North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Faces Fordham in NCAA Regional Opener on Friday
5/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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HARRISONBURG, Va. - The NC State softball team will begin play in the 2015 NCAA Harrisonburg (Va.) Regional on Friday, May 15 when it takes on Fordham. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. from Veterans Memorial park on the James Madison University campus.
NC State is the two seed in the regional and is making its fifth NCAA appearance in program history, including its third consecutive, which marks a first for the Wolfpack. Other teams at the regional are host and top seed James Madison, third-seeded Fordham and No. 4 seed Binghamton.
There will be a free live stream of all games in the regional available at this link.
Inside the Matchup
The Pack enters the NCAA regional with a 35-20 overall record and finished 13-8 in the ACC regular season, while the Rams have a record of 36-18 on the season and a 17-5 mark in Atlantic 10 Conference action.
NC State and Fordham met earlier this season in the Hyatt Place Invitational, where the Wolfpack earned a 5-0 win in a contest held at Dail Stadium. The teams have met four times in the history of the programs with State owning a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series and has won the last three matchups.
Wolfpack in the NCAA Tournament
The Wolfpack owns a 6-8 all-time record in the NCAA Tournament and has advanced to the regional final in both prior trips under head coach Shawn Rychcik. Last season, NC State advanced to the regional final without a loss for the first time in program history after defeating top-seeded Georgia in the winner's bracket.
State earned two wins against James Madison in the 2013 NCAA Knoxville (Tenn.) Regional with a 2-0 win in the first matchup and a 6-4 victory in the second contest.
Peaking At The Right Time
NC State has been playing its best softball in recent weeks and the results tell the story, as the squad has won nine of its last 10 games. During the stretch, the Wolfpack is outscoring opponents, 82-18. State has compiled a batting average of .352 in those eight games, while opponents are hitting just .146 in the last eight games.
In the circle, the Pack has an earned run average (ERA) of 1.87 during the span and opponents' have an ERA of 7.12. State limited opponents to just 31 hits in eight games, while the Wolfpack has collected 100 hits.
Davis On a Tear
Renada Davis, senior shortstop from Tomball, Texas, has been on a tear in recent weeks and is currently on a 12-game hitting streak. During the span, she has a batting average of .419 with 18 hits, 14 runs scored and 11 RBI.
After seeing her program-best 32-game reached base safely streak come to a close in the series opener against UNC, Davis has had a hit in every game since to reach base in 44 of the last 45 games.
Weiman Mowing 'Em Down
Senior pitcher Emily Weiman continued her record-breaking season last week at the ACC Championship, as she recorded six strikeouts against Louisville to break the NC State single season record for strikeouts with 290.
The Pasadena, Md., native added four more strikeouts against Florida State to lead the ACC and rank 10th with 294 strikeouts this season.
Ross Chasing History
After starting just 12 games a season ago, sophomore Tyler Ross has made her presence felt in the Wolfpack lineup this year and has started all 55 games. Last week, she was named second team All-ACC for the first time in her career.
She is currently second on the team with a .316 batting average and leads the team in runs batted in (RBI) with 54, which is tied for the NC State single season record.
Scouting Fordham
The Fordham Rams will be participating in their third consecutive NCAA Tournament, after claiming an automatic bid by winning the Atlantic 10 Conference championship. The Rams are 36-18 on the year and have won their last 10 games.
Amy Van Hoven leads the Rams at the plate with a .376 batting average and a team-best 70 hits on the year. Rachel Gillen is second on the squad with a .373 clip and 47 hits. Paige Ortiz paced the team in home runs with nine, while Fordham has 48 as a team.
The Rams have a team batting average of .312 and score 5.69 runs per game.
In the pitcher's circle, Gillen paces the staff with a 2.28 earned run average (ERA) and a 23-8 mark, while Michelle Daubman has an 11-8 record with a 3.47 ERA. As a team, Fordham has an ERA of 2.90 and allows 2.74 earned runs per game.
Scouting James Madison
James Madison is hosting an NCAA Regional for first time in the history of the program. The Dukes have a 47-8 record on the season, highlighted by a 36-game winning streak. JMU came up short in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championship against Hofstra, dropping a 2-1 decision on its home field.
Erica Field leads the team at the plate with a batting average of .444 and a team-leading 84 hits. Taylor Newton is second on the squad with a .403 average and 64 hits. Jailyn Ford paces the Dukes with 11 home runs, as JMU has 55 as a team.
James Madison scores 6.09 runs per game and has a team batting average of .350.
In the pitcher's circle, Megan Good headlines the staff with a 28-2 record and a 1.00 ERA. Ford has also seen action with an ERA of 2.38 and a 16-4 record. As a staff, the Dukes have an ERA of 1.66 and allow 1.53 runs per game.
Scouting Binghamton
After claiming an automatic bid by winning the America East Conference (AEC) Championship, the Binghamton Bearcats will make its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Binghamton finished the season with a 24-19 record and posted a 7-3 mark in its last 10 games.
NC State and Binghamton met earlier this season in the Hyatt Place Invitational when the Wolfpack earned a 7-0 win at Dail Stadium. The teams have met three times with the Pack winning all three contests.
Lisa Cadogan leads the team offensively with a team-best .434 batting average with 53 hits. She also supplies the power with a team-leading 10 homers and 52 RBI, which also leads the team. The Bearcats have a team batting average of .302 and average 5.95 runs per game.
In the pitcher's circle, Sara Miller has made the most appearances and started the most games with an 11-7 record and a 5.29 ERA. Cara Martin has appeared in 30 games and has compiled a 3.91 ERA to go along with a 10-4 record. As a team, Binghamton has an ERA of 5.41 and allows 5.02 runs per game.
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