Sunday, February 14
Raleigh, N.C.
1:00 PM
NC State
vs
Longwood
Softball Kicks Off 2021 Season
2/16/2021 2:00:00 PM | Softball
RALEIGH – For the first time in 344 days, NC State softball is set to take the field this week for six games in a period of four days. The Wolfpack will open with an ACC slate of three games apiece against Boston College and Louisville. The 2021 debut comes Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 1 p.m. against Boston College before NC State will matchup Feb. 18 at 4 p.m. against Louisville. A doubleheader against the Cardinals is slated for Feb. 19 starting at 11 a.m. followed by a Saturday, Feb. 20 doubleheader against Boston College at 11 a.m.
Dail Softball Stadium will also serve host to several neutral site ACC matchups, all of which can also be found on ACCNX.
Due to health and safety recommendations and current state guidelines, attendance at NC State softball home competitions is limited to a pass list of player and coach guests only. No tickets are available to the general public at this time. Please continue to visit GoPack.com for the latest updates.
HOME SWEET HOME
Wednesday marks the first time in program history that the Wolfpack will open its season at home and the third time in the state of North Carolina. Additionally, it will be the first time to open the season in conference play. In the two seasons under Jennifer Patrick-Swift, NC State has compiled a 32-17 record at home. The Wolfpack were 17-3 at home in 2020.
2021 OUTLOOK
The Wolfpack return a stacked roster, including its entire starting lineup from the 2020 season. NC State will look to its three "super seniors", Tatyana Forbes, Brigette Nordberg and Angie Rizzi, for veteran experience but will also be boasted by a talented freshman class which includes a total of seven players.
Forbes picked up a handful of preseason honors, becoming the first NC State athlete to be named to the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List. Forbes was also named to the Preseason All-ACC team in addition to earning Preseason All-America honors from Justin's World of Softball. She currently leads all active Division 1 players in career batting average and ranked second in the nation in hits in 2020 with 43.
Abby Trahan will make her highly anticipated Wolfpack debut, after redshirting the 2020 season. Trahan was named ACC Preseason Newcomer of the Year by D1Softball and will add experience in the circle for NC State, after being a two-time conference Pitcher of the Year. The Wolfpack's roster features five pitchers, its most since the 2020 season, and includes returner Sydney Nester who ranked second in the ACC a year ago in wins and strikeouts.
NC State maintains its #HomerunMindset as 10 of the 13 Wolfpack returners have at least one career home run. Nordberg led NC State in 2020 with seven home runs, ranking fourth in the ACC. Rizzi and Sam Sack followed behind with six apiece.
2020 RECAP
The Wolfpack were off to a hot start in 2020, before the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. NC State had kicked off its season with the best 15-game start in program history and earned its first 3-0 start to ACC play since 2015 with a sweep over Notre Dame.
NC State finished the 2020 season ranked sixth in the NCAA in home runs per game (1.52) and 11th in slugging percentage (.544), both marks which led the ACC. The Wolfpack also ranked third in the ACC with a .319 batting average and a .760 winning percentage.
SCOUTING BOSTON COLLEGE
Boston College opened its 2021 season in Jacksonville with two games apiece against North Florida and Jacksonville. The Eagles lone victory came in its first game against North Florida with a 2-0 win.
Boston College returns 17 letterwinners, including all nine position starters from 2020 and its three primary pitchers. Their offensive attack is led by Emme Martinez who was a 2019 All-ACC Second Team selection. The teams pitching rotation is headlined by Susannah Anderson who had a 1.80 ERA in 85.2 innings last season. She picked up BC's lone win last weekend and pitched 14.2 of the team's 25 innings.
2021 is the second season for Boston College head coach, Amy Kvilhaug. Kvilhaug led the Eagles to a 9-12 record last season. NC State leads the all-time series between the two teams, 24-16 and has won the last seven-straight.
SCOUTING LOUISVILLE
Louisville was picked one spot above the Wolfpack in the 2021 ACC Coaches Preseason Poll, after going 10-13 in 2020. The Cardinals opened their 2021 season with a doubleheader against Alabama, after the team's originally scheduled tournament was canceled due to weather.
Louisville returns 14 letterwinners from 2020 in addition to seven newcomers. The Cardinals were led last season by the Greenwood sisters as Cassady Greenwood led th team with a .386 batting average and Camry was second with a .373. The team also returns powerhouse Celene Funke who finished 2020 on a 10-game hitting streak.
