The weather is getting warmer, and in just under a week the NC State softball team will be leaving the dugout and taking the field for the first time this season.
The Wolfpack finished the 2019 season with an overall record of 31-27 and a hard-fought loss to North Carolina in the semifinals of the ACC Championship after knocking off one-seed Virginia Tech in the quarterfinals.
The 2020 season features many interesting ACC and nonconference matchups including games against ranked nonconference opponents Minnesota and Kentucky to start the season.
Here are a few important games for the Pack in 2020:
NFCA Leadoff Classic, Feb. 7-9
NC State will begin its season in Clearwater, Florida where it will take on No. 7 Minnesota, Ole Miss, No. 17 Kentucky, Missouri State and Mississippi State in a highly competitive weekend. The first pitch of the season will come against Minnesota on Friday. The Gophers are returning from a 46-14 2019 season that included a bid to the NCAA Minneapolis Regional and eventually the Women’s College World Series. The weekend will feature doubleheaders for the Wolfpack on both Friday and Saturday, and a Sunday afternoon game to close out what will be a tough road test for this NC State team.
ACC/Big Ten Challenge, Feb. 14-16
The Wolfpack will open its home schedule in Raleigh against Ohio State and Illinois. The weekend will feature another Saturday doubleheader and afternoon games on both Friday and Sunday. Ohio State finished 2019 with a record of 35-18 and a loss to North Carolina in the Knoxville regional while Illinois went 33-25 and lost to Virginia Tech in the Lexington regional. These are key wins for the Pack before it opens ACC play.
FairField Crabtree Invitational, Feb. 21-23
In this weekend matchup, the Pack will host Bucknell, Saint Joseph’s and Indiana. It will play doubleheaders on both Friday and Saturday and conclude the weekend with an afternoon game against the Bucknell Bison. The battle against Indiana may be the toughest competition NC State will face all weekend. The Hoosiers were 36-21 in 2019 and lost in the quarterfinal of the Big Ten Tournament to Northwestern.
Duke, Feb. 26
Although this one game set is against an ACC team, it will not count as the opener of ACC play. NC State traveled to Durham last season where it took two of three games including a close 2-1 win that went nine innings. The Blue Devils are projected to finish just behind NC State in the ACC coaches poll, and this should be a solid matchup.
NC State Invitational, Feb. 28-March 1
The Pack is also slated to host Lehigh, North Carolina A&T and James Madison in another weekend series this season. Both Lehigh and NC A&T are returning from disappointing 2019 seasons. Lehigh went 27-28 while the Aggies won only nine of their 40 games. James Madison will be the biggest challenge for the Wolfpack this weekend, having won 51 games and losing only 10 in their 2019 season including a bid to the NCAA Los Angeles Super Regional.
Notre Dame, March 7-8
In the second conference matchup of the season, NC State will host Notre Dame in a weekend series that is sure to be exciting. Notre Dame is projected to finish third in the ACC standings after a 37-18 campaign last season. These two teams played each other three times in 2019 where the Fighting Irish took 2 of 3 in domination, beating the Pack 11-2 and 12-3.
at Virginia Tech, March 13-15
In its first ACC road test, the Pack will travel north to Blacksburg, Virginia to take on the Virginia Tech Hokies. Virginia Tech went 47-11 last season which earned them the second place ranking in the ACC preseason poll. The Pack lost all its regular season meetings last year against the Hokies but beat them 3-2 in the ACC Championship Quarterfinal.
North Carolina, April 17-19
The Wolfpack will host its rival North Carolina in a highly anticipated matchup in mid-April. The Tar Heels are slated to finish fourth in the ACC after a very successful 2019 season. These two teams did not meet during last year’s regular season, but the Tar Heels won their only matchup in the ACC Championship Semifinal.
at Louisville April 24-26
In the second-to-last series of the regular season the Pack will travel to Kentucky to play the Louisville Cardinals. These two teams played each other three times last season and the Wolfpack won all three games including a 7-6, 11-inning thriller.
