Austin Dowd
Junior pitchers Abbie Sims and Shaina Ervin are the veterans on a young N.C. State softball pitching staff. Together they have a combined 109 starts in the last two seasons. That is 95 more starts than the rest of the pitching staff combined.
Sophomore pitchers Brooke Isley and Megan Dalthorp have been successful, but they have a limited number of appearances.
“We want to put them in to be successful in situations,” coach Lisa Navas said. “We’re not going to go to a 1-2-3-4 rotation, but we’re going to look at how they complement each other and what situations arise.”
With Isley and Dalthorp pitching only in certain circumstances, Sims and Ervin will have to handle the bulk of the pitching duties for the Wolfpack.
Sims, a native of New Mexico, said she embraces being called upon to take the circle so often.
“I had a couple of injuries last year; I missed between five to seven games. So, hopefully I’ll get a little bit more [starts] than I did last year,” Ervin said. “I’d like to improve our record and improve my individual record. So, I hope to get a couple more.”
Despite having a 40-18 career record, a 1.60 ERA and being selected to the All-ACC first team last season, Sims said she needs to improve some areas of her pitching to help State reach its goals this season.
“I think I need to become more consistent. I think if I become more consistent then the team can be more consistent,” Sims said. “I need to be a little bit more mentally tough because I think if I am consistent and mentally tough, we’d be pretty hard to beat.”
Navas said she agrees that when Sims pitches to her full potential, the Wolfpack are hard to beat.
“In my opinion, she is one of the top-25 pitchers in the country. She holds herself back; there are opportunities when she could do some things,” Navas said. “She doesn’t limit herself, but I think in her belief of how good she could possibly be, it’s scary.”
Ervin brings a career ERA of 1.92 into this season. Navas said Ervin’s career record of 22-28 is a product of her pitching style and being part of a young team.
“Shaina is a drop-ball pitcher and a drop-curve pitcher, so she isn’t going to get as many strikeouts. She’s going to get more balls in play, ground-ball out type of situations,” Navas said. “We weren’t good enough defensively behind her to keep us in games, so we’re losing by one or two runs. We haven’t produced when she’s been on the mound offensively. Her job is to get ground balls, and our job is to get an out. So we’ve got to do that.”
Ervin said she hopes to turn into the type of pitcher that batters do not expect to have success against.
“I want conference opponents of mine to look at me as a pitcher and not be confident when they go up to bat,” Ervin said.
To accomplish that goal, Ervin said she needs to cut down on leadoff walks, stay ahead in the count and have solid defensive play behind her.
“If all that gels together, then I will get closer and closer to meeting my expectations,” she said.
Sims and Ervin both said being a pitcher, not necessarily their experience, is what makes them leaders on the team.
“I think it’s part of the job. Navas always says you’re in the circle in the middle of the field all by yourself,” Sims said. “Everyone is looking at you. On the field I am looked at as a leader and that comes with the position.”
Ervin said leadership for her was also a choice.
“As a pitcher you’re sort of an automatic leader because you’re in control of every situation. I feel like I have presence on the field that people just cling to. Despite the position making me an automatic leader, I chose a long time ago to lead this team to many successes,” Ervin said.
Ervin said if she and Sims provide leadership and consistently strong efforts this season, they could lead State softball to its first ACC championship.
“I have no doubt that we can be ACC champions this year,” Ervin said.