North Carolina State University Athletics
Softball to Host No. 8 Florida State This Weekend
4/2/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The NC State softball team will host eighth-ranked Florida State in a three-game series held at Dail Stadium this weekend. The Wolfpack and Seminoles will play a doubleheader on Friday starting at 5 p.m. and a single game on Saturday slated to begin at noon.
Saturday's game will be the annual Kay Yow Pink Game Presented By Rex Healthcare, as the team will wear pink uniform tops and accesories. All three game of the series will be broadcast live on GoPack All-Access free of charge to viewers.
The Wolfpack enters the weekend with a 21-13 overall record and a 6-4 mark in Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) play. Florida State is 31-8 on the year, highlighted by an 11-1 mark in conference action. The Seminoles are currently in first place in the league standings, while the Pack occupies fourth place.
Florida State was chosen as the preseason favorite in the conference, while NC State was chosen third.
Last season, NC State played Florida State tough in each game of the series but lost all three. The Seminoles, who were ranked No. 11 at the time, won the first game 4-1, the second game 4-2 and the series finale, 5-1.
Last Time Out
In its last outing of the season, the Wolfpack swept a doubleheader at Coastal Carolina to earn its seventh and eight road wins on the year. NC State won the first game of the twin bill, 8-3, and shut out Coastal in the second game with a 7-0 win.
Scouting Florida State
The Florida State Seminoles enter the weekend ranked as the No. 8 team in the nation with a 31-8 record and 11-1 mark in ACC play. In their most recent outing, the `Noles picked up an 11-0 run-rule victory against Florida A&M at home.
It will be the just the second conference series that the Seminoles have played on the road. The squad's other road trip was to Virginia Tech where they swept the three-game set.
Morgan Klaevemann leads Florida State offensively with a .371 batting average to go along with 36 hits. Jessica Warren paces the group with a team-best 42 hits and a .328 clip at the plate. As a team, the Seminoles average 7.78 hits per game and score 5.28 runs per contest.
In the circle, preseason All-American selection Lacey Waldrop is team's ace with a 1.01 earned run average (ERA) and a 20-3 record. She has only allowed 20 earned runs in 138 innings pitched this season. Jessica Burroughs has also seen significant action in the circle with an 11-5 record and a 2.60 ERA. Collectively, the group has an ERA of 1.81 as a staff and only allows 2.38 runs per game.
Dreams Do Come True
Wednesday night seniors Renada Davis and Emily Weiman's childhood dreams came to fruition, as they were selected in the 2015 National Pro Fastpitch College Draft. Davis was selected in the fourth round with the 16th overall pick by the Dallas Charge, while Weiman was taken by the PA Rebellion with the 22nd pick in the fifth round.
The two Wolfpack standouts made history for the program by becoming the first duo selected in the same year of the draft. NC State only had one prior selection in the NPF Draft -- Abbie Sims in 2007.
Taking Over at the Top
Last Sunday's contest was a monumental one for Weiman, as she became the program's career leader in wins by earning her 91st win in a complete game shutout effort. She surpassed Abbie Sims' previous mark of 90. 
Weiman now has the second-most wins among active NCAA Division I pitchers. The Pasadena, Md., native also moved into sixth place for career victories by a pitcher in ACC history.
Davis On a Roll
Davis has been on a tear in recent weeks and has reached base safely in a program-best 24 consecutive games. She broke the record last Sunday at Georgia Tech by reaching for the 22nd straight game to eclipse her previous school record of 21 she set in 2013. 
During the streak, she has a batting average of .410 with 32 hits, 21 runs scored, 13 walks, 16 runs batted in (RBI), 10 doubles and five home runs.
Scoring First
When scoring the first run of a game this season, the Wolfpack has compiled an18-4 record and in contrast, is just 3-9 when the opponent scores first.
Gimme Five
NC State is 16-1 this season when scoring at least five runs in a game. The Pack is just 5-12 when scoring less than five runs. 
Jumping On Them Early
NC State has jumped on opponents early this season, scoring 33 runs in the first inning -- the most it has scored in any inning. The Wolfpack is outscoring opponents, 33-18, in the opening frame and is 14-1 when it scores in the first inning. 
Crucial Fourth Inning
When the Pack is leading the game at the end of the fourth inning, it has compiled a 19-1 record this season. State is 0-11 when trailing after the fourth and 2-1 when the score is tied.
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