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April 27, 2007
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
Last week, the Terrapin softball team faced the ACC's top pitcher in Virginia Tech's Angela Tincher. It doesn't get much easier for the Terps this weekend. Maryland will take on defending ACC champion North Carolina State and one of the conference's top pitching tandems.
The Terps and Wolfpack play a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 1 p.m., and finish the series with a 1 p.m. game on Sunday.
Four-time ACC player of the week, Abbie Sims and reigning ACC Tournament MVP, Shaina Ervin, make for a dangerous combination in the pitcher's circle. Sims owns a record of 24-5 and a 1.74 ERA, while Ervin holds a 1.77 ERA.
For the second straight week and fourth time this season, Sims was picked as the ACC Softball Player of the Week last week. She tossed a perfect game and two other complete-game shutouts to help NC State to a perfect 5-0 week.
The senior from Artesia, N.M. opened the week by throwing her second career perfect game at Campbell, striking out 14. She capped off the week by shutting out rival No. 22 North Carolina twice in two days, allowing just eight hits over 14 innings.
Sims has now tossed four-straight complete game shutouts, two of which have been no-hitters. She was also named the USA Softball National Player of the week on March 20.
Maryland will have to be at its absolute best to slow down NC State and have success offensively against Sims and Ervin. "We have to increase our intensity level," said Terrapin Coach Laura Watten, after her team swept Towson on Wednesday. "We can't coast."
NC State has won 15 games in a row to soar to second place in the ACC standings. The red-hot Wolfpack have outscored its opposition 89-12 during that stretch, and have shutout their last six opponents.
The Terps certainly have the bats to stay with the Wolfpack. Maryland ranks third in the conference with a team average of .283, while NC State stands at fifth with an average of .272.
Amber Jackson alone will give Maryland an advantage in any game. The senior leads the ACC in five statistical categories, and ranks among the top five of four more. No player in the conference has recorded more home runs (18), stolen bases (30), or walks (47), and Jackson also leads the ACC in on base percentage (.559) and slugging percentage (.896). She ranks third nationally in homers and first overall in walks per game.
Meredith Nelles has stepped up her game in the pitcher's circle this season, and the Terps will need her again this weekend to stay with Sims. The sophomore has earned 16 wins on the year, sixth best in the conference, and last weekend got the better of Tincher in Maryland's 5-4 win over Virginia Tech.
Saturday's doubleheader will be a part of the Maryland Day festivities, and the Terps can expect a larger than usual crowd. All three games of the series will be broadcast online on ACC Select.
