The NC State softball team will travel to Gainesville, Florida, to take on the No. 1 Florida Gators and the Iowa Hawkeyes Friday in the Florida Tournament.
The Wolfpack (2-3) is coming off a trip to Louisiana where it took on some top talent including the No. 7 Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns and the No. 16 Louisiana State Tigers, as well as the Central Arkansas Bears and the Memphis Tigers.
State was able to handle Central Arkansas and Memphis but was shut out twice in the team’s three losses to the Cajuns and LSU.
The Pack had standout performances from sophomore pitcher Courtney Mirabella, who broke a personal record by recording 14 strikeouts against Central Arkansas, and sophomore outfielder Tyler Ross who brought a hot bat to Louisiana, recording seven hits during the trip.
Head coach Shawn Rychcik said the Wolfpack’s opening tournament was a step in the right direction for his team.
“I’m real pleased,” Rychcik said. “I saw a lot of progress and we just have to get better for next weekend.”
State’s largest test of the upcoming weekend will come in the form of a three-game stint against Florida, the defending NCAA champions. The Gators currently boast a 5-0 record and are led by a dominant pitching staff that has already recorded three shutouts.
The Pack’s power hitters will need to step up big to combat the impressive Florida pitchers. Senior shortstop Renada Davis, who led the team last season in nearly every offensive category, will look to use her experience to outplay the Gators.
The Florida offense has also shown up big this season, as the Gators’ hitters have scored 46 runs so far this season, just over nine per game.
Junior outfielder Kirsti Merritt is a key member for the Gators as she currently leads the team with three home runs and nine RBIs.
The Pack will also face off against the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday. Iowa has compiled a 3-2 record this season, with all five games being played in Iowa City.
The Hawkeyes have not played against a ranked opponent yet this season and will be hungry for a resume -building win against the Pack.
Iowa has struggled to put runs on the board this season, scoring only 20 runs in their five games. Pitching for the Hawkeyes has been average as well, as the team’s pitching staff has allowed 21 runs.
State will look to upset the Gators at least once this weekend and bolster its record non-conference before ACC play rolls around.
