University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Softball Prepares For Tar Heel Invitational
April 6, 2000 | Softball
April 6, 2000
The UNC softball team, 33-13 on the season, will host its annual Tar Heel Invitational Tournament this weekend at Finley Field. Games in the round-robin event are scheduled for 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. There is no charge for admission.
Besides the Tar Heels, the field includes Florida International, Radford and Virginia. Carolina took a two-game series with Virginia last weekend in Charlottesville, Va., to open the ACC season 2-0. The Tar Heels swept a doubleheader from Radford in February.
Carolina heads into the weekend's four games ready to revise the program's record book:
* Senior Crystal Henderson is one stolen base away from tying the UNC career record of 73, set by Sonya Bright, who played for the Tar Heels from 1990-93.
* Henderson is three doubles from tying the UNC career record of 33, currently held by Christine Kubin, who played at UNC from 1993-96.
* Sophomore Natalie Anter is one home run from tying the UNC single-season mark of 10. Just a season and a half into her college career, Anter already owns UNC's career record with her total of 17. That mark previously was held by Beverly Smith, now a UNC assistant coach, who hit 14 home runs from 1991-94.
Additional notes:
* As a team, the Tar Heels already have established a school single-season home run record with a total of 31. The previous best was 27, set last season. Anter leads the team with nine homers and seven other players have hit at least one.
* The Tar Heels currently rank ninth among NCAA Division I teams in batting average. Led by junior Michelle Semmes at .383, the UNC team is batting .316.
* Coach Donna Papa, in her 15th year in Chapel Hill, recently earned her 500th win at UNC. She has a career record of 537-321-2 and is now 508-306-2 with the Tar Heels.
Tar Heel Invitational Tournament
All games at Finley Field
Sat., April 8
10 a.m.-Florida International vs. Radford
Noon-North Carolina vs. Virginia
2 p.m.-North Carolina vs. Florida International
4 p.m.-Virginia vs. Radford
Sun., April 9
10 a.m.-Florida International vs. Virginia
Noon-North Carolina vs. Radford
2 p.m.-Consolation game (#3 team vs. #4 team)
4 p.m.-Championship game (#1 team vs. #2 team)
