USF Opening Weekend Invitational Schedule Feb. 8 NC State vs. Michigan 10 a.m.
Feb. 8 Illinois State vs. NC State 12:15 p.m.
Feb. 9 NC State vs. South Florida 8:15 p.m.
Feb. 10 Arizona vs. NC State 11:15 a.m.
Feb. 10 NC State vs. Florida 1:30 p.m.
*Only live stats will be available this weekend
Scouting The Competition -Three opponents are ranked in the preseason top 25 (#5 Florida, #7 Arizona and #19 Michigan), while South Florida is receiving votes for the national poll.
-Four of the five opponents earned a spot in the 2018 NCAA Tournament, as Arizona advanced to a Super Regional and Florida reached the Women's College World Series.
-NC State has faced each team at least twice before this weekend.
-Each squad returns its top hitter and pitcher from 2018.
-Florida's Kelly Barnhill and Amanda Lorenz, as well as Michigan's Meghan Beaubien and Faith Canfield, earned NFCA All-America honors last year. Arizona's top offensive player, Alyssa Palomino, also garnered the accolade in 2018.
-Florida and South Florida were both picked as the preseason favorite in their respective conferences, while Arizona and Illinois State were predicted to finish in the top five of theirs.
-Additionally, Florida's Barnhill and Lorenz and Illinois State's Andrea Coursey tabbed preseason all-conference honors from their respective leagues.
-Arizona (4), Florida (3) Michigan (1) had a combined eight players named to the 2019 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List.
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