The Cardinals pitching staff is led by Taylor Roby who went 5-7 in 2020 with a 2.00 ERA in 73.2 innings pitched. Louisville used three pitchers in its openeing weekend, with Southern Indiana grad transfer Jennifer Leonhardt leading the team with six innings pitched. Leonhardt holds a 0.00 ERA after allowing four unearned runs between the two games.
UP NEXT
NC State will remain at home as it welcomes Gardner-Webb to Raleigh for a three-game series, Feb. 27-28.
Dail Softball Stadium will also serve host to several neutral site ACC matchups, all of which can also be found on ACCNX.
Due to health and safety recommendations and current state guidelines, attendance at NC State softball home competitions is limited to a pass list of player and coach guests only. No tickets are available to the general public at this time. Please continue to visit GoPack.com for the latest updates.
HOME SWEET HOME
Wednesday marks the first time in program history that the Wolfpack will open its season at home and the third time in the state of North Carolina. Additionally, it will be the first time to open the season in conference play. In the two seasons under Jennifer Patrick-Swift, NC State has compiled a 32-17 record at home. The Wolfpack were 17-3 at home in 2020.
2021 OUTLOOK
The Wolfpack return a stacked roster, including its entire starting lineup from the 2020 season. NC State will look to its three "super seniors", Tatyana Forbes, Brigette Nordberg and Angie Rizzi, for veteran experience but will also be boasted by a talented freshman class which includes a total of seven players.
Forbes picked up a handful of preseason honors, becoming the first NC State athlete to be named to the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List. Forbes was also named to the Preseason All-ACC team in addition to earning Preseason All-America honors from Justin's World of Softball. She currently leads all active Division 1 players in career batting average and ranked second in the nation in hits in 2020 with 43.
Abby Trahan will make her highly anticipated Wolfpack debut, after redshirting the 2020 season. Trahan was named ACC Preseason Newcomer of the Year by D1Softball and will add experience in the circle for NC State, after being a two-time conference Pitcher of the Year. The Wolfpack's roster features five pitchers, its most since the 2020 season, and includes returner Sydney Nester who ranked second in the ACC a year ago in wins and strikeouts.
NC State maintains its #HomerunMindset as 10 of the 13 Wolfpack returners have at least one career home run. Nordberg led NC State in 2020 with seven home runs, ranking fourth in the ACC. Rizzi and Sam Sack followed behind with six apiece.
2020 RECAP
The Wolfpack were off to a hot start in 2020, before the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. NC State had kicked off its season with the best 15-game start in program history and earned its first 3-0 start to ACC play since 2015 with a sweep over Notre Dame.
NC State finished the 2020 season ranked sixth in the NCAA in home runs per game (1.52) and 11th in slugging percentage (.544), both marks which led the ACC. The Wolfpack also ranked third in the ACC with a .319 batting average and a .760 winning percentage.
SCOUTING BOSTON COLLEGE
Boston College opened its 2021 season in Jacksonville with two games apiece against North Florida and Jacksonville. The Eagles lone victory came in its first game against North Florida with a 2-0 win.
Boston College returns 17 letterwinners, including all nine position starters from 2020 and its three primary pitchers. Their offensive attack is led by Emme Martinez who was a 2019 All-ACC Second Team selection. The teams pitching rotation is headlined by Susannah Anderson who had a 1.80 ERA in 85.2 innings last season. She picked up BC's lone win last weekend and pitched 14.2 of the team's 25 innings.
2021 is the second season for Boston College head coach, Amy Kvilhaug. Kvilhaug led the Eagles to a 9-12 record last season. NC State leads the all-time series between the two teams, 24-16 and has won the last seven-straight.
SCOUTING LOUISVILLE
Louisville was picked one spot above the Wolfpack in the 2021 ACC Coaches Preseason Poll, after going 10-13 in 2020. The Cardinals opened their 2021 season with a doubleheader against Alabama, after the team's originally scheduled tournament was canceled due to weather.
Louisville returns 14 letterwinners from 2020 in addition to seven newcomers. The Cardinals were led last season by the Greenwood sisters as Cassady Greenwood led th team with a .386 batting average and Camry was second with a .373. The team also returns powerhouse Celene Funke who finished 2020 on a 10-game hitting streak.
The Cardinals pitching staff is led by Taylor Roby who went 5-7 in 2020 with a 2.00 ERA in 73.2 innings pitched. Louisville used three pitchers in its openeing weekend, with Southern Indiana grad transfer Jennifer Leonhardt leading the team with six innings pitched. Leonhardt holds a 0.00 ERA after allowing four unearned runs between the two games.
UP NEXT
NC State will remain at home as it welcomes Gardner-Webb to Raleigh for a three-game series, Feb. 27-28.
Players Mentioned
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