Friday, February 19
Raleigh, N.C.
4:30 P.M.
NC State
vs
[RV/-] Nebraska
NC State to Host Inaugural ACC/Big Ten Softball Challenge
2/18/2016 3:26:00 PM | Softball
Wolfpack welcomes Louisville, Nebraska and Wisconsin
| Friday, February 19 | ||
| Time (ET) | Game | Coverage |
| 2:00 p.m. | Wisconsin vs. Louisville | Live Stats |
| 4:30 p.m. | Nebraska vs. NC State | Live Stats | ESPN3 |
| Saturday, February 20 | ||
| 12:00 p.m. | Louisville vs. Nebraska | Live Stats |
| 2:30 p.m. | Louisville vs. Wisconsin | Live Stats |
| 5:00 p.m. | NC State vs. Nebraska | Live Stats | ESPN3 |
| 7:30 p.m. | Wisconsin vs. NC State | Live Stats | ESPN3 |
| Sunday, February 21 | ||
| 10:00 a.m. | Nebraska vs. Louisville | Live Stats |
| 12:30 p.m. | NC State vs. Wisconsin | Live Stats | ESPN3 |
RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC State softball team will serve as one of four hosts for the inaugural ACC/Big Ten Challenge held this weekend. The Wolfpack welcomes Louisville, Nebraska and Wisconsin to Dail Stadium.
Georgia Tech, Florida State and UNC-Chapel Hill are the other host sites for the challenge.
Louisville and Wisconsin will play in the first game of the challenge Friday at 2 p.m., while first pitch for NC State and Nebraska is set for 4:30 p.m. See the tournament central page for more information.
Previewing the Weekend
- NC State enters its second weekend of the 2016 season with a 3-2 record, after opening the season at the River City Leadoff hosted by Jacksonville.
- The Wolfpack is currently receiving votes for both top-25 polls.
- NC State owns a 7-1 mark in home openers at Dail Stadium. Last season, the Pack opened its home slate with a 4-2 win against Notre Dame
- NC State has not played Nebraska or Wisconsin in the history of the program.
Ross The Boss
Tyler Ross, a 2015 All-ACC selection, picked up where she left off last season with a very strong performance on NC State's opening weekend. The junior compiled a .467 batting average, highlighted by three home runs, en route to claiming the first ACC Player of the Week honor of 2016.
She had at least one hit in each of the Pack's five games and finished the weekend with a 1.067 slugging percentage.
Pick Your Poison
NC State's 2016 batting lineup features several players with the ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark. As such, opposing teams have to pick their poison in the lineup as far as which players to go after and how to pitch to them.
Last weekend, Wolfpack batters were intentionally walked twice and in both cases the next batter hit a home run. Maggie Hawkins was given a free pass against Jacksonville to load the bases and Meredith Burroughs followed with a grand slam.
Against Coastal Carolina last Sunday, Tyler Ross was intentionally walked and Molly Hutchison stepped to the plate next and hit a three-run homer.
Nothing in the First
In five games this season, NC State has not scored nor has it allowed an opponent to score in the first inning.
Getting On Base
Maggie Hawkins, Molly Hutchison and Tyler Ross each reached base safely in all five games for NC State last weekend.
Swing & a Miss, Strike Three
Junior pitcher Courtney Mirabella recorded 28 strikeouts over the first weekend of play, the most in the ACC. She also struck out 12 batters looking, the highest total in the conference.
Last season, she averaged 8.7 strikeouts per seven inning, which was the third most in the conference and 26th in the nation.
Hawkins Times Two
Senior Maggie Hawkins registered NC State's first multi-home run game of the 2016 season with a pair of long balls against Jacksonville. She opened the season strong with eight hits to compile a .500 batting average for the weekend.
The Easton, Md., native now has two multi-HR games in her Wolfpack career with the other against Dayton last season on Feb. 21, 2015.
Scouting Nebraska
- The Nebraska Cornhuskers enter the weekend with a 5-0 record, following a perfect weekend at a tournament hosted by Northern Iowa.
- Nebraska is coached by Hall of Fame Coach Rhonda Revelle, who is in her 25th season as head coach and is the Cornhuskers' all-time wins leader in any sport with 891 to her credit.
- The Cornhuskers compiled a batting average of .379 as a team on opening weekend, while limiting opponents to a .221 clip.
- Junior MJ Knighten was named the Big Ten Player of the Week after finishing the weekend with a .632 batting average with five home runs and 14 RBI.
- In the circle, Nebraska pitchers have combined to record a 2.19 ERA and its opponents have a 7.99 mark.
- Cassie McClure claimed conference pitcher of the week honors after pitching 12 innings with 16 strikeouts and zero runs allowed.
Scouting Wisconsin
- Wisconsin brings a 4-1 record to Raleigh this weekend after opening the season at the Kajikawa Classic.
- The Badgers' lone blemish over the weekend was a 5-4 loss against BYU.
- Yvette Healy is the program's head coach and she is in her sixth season with 169 career wins with Wisconsin.
- Wisconsin has a team batting average of .311, while its opponents have hit .323.
- In the circle, Badger pitchers have a 2.41 ERA and their opponents have recorded an ERA of 6.28.
Players Mentioned
P/1B
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
C/OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball#BehindThe20 with former Pack Stars Abbie Sims and Renada Davis
Wednesday, April 24
Softball: Players Presser (2/15)
Thursday, February 15
Softball: Coach Leftwich Presser (2/15)
Thursday, February 15
EmpowHER with Aisha Weixlmann #Shorts #NCState #GoPack
Monday, October 16