North Carolina State University Athletics
Softball Heads to USC Upstate for Wednesday Doubleheader
3/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
RALEIGH, N.C. - The NC State softball team will make its first-ever trip to USC Upstate on Wednesday when the squad travels to Spartanburg, S.C. First pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 3 p.m. at Cyril Stadium.
The Wolfpack enters the midweek contest with a 16-11 record on the season, while the Spartans are 21-5. In the first NCAA Softball RPI released on Monday, the Pack was listed at No. 22 and Upstate checked in at No. 60.
NC State has played the third-toughest schedule in the NCAA, only behind Florida and Alabama both of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
Wednesday's games will be the third and fourth all-time meetings between the two squads, as they met for the first time in 2014 at Dail Stadium. The Wolfpack swept the doubleheader over the Spartans, who were ranked No. 25 at the time, with a 1-0 win in game one and a 5-3 victory in game two.
Last Time Out
In its last outing of the season, the Wolfpack dropped the series finale against Pittsburgh. The teams split Saturday's doubleheader, so the Panthers claimed the series by a two games to one margin.
Scoring First
When scoring the first run of a game this season, the Wolfpack has compiled a 13-3 record and in contrast, is just 3-8 when the opponent scores first.
Gimme Five
NC State is 11-1 this season when scoring at least five runs in a game. The Pack is just 5-10 when scoring less than five runs.
Lucky Number Three
State has scored 29 runs in the third inning of games this season, the most runs it has scored in any inning. The Wolfpack has scored 25 runs in the first inning, which is the second most.
Chasing History
Senior Emily Weiman has 88 career victories in the pitching circle and needs just two more wins to tie Abbie Sims for the program record at 90. With three wins, she would surpass the mark and hold the record for most career pitching victories.
17 & Counting
Renada Davis, shortstop from Tomball, Texas, has reached base safely in 17 consecutive games which ties the program record set by Stephanie Call in 2010. The senior would set the record by reaching base safely in the first game of the doubleheader against USC Upstate.
Scouting USC Upstate
The USC Upstate Spartans enter Wednesday's games the owner of a 21-5 mark in 2015. Upstate lost its most recent outing of the season at Jacksonville, 2-1. The Spartans and Wolfpack share one common opponent to this point in the season, as both teams lost to Elon.
USC Upstate played UNC-Chapel Hill earlier this season and earned a 9-4 win, while dropping a 2-0 decision at Florida State. The Pack will play UNC-Chapel Hill and Florida State later in the season.
Senior Shellie Robinson leads the team offensively with a .424 batting average and a team-best 39 hits on the year. Classmate Aly Schneider owns the highest batting average on the squad with a .450 clip. As a team, the Spartans are hitting .347 and averaging 7.27 runs per game.
In the pitcher's circle, sophomore Lexi Shubert is the team's ace with a 14-4 record on the year, highlighted by a 1.68 earned run average (ERA). She has pitched 112.2 innings and only given up 27 earned runs. Upstate has a team ERA of 2.26.
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