With the season coming to a close, the N.C. State softball team hopes to finish on a high note as it takes on the Virginia Cavaliers in a three-game ACC series starting tomorrow afternoon at the Curtis and Jacqueline Dail Softball Stadium.
Coming off a series win over Virginia Tech last weekend, senior third baseman Bridget Desbois pointed to improved offense and defense, as well as pitching, as the reasons for the Wolfpack’s (24-20 overall, 5-11 ACC) recent success.
“The series against Virginia Tech went great,” Desbois said. “We finally all worked together as a team for those wins. It was defense, pitching and offense all put into one unit.”
Desbois, who sports a team-high batting average of .324, admitted that her success stems from relaxing at the plate, and thinking about nothing but the task at hand.
“It makes me feel confident, very confident,” Desbois said. “I think I’ve just been turning my brain off mentally when I hit, and not thinking about anything else. It seems to have been working.”
Even with State’s recent success, senior third baseman Alyssa Ishibashi stated that the outcome of Saturday’s game against Virginia will be difficult, but will come down to who fights harder to secure the series victory.
“They have been a slightly different team every year,” Ishibashi said. “I think they are faster than they have been in the past, so it is really up for grabs as to who wants to win. It simply comes down to who wants it more.”
With the Pack losing each past three season series against the Cavs in very close matchups, including a tight 1-0 loss in 2010, the team must be prepared every way possible in order to break the trend.
Ishibashi said she believes State is adequately prepared for Virginia, stemming from the fact that the coaching staff has made players watch game film and get familiar with Virginia’s playing style.
“For most teams that we play against, we have film that we watch so we are acquainted with their playing style,” Ishibashi said. “Occasionally, we have teams that have more left-handed batters than right-handed ones, so we try and prepare defensively for that as well.”
With both Desbois and Ishibashi being seniors this year, progression has definitely occurred according to both of the upperclassmen.
Desbois agreed with the fact that coach Lisa Navas has helped her become a better person, both on and off the field.
“I think Navas has taught me a lot of things on and off the field that have made me a better person,” Desbois said. “On the field, I’ve gained more confidence and she has helped my mental game. Off the field she has taught me respect and manners, along with how you carry yourself off the field.”
Saturday will feature a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. with the series finale starting at noon Saturday and will also serve as Senior Day.
