University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: ANTHONY SORBELLINI
Softball Faces Clemson In ACC Championship Quarterfinals Thursday
May 10, 2023 | Softball
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Carolina softball team (26-27, 13-10 ACC) opens postseason play on Thursday in the semifinals of the 2023 ACC Softball Championship, hosted by Notre Dame. The Tar Heels will face the No. 3 seed Clemson (45-8, 18-6 ACC) at Melissa Cook Stadium at 7:30 p.m. on ACC Network.
This is the eighth all-time meeting between the Tar Heels and the Tigers and first since 2022. The two teams did not face each other in the 2023 regular season.
SERIES BREAKDOWN
Overall: Clemson leads the series 7-0
In Clemson: Clemson leads 4-0
In Chapel Hill: Clemson leads 3-0
Neutral Site: 0-0
NOTABLES
• Abby Settlemyre (first team), Alex Brown/Lilli Backes (second team) and Kiersten Licea (third team) were all named to All-ACC teams on Wednesday. It is the most Tar Heel selections since 2019. All four were first-time honorees. Settlemyre is the first All-ACC first team selection since Kristina Burkhardt in 2019
• Alex Brown enters the game on a 17-game hit streak, which began at Virginia on April 1
• Brown was moved to the leadoff position in the lineup on April 2 at Virginia. Since then, she has hit .500 with a team-best 30 hits
• Brown's 63 hits on the season are the most by a Tar Heel since Kiani Ramsey in the 2018 season
• The Tar Heels have hit 37 home runs this season, the most by a Carolina team since 2017 (59)
• Skyler Brooks is a perfect 14-of-14 on the base path this season
• Lilli Backes went from having the worst ERA in the ACC as a freshman (6.41) to having a top-5 ERA this season (2.15). She's tossed four complete-game shutouts this season and is 11-4 in conference games
• Backes has pitched 173.2 innings this season, the most for a Carolina pitcher since Brittany Pickett in 2019
• Bri Stubbs has now had back-to-back error free seasons in center field in ACC play
2023 ACC Softball Championship Schedule
Wednesday, May 10
Game 1: #8 Virginia vs. #9 Syracuse, 1 p.m., ACCN
Game 2: #7 Notre Dame vs. #10 Georgia Tech, 3:30 p.m., ACCN
Thursday, May 11
Game 3: #1 Florida State vs. Winner Game 1, 11 a.m., ACCN
Game 4: #4 Louisville vs. #5 Virginia Tech, 1:30 p.m., ACCN
Game 5: #2 Duke vs. Winner Game 2, 5 p.m., ACCN
Game 6: #3 Clemson vs. #6 North Carolina, 7:30 p.m., ACCN
Friday, May 12
Game 7: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 1 p.m., ACCN
Game 8: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 3:30 p.m., ACCN
Saturday, May 13
Game 9: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 1 p.m., ESPN2
This is the eighth all-time meeting between the Tar Heels and the Tigers and first since 2022. The two teams did not face each other in the 2023 regular season.
SERIES BREAKDOWN
Overall: Clemson leads the series 7-0
In Clemson: Clemson leads 4-0
In Chapel Hill: Clemson leads 3-0
Neutral Site: 0-0
NOTABLES
• Abby Settlemyre (first team), Alex Brown/Lilli Backes (second team) and Kiersten Licea (third team) were all named to All-ACC teams on Wednesday. It is the most Tar Heel selections since 2019. All four were first-time honorees. Settlemyre is the first All-ACC first team selection since Kristina Burkhardt in 2019
• Alex Brown enters the game on a 17-game hit streak, which began at Virginia on April 1
• Brown was moved to the leadoff position in the lineup on April 2 at Virginia. Since then, she has hit .500 with a team-best 30 hits
• Brown's 63 hits on the season are the most by a Tar Heel since Kiani Ramsey in the 2018 season
• The Tar Heels have hit 37 home runs this season, the most by a Carolina team since 2017 (59)
• Skyler Brooks is a perfect 14-of-14 on the base path this season
• Lilli Backes went from having the worst ERA in the ACC as a freshman (6.41) to having a top-5 ERA this season (2.15). She's tossed four complete-game shutouts this season and is 11-4 in conference games
• Backes has pitched 173.2 innings this season, the most for a Carolina pitcher since Brittany Pickett in 2019
• Bri Stubbs has now had back-to-back error free seasons in center field in ACC play
2023 ACC Softball Championship Schedule
Wednesday, May 10
Game 1: #8 Virginia vs. #9 Syracuse, 1 p.m., ACCN
Game 2: #7 Notre Dame vs. #10 Georgia Tech, 3:30 p.m., ACCN
Thursday, May 11
Game 3: #1 Florida State vs. Winner Game 1, 11 a.m., ACCN
Game 4: #4 Louisville vs. #5 Virginia Tech, 1:30 p.m., ACCN
Game 5: #2 Duke vs. Winner Game 2, 5 p.m., ACCN
Game 6: #3 Clemson vs. #6 North Carolina, 7:30 p.m., ACCN
Friday, May 12
Game 7: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 1 p.m., ACCN
Game 8: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 3:30 p.m., ACCN
Saturday, May 13
Game 9: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 1 p.m., ESPN2
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
IN/OF
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballUNC Baseball: Tar Heels Complete Road Sweep at Notre Dame, 15-10
Monday, March 30
UNC Baseball: Tar Heels Take Game 2 at Notre Dame, 13-7
Sunday, March 29
UNC Softball: Tar Heels Handle Marist, 12-2
Saturday, March 28
UNC Baseball: DeCaro Ks 9 in Win at Notre Dame, 6-5
Saturday, March 28