The NC State softball team is slated to host the NC State Invitational this upcoming weekend from Feb. 28 – March 1. It will play games against Lehigh, North Carolina A&T and No. 24 James Madison University.
The Pack (11-5) is looking to bounce back after a midweek loss to Duke on Feb. 26. Duke started the game with a one-out home run in the top of the first and while the Pack was able to tie it back up in the bottom of the inning, it wasn’t able to keep up with Duke’s momentum the rest of the game.
The Wolfpack’s bats have had a strong start to the season. The team averages 4.9 runs per game and has only been shut out once. Senior outfielder Tatyana Forbes is currently ranked second in the nation in hits with 29 and she leads the team with a .547 batting average. The Pack’s baserunning has been stellar, currently ranked 14th in the country with 26 stolen bases on 39 attempts.
NC State’s two starting pitchers, senior Devin Wallace and sophomore Sydney Nester, will be receiving a lot of action this weekend. Wallace has a 3.22 ERA with 41 strikeouts while Nester has a 3.56 ERA with 62 strikeouts.
Lehigh (3-2) will be looking to bring the momentum from its recent win against Saint Joseph’s into Friday’s matchup. While four players on its roster have over a .35o batting average, the Mountain Hawks have struggled to score runs, crossing home plate only eight times in five games. Senior pitcher Parker Boyd highlights Leigh’s excellent pitching with a 1.47 ERA and 16 strikeouts.
North Carolina A&T (2-11) has struggled both offensively and defensively to start the season. Pitching wise the team has a 7.03 combined ERA with only 28 combined strikeouts. On the other side of the diamond, the team has struggled to hit with a .219 combined batting average and a total of 58 strikeouts and no home runs. Redshirt junior utility player Stephanie Williams has been the Aggies only hope with 6 RBIs and 5 extra-base hits.
James Madison (6-3) will be the toughest challenge for the Wolfpack this weekend. The Dukes are ranked No. 24 in the country after wins against No. 25 Texas Tech, No. 21 Missouri and No. 16 South Carolina. JMU’s offense is led by senior outfielder Kate Gordon, who currently holds a .630 batting average with 3 home runs and 7 RBIs.
The Pack will start the weekend at 12:30 p.m. Friday afternoon against Lehigh. It’ll play North Carolina A&T Saturday at 3 p.m. followed by a 5:30 matchup against James Madison and conclude the weekend against North Carolina A&T again Sunday at 3 p.m.
