After a short rest following the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, NC State softball will set its sights on the visiting Elon Phoenix on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at Dail Softball Stadium at 4 p.m.
The Wolfpack (5-4) played well in a weekend scrum against Ohio State and Illinois. NC State started off right, sweeping the Buckeyes with back-to-back 5-3 wins, but split the final two games against Illinois, flipping from an impressive 7-2 victory to a disappointing 7-3 loss in its final weekend contest.
The game marks the Wolfpack’s first meeting with the Phoenix (7-1) in the 2020 season. In their previous matchup back in October, the Pack came away with a 9-2 victory and has won 6 of the last 10 contests between these two teams.
Elon will roll into Raleigh for its first away game of the season with an impressive 7-1 record. The Phoenix played its own four-game series this weekend, defeating Radford, Morgan State and Siena to extend its winning streak to 6 games.
NC State will look for production from junior left fielder Sam Russ. Russ led the Pack with three hits and two runs in its loss to Illinois and created offense with two stolen bases. Senior outfielder Tatyana Forbes is another player to look out for, leading the team with 17 hits and a .548 batting average this season.
Players to watch for Elon are Megan White and Megan Grant. White leads the team’s offense with a .455 batting average and 11 RBIs, and has complemented that success with strong work in the field. White has shown her consistency and strength with home runs in back-to-back games. Grant has been hitting well in Elon’s past few contests, and leads the team with eleven hits. Her baserunning ability is also something that could give the Wolfpack some problems.
The Pack comes into this contest with a weaker record but stronger strength of schedule, having played three games against opponents ranked in the top 25 and five more against teams receiving votes. The score of its most recent matchup might not suggest it, but these two teams have a history of close contests, and Elon has built up confidence with a respectable opening record.
The first pitch between the Pack and the Phoenix at Dail Softball Stadium will be on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 4 p.m.
