North Carolina State University Athletics
Softball Heads to Houston For Season Opener
2/11/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
RALEIGH, N.C. - NC State softball will begin the 2009 season Feb. 13-15 at the Marriott Houston Classic in Houston, Texas. The Pack will play five games across the three day spread, taking on No. 7 Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas State and No. 14 Houston. State will battle the Sooners twice.
The tournament marks NC State’s first ever visit to the state of Texas.
The Pack returns 13 letterwinners and seven starters from last years unit that played for the ACC Championship at the league tournament. Reigning ACC Rookie of the Year Alyssa Allbritten and hurlers Lindsay Campana and Mendy McKenzie, arguably the best one-two pitching duo in the league, all return for the season.
State also reaps the benefit of nine new additions, all freshmen, the majority of which can contribute immediately.
Scouting the Opposition
Oklahoma enters the week as the No. 7 team in the country with a 4-1 record. The Sooners lone loss came in its season opener, an 8-5 Hawai’i win. Junior shortstop Amber Flores was named Big 12 Player of the Week, Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I Player of the Week and USA Softball Co-Player of the Week earlier this week following a phenomenal performance last weekend at the Hawai’i Paradise Classic.
Flores was named tournament MVP after hitting .643 over a five-game span. In all she went 9-for-14 with nine runs scored and drove in 15 runs. Of her nine hits, two were doubles and three were home runs. Flores posted a slugging percentage of 1.429 and an on-base percentage of .737. She totaled 20 bases on the weekend, along with three walks and two hit-by-pitches. In OU’s 18-0 win over UAB, Flores tied a school record with eight RBIs.
Oklahoma State owns a 3-1 slate after its season opening weekend at the Kajikawa Classic. The Cowgirls topped Stanford, Western Michigan and McNeese State before falling to Central Florida. A fifth game, scheduled against Northwestern, was rained out. OSU is receiving votes in both national polls.
Katelyn Bright led the Cowgirls with five hits and six runs, while Julie Ward knocked in 10 RBIs with two home runs. Sarah Odom posted a 1.75 ERA and picked up one win in 12 innings of work, racking up 14 strikeouts along the way.
Texas State stood at 2-3 before taking on Texas on Wednesday. Both of the Bobcats wins came over Bethune Cookman.
A program with a reputation for hitting the ball and getting on base, Texas State holds a team batting average of .264 early into the season. Taylor Hall carries a .467 batting clip, while Leah Boatright has five RBIs, 14 total bases, two home runs and a .875 slugging percentage. Pitchers Katie Garnett (12) and Chandler Hall (11) have combined for 33 of the team’s 36 strikeouts.
Houston, ranked 14th nationally, went 3-1 in its opening weekend, outscoring opponents 29-17. The Cougars hold victories over UC Riverside, Oregon State and James Madison, but fell to California, 10-2.
Wielding a hot bat, the Cougars are hitting .321 as a team. Jennifer Klinkert is batting .700 with nine total bases, seven RBIs and two doubles, and Amanda Crabtree and Baillie Lott are a combined 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA and 24 strikeouts.
Houston’s defense has been shaky at times, with the Cougars already owning seven errors in just four contests.
The All-Time Series vs. The Field
NC State holds a winning record (1-0) against the Marriott Houston Classic field, having only played Oklahoma once. The Pack has never faced Oklahoma State, Texas State and Houston on the diamond.
State downed then No. 7 Oklahoma, 7-0, at the Judi Garman Classic on March 16, 2007 in the only meeting between the two programs. Former Wolfpack All-America Abbie Sims was magnificent in the circle, tossing a complete game no-hitter, while the offense provided 11 hits and exploded for five runs in the fourth inning.
You Look Familiar
When the Pack takes on Houston this weekend a familiar face will be calling the pitches in the opposing dugout. Cougars pitching coach Abbie Sims, now in her second season at Houston, was a four-year letterwinning pitcher and outfielder with the Pack. Sims tossed seven no-hitters (two perfect games) while wearing the red and white, and collected All-ACC honors three times. She was also named league player of the year in 2007 in addition to being tabbed as a Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America.
The Pack in Season Opening Games
The red and white holds a 3-2 record in season-opening games. State dropped its first-ever contest to Radford (1-0) in 2004 and then won three straight over Mississippi Valley State (6-4 in ’05), Centenary College (4-1 in 06) and Ohio (7-0 in 07). Last year State fell to Kansas (4-3).
Four Shy of 200
With an all-time record of 196-121 in five years of play, the Wolfpack softball program is just four victories short of its historic 200th win.
