North Carolina State University Athletics
Softball Concludes ACC Regular Season at Virginia Tech
4/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The NC State softball team will conclude its regular season conference slate at Virginia Tech this weekend. The Wolfpack and Hokies will play a three-game series with one game apiece on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Saturday's contest is slated for noon at Tech Softball Park, while Sunday's game will begin at 3:30. First pitch of Monday night's tilt is set for 7 p.m. Sunday and Monday's games will be broadcast live on ESPNU.
Cara Capuano will handle play-by-play duties, while Olympic Gold Medalist Michele Smith will be the analyst. The announcers will be the same for Sunday and Monday's games.
The Wolfpack enters the weekend with a 29-19 overall record and a 10-8 mark in ACC play. The Hokies are 33-13 and 8-9 against conference opponents.
Last Time Out
In its last outing of the season, State defeated NC Central at home, 8-0. It was the final home game of the year for the Wolfpack. The contest was stopped after six innings due to the eight-run mercy rule.
Rychcik Earns 100 Wins at NC State
Head coach Shawn Rychcik became the fastest coach in program history to 100 wins at NC State by reaching the mark in just 155 games played and in his third season. The Wolfpack won 35 games in his first season, 36 in his second season and has 29 wins to this point in the 2015 season.
Weiman Joins Elite Crowd with 100th Career Win
Senior pitcher Emily Weiman joined an elite crowd with her 100th career victory against NC Central Thursday evening. She becomes the first pitcher in NC State history to reach 100 wins and just the fifth pitcher in ACC history to accomplish the feat.
She tossed four scoreless innings, allowing one hit to join Florida State's Lacey Waldrop as the only two active Division I pitchers with 100 or more wins.
Davis Ties ACC Career Home Run Mark
In her last plate appearance at Dail Stadium, senior Renada Davis smacked a solo home run to straightaway center field. It was the 61st homer of her Wolfpack career to tie the ACC career home run record. The Tomball, Texas, native would set the record with another round-tripper this season.
Lucky Number Three
NC State has scored 54 runs in the third inning of games this season, which is the highest of any inning. The Wolfpack has allowed just 34 runs in the frame.
Swing & a Miss, Strike Three!
Senior pitcher Emily Weiman has had her way with opposing batters this season and currently leads the ACC with 254 strikeouts. That total also ranks ninth among active pitchers in the NCAA. She also has the second-most career strikeouts among active pitchers with 988.
Scoring First
When scoring the first run of a game this season, the Wolfpack has compiled a 25-6 record and in contrast, is just 4-13 when the opponent scores first.
Gimme Five
NC State is 24-2 this season when scoring at least five runs in a game. The Pack is just 5-17 when scoring less than five runs.
Jumping On Them Early
NC State has jumped on opponents early this season, scoring 49 runs in the first inning. The Wolfpack is outscoring opponents, 49-20, in the opening frame and is 17-2 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 26-3 record this season. State is 0-15 when trailing after the fourth and 3-1 when the score is tied.
Scouting Virginia Tech
The Virginia Tech Hokies enter the weekend series with a 10-4 mark in home contests played at Tech Softball Park. The Wolfpack leads the all-time series against the Hokies, 15-14, highlighted by an 8-3 mark against Tech in Blacksburg.
Last season, NC State won the first game against Virginia Tech, 6-3, before dropping the second game, 10-4. The Wolfpack responded in the series finale with a 5-0 win to clinch the series. Last time in Blacksburg, State swept a doubleheader versus then- No. 19 Virginia Tech prior to the series finale being canceled due to inclement weather.
Breanna Davenport leads the team at the plate with a batting average of .352 and a team-leading 51 hits. Kylie McGoldrick is second on the squad with a .344 clip at the plate and 43 hits. Kelsey Mericka supplies the power for the Hokies with 15 home runs and 39 runs batted in (RBI). As a team, Virginia Tech has a batting average of .282 and averages 5.39 runs per game.
In the pitcher's circle, Kelly Heinz paces the staff with a 12-2 record and a 2.14 earned run average (ERA). Maggie Tyler has started the most games and made the most appearances with a 3.08 ERA and a record of 14-8. The Hokies have a team ERA of 2.67 and allow 2.89 runs per game.
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