North Carolina State University Athletics
Softball Hosts NC Central in Home Finale on Thursday
4/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Game Info
NC State (28-19) vs. NC Central (16-23)
Thursday, April 23
6 p.m. (Dail Stadium)
Live Stats | Live Video | Twitter Updates
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The NC State softball team will conclude its 2015 home schedule on Thursday evening when it welcomes NC Central. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. at Dail Stadium.
The Wolfpack enters the contest with a 28-19 record on the season, while the Lady Eagles are 16-23 overall. 
Head coach Shawn Rychcik has earned 99 wins in his three-year tenure at NC State and needs just one win to reach 100. Senior pitcher Emily Weiman has collected 99 career victories in the circle and would become the program's first 100-game winner with a win against NC Central on Thursday.
NC State and NC Central have met twice in the history of the programs with State winning those contests. The Wolfpack earned a 24-1 win in 2010 and a 13-0 victory in 2012, both games were held at Dail Stadium and stopped after five innings due to the eight-run rule. 
Last Time Out
In its last outing of the season, the Pack earned a pair of run-rule victories at Radford on Tuesday. NC State won the first game, 11-0, and erupted in the second offensively to win it, 17-0.
It was the second-largest margin of victory for the Wolfpack in school history and was the second-most runs scored in a shutout performance.
Leaders of the Pack
Senior Renada Davis leads the Wolfpack at the plate with a batting average of .372 and a team high 54 hits. Sophomore Molly Hutchison paces the squad in home runs with 12, while classmate Tyler Ross has a team-leading 42 runs batted in (RBI). 
Weiman headlines the pitching staff with a 22-14 record, highlighted by an ACC-leading 241 strikeouts. Sophomore Courtney Mirabella is 6-5 on the year and is fifth in the conference in strikeouts per seven innings with 8.7. 
Scouting NC Central
NC Central makes its third trip to Dail Stadium in program history on Thursday. The Lady Eagles have struggled in road games this season, compiling a 1-11 mark in true road contests.
The Lady Eagles will play a doubleheader at Campbell Wednesday afternoon, prior to their matchup with the Wolfpack on Thursday.
Emerle Germ leads the team at the plate this season with a batting average of .378 to go along with 45 hits. Casey Hargett paces the squad in hits with 46 and a .357 average. As a team, Central is hitting .284 and scores 4.44 runs per game. 
In the circle, London Booker headlines the staff with a 9-13 record and a 5.47 earned run average (ERA). Dominique Wilson has also seen significant action with a 6-10 mark to go along with a 3.96 ERA. Collectively, Lady Eagle pitchers have an ERA of 4.86 and allow 4.41 earned runs per game.
Approaching Milestones
Rychcik has led NC State to consecutive 30 plus win seasons to put him in position to be the fastest coach in program history to 100 wins. With a win against NC Central, Rychcik would reach the plateau in just 155 games coached at NC State. 
Weiman has been phenomenal in her career with the Wolfpack and would further etch her name in school history by becoming the first 100-game winner. She picked up her 99th win in game one of the doubleheader against Radford. The Pasadena, Md., native would be just the fifth pitcher in ACC history to reach 100 wins.
#STATEment 
