The NC State softball team has won six of its last seven games and is on a roll after starting the season 4-4.
The Wolfpack (10-5) is coming off a weekend that saw the team win four of five at the Homewood Suites by Hilton RDU/RTP Invitational at Dail Softball Stadium in Raleigh, including tossing two no-hitters. Here are four takeaways from the first quarter of the season:
Sam Russ has been a revelation
The Wolfpack’s superstar freshman outfielder from Charlotte has been the Wolfpack’s best player so far. Russ is hitting a team second-high .421 on the year, is tied for the team lead with 16 hits, is second on the team with 10 runs, is tied for team lead with a .500 on-base percentage and has maintained a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.
Russ has also been a demon on the basepaths, nabbing a team-high seven stolen bases in just as many attempts. Her aggressiveness on the basepaths has been huge for the Wolfpack, which only has six stolen bases combined from the rest of the team.
So far on the year, Russ hasn’t just been the best player on NC State; she’s been one of the best players in the entire ACC. Heading into play on Sunday, Russ was in the top 10 in the ACC in batting average, on-base percentage, stolen bases, runs and hits.
Jade Caraway picking up where she left off
Sophomore outfielder Jade Caraway had an excellent 2017 season for the Wolfpack and is building even further on that success. The sophomore is third on the team with a .348 batting average, first on the team with 13 runs, tied for first with 16 hits, third on the team with a .456 on-base percentage and is the only player other than Sam Russ to have more than two stolen bases, with four.
After a record-breaking 2017 season, it would be easy to forgive Caraway for a slight return to Earth, but the complete opposite has happened. Caraway has elevated her play from All-ACC second team in 2017 to a strong contender to be named to the All-ACC first team so far in 2018.
Newcomers’ contributions have been vital
Highlighted by the play of Russ, the Wolfpack’s freshmen have been key contributors to the team’s good start. Aside from Russ, third baseman Timberlyn Shurbutt has been excellent, hitting .311 on the season, leading the team with five doubles, and racking up 11 RBIs, second-most on the team. Shurbutt also has a tendency to come up big in key moments, such as her sixth-inning grand slam in an extra-innings win over then-No. 22 Ohio State on Feb. 16.
Freshman catcher Lily Bishop has hit three home runs and freshman infielder Chandley Garner has smacked a home run as well. Bishop is third on the team with 10 RBIs and Garner is fourth with eight.
Sophomore pitcher Devin Wallace, who transferred in from Coastal Carolina, has been phenomenal as the Wolfpack’s ace in 2018. Wallace tossed a no-hitter against Wagner on Feb. 23 and has just a 2.02 ERA on the season. Wallace has limited opposing hitters to a miniscule .181 batting average against her and has been the most important player for a Wolfpack team that had its fair share of struggles with pitching last year.
Living by the long ball
The Wolfpack lost its top two home run hitters from 2017, but that hasn’t stopped the team from hitting dingers in 2018. The Wolfpack has already smacked 10 home runs on the year and is on pace for 36.
Bishop has hit three home runs on the season, Shurbutt and junior first baseman Cheyenne Balzer have smacked two home runs each, while senior infielder Alyssa Compton, sophomore infielder Haley Finn and Garner have each hit one.
The Wolfpack’s home runs tend to come at opportune times. Shurbutt’s grand slam against Ohio State helped propel the Wolfpack to an upset win, while Bishop’s two-home run game against Elon on Feb. 21 broke the game open for the Wolfpack and her other home run came in extra innings to beat Ohio University Sunday.
