Softball to Host UNC for Final Home ACC Series

Friday, April 21

Raleigh, NC

6pm

NC State

UNC

4/20/2023 10:23:00 AM | Softball

RALEIGH -- The Wolfpack softball team is set to host in-state rival UNC for the final home conference series of the 2023 season. Play is set to begin Friday at 6pm in Dail Stadium and will be broadcast on ACCNX.

Due to NC State's Power Forward Initiative, there will be construction and road closures on and around Cates Avenue this weekend. Please plan to park in the Coliseum Deck located across from the soccer field. To park in the Coliseum Deck, please arrive via Pullen Road off of Hillsborough Street or Western Boulevard. Turn off of Pullen Road at Dunn Avenue to park in the Coliseum Deck.

Scouting UNC

The Tar Heels lead the all time series 29-25 and have won three of the last five meetings
Utility player Alex Brown leads the team with a .392 batting average and ranks seventh in the ACC
Infielder Abby Settlemyre is 10th in the ACC and second on the team with a .382 batting average
Settlemyre leads the team with 50 hits, nine doubles, and eight homers
All five on the pitching staff record a sub-five ERA, with Talia Hannappel leading the way (1.91)
Likely the Pack will see sophomore Lilli Backers in the circle as she leads the Tar Heels with 11 wins, four shutouts, and 101 strikeouts

Continuing Their Story

The season has proven to be far from ordinary but Team 19 continues to make their mark in program history
In three days the Pack: recorded three straight sellouts (third time in program history), third largest attendance in program history (785), and beat a Top 25 team for the first time since 2021
Sophomore Hannah Goodwin recorded the final out in game three with the Tigers to finalize the win against her former team
Redshirt-junior Aisha Weixlmann came in as relief in all three games against the Tigers and recorded a stellar performance [11.1 innings, 1.24 ERA, 13 K's, 5 hits, 2 eraned runs, .119 opp. b/a]
Graduate Katlyn Pavlick recorded the three-run bomb that secured the win offensively for the Pack -- this season she averages at least one homer a weekend

Ranked Statistically

The Pack currently ranks 21st in the country for homers per game
Freshman Amanda Hasler is 20th in the country for hit by pitch as she recorded her 13th against Clemson
Hasler's hit by pitch total has her one away from tying the single season record (14 by Ashley Ishibashi in 2009)
Team 19 ranks 10th in program history with 54 homers this season -- previous total was 50 set in 2010
The 2023 roster also ranks 10th in program history for hit by pitch with a team total of 34

From the Circle

Freshman Madison Inscoe has been the go-to pitcher for the Pack this season, having started 21 games
Fellow freshman Rylee Wyman recorded her first career shutout in her first complete game against USC Upstate
Wyman's shutout was the first by a freshman since 2019 for the Wolfpack (Sydney Nester)
Redshirt-junior Aisha Weixlmann recorded the teams first shutout of the season against L.A. Tech (game two)
Freshman Wynne Gore and junior Brooklyn Lucero have made appearences for the Pack this season, but are currently in relief positions

Just get on Base

Since taking over the program, coaches Deven Boland and Carson Shaner don't care strictly about hitting the long ball -- the two have the philosophy of do what it takes to get on base and score more than the other team
Since March 3, the Pack has recorded: 103 runs, 34 homers, 12 doubles, two triples -- two pitchers also have a sub-five ERA with two recording a shutout

Making Adjustments

The Wolfpack recorded four homers in the win over NC A&T on March 29
When the Pack records two or more home runs in a game, they are 11-2
In the NC A&T game, coach Shaner told the team to let the ball come to them and in the sixth inning they started driving the ball to record five runs with three homers
Aisha Weixlmann has continued to improve in the circle throughout the season and she recorded a season high seven strikeouts against the Aggies
Taylor Ensley has made her way into the starting lineup at second base while Libby Whittaker slides into the DP role

Building the Resume

Freshman catcher Amanda Hasler can add pitch caller to her resume -- Coach Boland and Shaner said the freshman knows the pitchers better than anyone, she's a nerd of the game
The freshman called the pitches for all three games against Notre Dame and is only the second catcher to do so in program history (Alyssa Allbritten, '08-'11)
She leads the team in RBI's (18), home runs (7), and putouts (138)
She ranks first in program history for hit by pitch in a freshman campaign (13)

Inked the Record Book

The Wolfpack's 19 runs scored in game one against NC Central was the third most runs scored in program history
The 19 runs scored was one short of tying the second most scored in program history
After recording five stolen bases, three coming from Ellie Goins, the Pack tied the third most in program history in a single game
Amanda Hasler ranks first in freshman program records for hit by pitch with 10
Hasler also is only the second catcher in program history to call pitches