University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Hampton
Tar Heels Return Home to Host Hampton, Carolina Classic
February 27, 2018 | Softball
CHAPEL HILL – Following a midweek contest at South Carolina and the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in California, North Carolina returns to Anderson Stadium to host Hampton Wednesday before its annual Carolina Classic Friday through Sunday.
Carolina faces Hampton Wednesday for a single game at 4 p.m. Harvard, Kansas and Elon travel to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to compete in the Carolina Classic, beginning Friday and Saturday at noon. Sunday's first contest is scheduled for 10 a.m. Fans can watch every Carolina game this week on the ACC Network Extra and follow live stats at UNCLiveStats.com.
The Tar Heels, now 5-10 on the season, lead their opponents this weekend with 39-16-1 series record. Carolina has won every meeting against both Hampton (four times) and Harvard (twice). Kansas owns a one-game edge against the Tar Heels, 2-1. Despite dropping the most recent meeting, UNC leads the series against Elon, 32-14-1.
Familiar Face Returns Home with Kansas
Former Tar Heel student-athlete and assistant coach, Megan Smith, returns to Carolina as the head coach of the Kansas softball team. Smith was a four-year letterwinner for the Tar Heels from 1996 to 1999, in addition to being a three-time ACC Honor Roll selection. After coaching at Young Harris (NJCAA) and Charlotte, Smith returned to Carolina as an assistant coach during the 2004 season, helping the Tar Heels to a 46-24 record, a second place finish in the ACC and an NCAA Tournament bid. Smith has since coached at Western Carolina and LSU before taking her current position at Kansas in 2010.
Rematch vs. Elon
North Carolina and Elon will face for the second time this season at the Carolina Classic Saturday. On February 14, the Tar Heels could not overcome the Phoenix's early scoring for the 2-1 decision in Elon, North Carolina. Micaela Abbatine scored Carolina's lone run on an Elon error. Katie Grace Olinger threw 2.0 innings with the start and Brittany Pickett tossed the remaining 4.0 innings.
Tar Heels Tested in Week Three
Three weeks into the 2018 season, Carolina faced arguably its toughest week of the year. The Tar Heels traveled to South Carolina, taking on the Gamecocks on Tuesday in Columbia. Less than one day later, the team went to Cathedral City, California to face four NCAA tournament teams, including two-time defending WCWS Champion Oklahoma. The lone team who did not make the Tournament in 2017, Liberty, advanced to the finals of the inaugural National Invitational Softball Championship. Although the Tar Heels could not come up with a W during the third week of play, Carolina nearly upset No. 19 Cal on a 4-3 decision and scored the first earned run against No. 4 Oklahoma during the tournament despite the 3-1 loss.
After the Carolina Classic, the Tar Heels remain in North Carolina, traveling to the Queen City to take on Charlotte on March 7 at 5 p.m.
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