlier matchup, NC State fell 2-0 in game one, but saw freshman catcher Miranda Ervin tally two of the Pack's four hits. NC State rallied back to upset the then No. 22 ranked Wreck 2-0 in game two. Freshman shortstop Renee? LaCroix hit her second homerun of the season to help NC State to the win. NC State's pitcher Shaina Ervin improved her record to 9-10 after she fanned 10 batters, allowed four walks in 23 at bats. Ervin battled throughout the game, pitching three innings to perfection, which included three-straight outs in the final inning to secure a Wolfpack victory.
Georgia Tech Now
The No. 24 ranked Yellow Jackets recently picked up two rare defeats, this time at the hands of Mississippi Stateon May 8. Georgia Tech fell 10-2 and 1-0. Despite the loss, GT has a remarkable 41-15 overall record and sit in fourth place in the ACC with a 5-5 slate. The Wreck is led offensively by Tara Knudsen, who owns a .394 batting average and has a team-high 61 hits. In the circle, GT will be guided by Jessica Sallinger (26-7) and Erin Voeltz (15-8). Both pitchers are below 1.00 in ERA with Sallinger having the lowest (.71) and Voeltz next at .92.
Last At-Bat
At Florida State: NC State fell to No. 2/2 Florida State in both games on Saturday, May 1, in Tallahassee, Fla. The Wolfpack lost 8-0 in the first game and 4-0 in game two. Four Wolfpack players recorded a hit on the day. For the Wolfpack, Sims took the loss and now owns a 20-10 record. She finished the game with eight runs off seven hits, five walks and three strikeouts in 32 batters faced. Sims also had the Pack's only hit. NC State's Shaina Ervin recorded the loss and now owns a 10-12 record. She finished the game with four runs off eight hits, three walks and two strikeouts in 28 batters faced. NC State reached base six times in its 23 at bats. Blount and Miranda and Shaina Ervin each recorded a hit for the Pack.
Sims Goes National
Freshman pitcher Abbie Sims is currently ranked 18th in the nation for strikeouts per game (9.1). Her average is third in the ACC, but she is the youngest player among the top three. She was ranked as high as 16th.
"Hitting" By Gelbard
Heather Gelbard leads the Wolfpack with 61 hits after 57 games. Of her 61 hits, she has roped a team-high 12 doubles and two home runs. Her hits total is good for fourth in the ACC. She leads the team in at bats as well with 191 and has a 35.3 on base percentage.
A Plate Full
Four players have been extraordinarily successful at the plate this season. Miranda Ervin ended a 10-game hitting streak at North Carolina and leads the team in on-base percentage at 37.9. She, along with Carolina Blount are on a one-game hitting streak. Chamberlin and Sims have also enjoyed long hitting streaks. Both maxed out at eight. Chamberlin leads the team in total bases with 97. She needs just three more to reach the 100 mark for the season.
Where Do the Big Bats Bat
The team's lead-off batter, Heather Gelbard is in that spot for a reason. She is hitting .319 as the No. 1 batter. NC State is so confident in her ability to get on base that she the only Wolfpack player to not change in the batting order. Miranda Ervin, who is second in batting average at .317, has done her best as the No. 3 batter, hitting .315. And the third NC State player with a .300 average is Chamberlin, who currently sits with a .310 BA, bats cleanup now with a solid .348 BA.
Chamberlin Goes Cycling
Freshman third baseman Jennifer Chamberlin completed the Wolfpack's quest for reaching the final milestone for the record books. She hit the school's first triple in a game at Virginia on Saturday, April 24. The slugger also has the distinction of the school's first homerun and walk as well. Thus she has completed the cycle of earning every type of hit (single, double, triple and a home run), the only player on the Wolfpack roster to do so.
Heading For Home
Chamberlin has hit 12 balls over the fence this season, which is second in the ACC. She is however the youngest with such a homerun total and did in fewer games than the leader. In her 56 games and 168 at bats, Chamberlin has tallied 52 hits, including 12 home runs, seven doubles and one triple. The slugger's total base count of 97 ranks sixth among ACC's leaders and leads the team. Her slugging percentage of .577 leads the team and is sixth in the ACC.
It's RBI Time
Shaina Ervin has 24 RBI on the season and has four games in which she has totaled three or more, including one game with four RBI. She is the only Wolfpack player to have recorded four RBI in a game. Chamberlin and freshman Allison Cuculich each lead the team with six multiple RBI games. And Chamberlin leads the squad with 28 on the year.
Double This
The Wolfpack currently ranks second in the ACC in double plays with 17 total. Virginia leads with 26. Thanks to a team-best 107 assists from Chamberlin at third base and 101 from shortstop Renee LaCroix, the Pack has been strong defensively.
Take a Look At Us Now
NC State's freshmen pitching duo of Abbie Sims and Shaina Ervin established itself as a respectable tandem in the ACC. The two combine for 30 of the Pack's 32 wins. Sims leads with 20 of those victories. The two have combined to pitch 364 innings. The mere fact that they are both freshmen has been astonishing as they both have become a dominant force in the circle. Sims is the youngest hurler among the ACC's top five in wins and both are among the top five in innings pitched. Sims is the youngest player with 244 strikeouts, good for fourth in the ACC rankings. Her 1.86 ERA is seventh in ACC.
Beyond the Standard
NC State's starting lineup consists of nine freshmen and one sophomore. That is the youngest lineup in the ACC. The team is ranked fifth in the ACC standings by record and was selected to finish sixth in the preseason poll.
Sister, Sister
It's not double vision. It's twins. Freshmen Miranda and Shaina Ervin are twins. Miranda sports No. 11, while Shaina wears No. 12. Miranda catches for Shaina. In college, the duo have lived up to their prep credentials, as Miranda leads the team in putouts with 387, while Shaina leads the team in walks with 22.
Not Just a Pinch
NC State uses its bench for more than just support, all five non-starters have taken pinch running duties for the Pack. Moffatt Steele leads the team with 40 appearances as a pinch runner. She has been caught stealing just one of her eight attempts, leading to the most stolen bases on the team. Fellow freshman, Beth Poore, is next in line with 34 base running calls. She leads the group of runners with 17 runs.
Against the Top 25
NC State picked up one win in five tries against three teams who were ranked in the nation's top 25. The Pack shutout No. 22 Georgia Tech, 2-0. NC State has been outscored 12-3 in those games.
