In four years, the class went to two NCAA Regionals, won a conference title, earned the No. 15 seed in the 2007 postseason and molded a brand-spanking new program into a perennial winner.
However, the N.C. State senior class ended its run when South Carolina ousted them on May 19 from the double-elimination Columbia Regional, falling short of what would have been first-ever NCAA Super Regional.
The Gamecocks, victors in both of State’s postseason losses, were the host team despite State having the top seed in the Regional.
It was a rough ending to the season all-around for the Wolfpack. In the previous week, the team lost its first two games in the ACC Tournament despite being the favorites to repeat.
“For the end of the year, it was disappointing. We did what we needed to but just didn’t get any breaks,” coach Lisa Navas said. “We hit the ball hard and stuff, but it just seemed to be right to people and South Carolina seemed to be getting the breaks and making things happen.”
The exit from the tournament was considered by some team members as coming up short after a 42-win season that included a 16-game winning streak.
“I felt like we didn’t play our ‘A’ game in the last two weeks due to a lot of factors,” freshman outfielder Allison Presnell said. “It was kind of an out-of-body experience. We weren’t playing like the successful team we had been all year long.”
Four years ago, to be disappointed with a postseason berth seemed unlikely, if unrealistic. But for the seniors who laid the foundation for the program, their own expectations for this year included that the postseason wasn’t enough.
“The expectations were not to get the berth,” Navas said. “When we were seeded 15th, knowing we had played one of the toughest schedules in the country, and who we were on the field with … everything seemed perfect.”
Presnell said they couldn’t say enough about the contributions that the seniors have made to the success this year and in the future.
“They have an impact on our team for the next few years,” Presnell said. “They’re the ones who built the program from the ground-up, so they’ll always be remembered for establishing our place on the map for softball and putting it on the national level.”
The seniors may have never gotten to play on their own home turf, but their production and leadership won’t soon be forgotten among their former teammates.
“You could tell it was a tight bond that no one else could compare to,” Presnell said of the nine seniors. “Our seniors put this team on the map and it’s our job as underclassmen to continue to build on their success to become a better team and a better program for the future.”
One of those who finished her collegiate careers is Jen Chamberlin – the ACC’s all-time leader in home runs with 49. She also holds the record for the longest hitting streak in school history with 11 and batted .303 throughout four years.
Another is Abbie Sims – arguably the best player in school history.
Sims, the first State player to be named ACC Player of the Year, won 90 games, had 1,091 strikeouts and posted a 1.69 ERA during her illustrious career. In her final year, she even added to the team’s success as a batter, adding 11 home runs and a .292 batting average.
“We had always accomplished more than we had the previous year in each of their seasons and in some ways it’s so disappointing that they didn’t go where they wanted to,” Navas said. “We just tip our hats to those kids and have to move on.”
