University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Picked To Finish Fourth In ACC
February 6, 2017 | Softball
GREENSBORO – North Carolina softball has been projected to finish fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference this season, as elected by the league's 11 head coaches. The Tar Heels finished in a tie for fifth place last season with a 13-11 conference record and advanced to the ACC Tournament Semifinals.
Florida State was unanimously chosen as the preseason favorite to win the ACC in 2017. The Seminoles are ranked in the top four nationally in both preseason polls after winning the ACC and advancing to the Women's College World Series Semifinals in 2016.
Behind FSU's perfect score of 100, Louisville (86) narrowly beat out Notre Dame (84) for the second-place spot in the ACC Preseason Poll.
Carolina took home 67 votes, while Virginia Tech (58) surpassed Boston College (57) by a single vote. Syracuse (48) and Pittsburgh (44) round out the top eight teams expected to qualify for the ACC Tournament, which will be hosted by North Carolina at Anderson Stadium on May 11-13.
The Tar Heels have a clean slate this season, returning just eight players with playing experience from 2016 while bringing in a crop of 10 freshmen. UNC returns the bulk of its pitching rotation from last year, as senior Kendra Lynch pitched 80 percent after the Tar Heels' innings in 2016, but is joined this year by a healthy Sydney Matzko, who missed the majority of last season with an injury after a breakout campaign as a freshman in 2015, as well as three rookie hurlers, Kellyn Daly, Brittany Pickett and Hannah Nommensen.
Despite returning 88 percent of its pitching from last season, Carolina brings back just 52 percent of its at-bats along with 54 percent of its hits and 49 percent of RBIs. However, the Tar Heels do return a strong core of power-hitters at the plate in Lynch, Taylor Wike and Berlynne Delamora, as well as speed demon Destiny DeBerry, who stole 33 bases last season as a freshman.
UNC opens the 2017 season this Friday, Feb. 10, against Illinois to kick off the Puerto Rico DI Tournament.
ACC Softball Predicted Order of Finish)
1. Florida State – 100 (10 first-place votes)
2. Louisville – 86
3. Notre Dame – 84
4. North Carolina – 67
5. Virginia Tech – 58
6. Boston College – 57
7. Syracuse – 48
8. Pittsburgh – 44
9. NC State – 30
10. Georgia Tech – 17
11. Virginia – 14
