The Wolfpacker

76 ■ THE WOLFPACKER When Nimmo is not pitching, the top re- cruit will also contribute to the team in the field. She excelled at third base on the prep level, but Rychcik admitted displacing senior Lana Van Dyken at the hot corner would be difficult, so the rookie could see time at sec- ond base, designated player or in the outfield. The Pack returns seven of the eight players that started at least 57 of the team's 60 games last year. Outside of the big two, NCSU only has to replace a pair of part-time starters, so there aren't many holes in the lineup. Four of the top five hitters from last year's slugging squad return, and the Pack also welcomes back redshirt junior first baseman/designated player Hanna Sommer, who missed last year with a knee injury but is a proven bat at the ACC level with 16 career home runs. "We're bringing back a lot of people that have played, and there were some people that were in their first year playing last year," Rychcik said. "That was [junior outfielder] Tyler Ross' first year of playing full-time, and she started all 60 games, hit .309 and drove in a school-record 55 runs with 14 home runs. She's gone through the ups and downs. Now she has a lot more experience. "I think we're probably going to be the best offensive team I've had since I've been at State, and that's saying a lot because we lose the best player we've ever had here of- fensively and one of the best power hitters in ACC history." With so many proven bats returning, the coach thinks his team has the potential to hit 75-100 home runs — the program record, set in 2013, is 88 and the team knocked 75 over the fence last season. "Last year sets the standard for what we want," he said. "All three years here, we've gone to the NCAAs. … It's something they expect now — just to be successful and win. "When we get to the postseason like we're planning, we've been there, we know what to expect, we know how to handle the situation and the pressure. "Hopefully those experiences will carry us through the tougher parts of the season be- cause we've been there and done that. That's where I get really excited about this team — we've got a lot of experience at a lot of important positions." ■ Newcomer To Watch Freshman pitcher/utility player Brit- tany Nimmo — She was named Missouri's Gato- rade Player of the Year last year after going 26-4 with a 0.86 ERA, while also hitting .425 with nine homers and 38 RBI. This fall, she pitched 20 1 ⁄3 innings, striking out 21 and allowing just one earned run. Players To Watch Junior outfielder Tyler Ross After setting a school record with 55 RBI last year, the Cameron, N.C., native was named to the All-ACC second team. Her .309 batting average leads all returners, while she was even better in league play with a .318 clip. During the team's 8-0 showing this fall, she led the Pack with five home runs and 13 RBI. Junior pitcher Courtney Mirabella The native of Bradenton, Fla., should step into the role of staff ace this year after making 46 appearances and 24 starts in her first two years on campus. Opponents hit just .207 against her last year, which ranked sixth in the ACC, and her 2.80 ERA checked in at No. 8. Redshirt junior first baseman Hanna Sommer Sommer redshirted last season after suffering a knee injury, but the Tustin, Calif., product showed she was back this fall by blasting three homers in eight contests. She started 107 games in 2013 and 2014, tallying 12 doubles, 16 round-trippers and 47 RBI. ■ By The Numbers 3 Wolfpackers who return after belting double-digit home runs last season — junior outfielder Tyler Ross (14), junior catcher Molly Hutchison (13) and senior first baseman Maggie Hawkins (11), who showed a knack for clutch hits last year. Sophomore outfielder Meredith Burroughs just missed the cut, knocking nine out. 4 Offensive school records were set last season — runs scored (320), RBI (293), walks (227) and on-base percentage (.367). 130 Strikeouts recorded by junior pitcher Courtney Mirabella in 105 innings last year; her 8.7 strikeouts per seven innings ranked third in the ACC and 26th nationally. Noting The Pack • In addition to setting the Pack's RBI record last year, junior outfielder Tyler Ross' 14 home runs tied for the fourth-best single-season total in school his- tory. Her 43 runs scored tied for fifth, her 58 hits and nine stolen bases tied for eighth, and her .580 slugging percentage ranked 10th. • NC State and North Carolina weren't slated to meet in conference play, so the two scheduled a March 16 game in Chapel Hill. • Junior catcher Molly Hutchinson has started 113 games over the past two years, hitting 23 homers and driving in 78 runs. She led the squad with 36 RBI in 2014, but she still "felt like she had a down year last season." Rychcik expects a big season — one even Hutchinson might consider a success — this time. ■ Key Games • ACC/Big Ten Challenge, Feb. 19-21 — The Pack opens its home slate by hosting the inaugural ACC/ Big Ten Challenge, facing Nebraska and Wisconsin for two games apiece. • Vs. Virginia Tech, March 5-6 — The Hokies start ACC play for NCSU, and head coach Shawn Rych- cik said the series "always seems to be pretty important in the standings." Last year's three-game sweep at Tech helped spur State's late-season run. • ACC Tournament, May 12-14 — NC State hosts the league championships for the first time since 2009. The team's challenging schedule — it will face 13 opponents that played in the 2015 NCAA Tournament, including last year's champion and runner-up — is in - tended to prepare them for another deep postseason run and it starts at home. Junior outfielder Tyler Ross — who batted .309 with 14 home runs and a school-record 55 RBI last year — leads the way for a lineup that head coach Shawn Rychcik said could be his best offensive team yet. PHOTO BY LARRY BLANKENSHIP

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