Softball Resumes ACC Action

Friday, April 9

Raleigh, N.C.

6:00 PM

NC State

Pitt

4/8/2021 1:59:00 PM | Softball

Pitt Week 8 Notes Live Stats Friday (ACCNX)Saturday (Out of Market)Sunday (ACC Network)

RALEIGH, N.C. – Following a non-conference sweep last weekend, the NC State softball team resumes Atlantic Coast Conference action this weekend, April 9-11, at Dail Softball Stadium against Pitt. The series opens Friday evening at 6 p.m. on ACCNX, followed by a Saturday 12 p.m. doubleheader on RSN. Sunday's series finale is set for 5 p.m. on ACC Network. Attendance at NC State softball events remains limited to player and staff guests only.

RSN AFFILIATES (SATURDAY)
ACCNX stream will only be available for those out of market.
Fox Sports South
YES (Delay Broadcast)
NESN Plus
AT&T Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Marquee
MASN
Fox Sports Southwest Plus - TX, LA

LAST TIME OUT
NC State's offense came alive in the three-game series against North Carolina A&T, outscoring the Aggies 39-2. Randi Farricker was the spark plug, as she hit four home runs in four consecutive at bats, including three in the series finale. Her three home runs in a single-game tie the program record, and tie for the most by Division 1 player this season.

Across the three games, NC State hit a total of 10 home runs by six different players. The Pack's 17 runs in the series finale tied for the third most in program history and the most since April 21, 2015.

It was a solid weekend in the circle for the Wolfpack as well, as Abby Trahan opened the weekend with a one-hit, six-inning shutout where she had a season-high 11 strikeouts. The pitching staff, which included starts by Sydney Nester and Brooklyn Lucero, posted a 0.88 ERA and had 18 strikeouts over the weekend.

#HOMERUNMINDSET
NC State leads the ACC and ranks eighth nationally with 1.68 home runs per game. NC State has led the ACC and been in the top-20 nationally ever week since opening its 2021 schedule. As a team, the Pack has 47 home runs through 28 games, including 15 games with multiple home runs. Just a little over halfway through the 2021 schedule, NC State's total already ranks ninth all-time in program history.

Farricker currently leads the ACC with 12 home runs this season. She is averaging 0.43 per game, which ranks 17^th nationally. Her .957 slugging percentage leads the ACC and is among the top-15 nationally as 19 of her 22 hits this season have been for extra bases. As a team, NC State has 12 different players with at least one home run this season, including five with more than six apiece.

HOME SWEET HOME
NC State has a 15-6 record this season inside Dail Stadium and has played 21 of the team's 28 games at home, including the opening 18 games of the season. The Wolfpack has had a winning record at home the last two-straight seasons.

A LOOK AT PITT
Pitt (10-20, 5-15 ACC) enters the weekend looking for its first ACC series win of the season. The Panthers most recently went 1-3 against Louisville last weekend, with its lone win coming in a 9-7 victory. The team's best weekend series came against Georgia Tech where they split, 2-2, including an eight-run seventh inning, 9-8, comeback win.

Freshman Cami Compson currently leads the Panthers with a team-best .338 batting average and seven home runs. Pitt has solid speed on the base paths as EC Taylor leads the ACC with 24 stolen bases this season, a mark that ranks directly above NC State's Angie Rizzi and Sam Russ, who became NC State's all-time career stolen base leader last weekend. .

In the circle, Abby Edwards and Brittany Knight have seen a bulk of the innings with 67.1 and 70.2, respectively. Edwards has a team-best 4.05 ERA while Knight has 54 strikeouts.

NC STATE-PITT SERIES
Friday marks the first meeting between the two programs under their respective coaching staffs, as NC State and Pitt have not met since the 2018 season.

Pitt owns the slight advantage, 10-8, in the all-time series including winning four of the last five meetings. NC State's last win against the Panthers came on March 2, 2018 where the Pack won the opening game of the series.

UP NEXT
NC State will face a top-20 test as the Wolfpack hosts #17/15 LSU next weekend, April 16-17. It will be the first meeting between the two programs since 2015 and the first time the Wolfpack has hosted the Tigers. All three games will be broadcast on ACCNX.