North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Softball: 2006 Season Preview
1/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Jan. 20, 2006
The Wolfpack softball team is hoping the old cliche', "The third time is the charm," rings true in 2006. After a 41-win season and a fourth place finish in the ACC, head coach Lisa Navas and her third Wolfpack squad is aiming for a top conference finish and a postseason berth in the NCAA Championship. The team lost only two starters from a year ago and returns All-ACC standouts Jen Chamberlin, Abbie Sims and Heather Gelbard.
"We are fortunate to have basically our entire lineup returning coming into the season," Navas said. "We are playing a tougher schedule this year, but we are aiming to make the NCAAs."
With a challenging schedule and a majority of games coming on the road in elite tournaments, Navas' 2006 team will need to continue to improve, something it has shown the ability to do over its brief history.
The 2004 team went 4-9 against eventual NCAA Championships teams, while the 2005 squad posted a 13-11 record. This season's schedule features games against 12 teams that earned bids to the championships, including two games against Women's College World Series participants Tennessee and Arizona.
"As a team, we continue to improve across the board as we grow and come together as a program," Navas said. "If we can continue to work hard against tough competition then I think we can be competitive all season and into the postseason."
Pitchers
The strength of the team in the first two seasons, the Wolfpack pitching staff has consistently kept opposing teams off the scoreboard. All-ACC junior pitcher Abbie Sims leads the rotation and sports a 40-18 record after back-to-back 20 win seasons. She posted 10.5 strikeouts per seven innings pitched, 10th nationally, and led the ACC in opponents batting average at a .143 clip last season. Shaina Ervin won 12 games in 2005 and lowered her ERA from 2.16 to 1.68, fifth in the ACC, while ranking in the top-10 in strikeouts, shutouts and opponents batting average.
Two sophomores complete the rotation, as Brooke Isley (5-2, 2.91 ERA, 42 Ks) and Megan Dalthorp (4-1, 2.17 ERA, 27 Ks) provide depth and options for new pitching coach Michelle Green.
"Michelle was a talented pitcher and has the personality and mentality that I want on my staff to help the team," Navas said. "She has a great group to work with and I expect another solid year from our pitching staff."
Catchers
A pair of juniors anchor the catching rotation, and both players are known for their prowess at the plate. Miranda Ervin is the Wolfpack career leader in batting average (.316) and ranks second in slugging (.478), on base percentage (.394) and home runs with 13. Her counterpart is Jennifer Patterson, one of the top clutch hitters on the team. Patterson holds Wolfpack marks for most pinch hits in a career (4) and season (3 in 2005), and she smacked three doubles in a game against Rutgers in 2005, a school record. Freshman Lisa Gott joins the rotation in 2006, and her all-around talents behind the plate will only serve to benefit the team.
Corner Infielders
NC State has one of the ACC's best at third in Jen Chamberlin. Known for her powerful bat, Chamberlin was second in the ACC in home runs in 2005 and already ranks 11th in ACC history with 23, on pace to break the ACC mark of 46. Her 19 career multiple RBI games leads the club, and she is ranked in the top-3 in 11 offensive categories in the career Wolfpack record books. Sharing time with Chamberlin at third is fellow All-ACC player Heather Gelbard, who, in addition to leading the club in hits over the last two seasons, was named an Academic All-American for her work in the classroom.
Over at first, junior Allison Cuculich and sophomore Lisa Nentwig will split time with freshman Mackenzie Mangum. The trio brings multiple defensive and offensive options for Navas.
Middle Infielders
In the middle of the field, two defensive standouts will carry the load for the Pack. Senior Tess Corona was named the team's Defensive MVP after committing just three errors in 63 games at second base with none in 14 ACC contests.
Shanna Smith is the returning starter at shortstop, as the athletic sophomore made a mid-season move from first to short and immediately flashed her range defensively and talents at the plate. Smith led the team with a .341 average in ACC play, good for sixth in the conference.
Juniors Laura Klem and Alycia LePage, a transfer from South Florida, add depth in the middle, as will Nentwig, who will also see time at shortstop.
Outfielders
Experience is key in the outfield, as two seniors and two juniors bolster a deep seven player rotation. Returning starting center fielder Blair Harkey will be joined by seniors Caroline Blount and Jess Willems, who have played each of the three outfield positions in their careers. Juniors Sims and LePage join sophomores Ashleigh Davis and Dalthorp as viable options as well.
NC State softball opens its season Feb. 10-12 in Auburn, Ala. at the Tiger Invitational, and opens its home slate Feb. 15 with a 3 pm doubleheader against UNC Greensboro.
