University of Louisville
NC State University
No. 5 Seed Louisville Faces No. 12 Seed NC State in First Round of 2026 Allstate ACC Softball Championship
May 05, 2026 | Softball
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 24 University of Louisville Softball team will begin its postseason with the first round of the ACC Softball Championship on Wednesday, May 6 against NC State. First pitch is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on the ACC Network.
The Cardinals rounded out the regular season with a 43-11 overall record and an 18-6 bid in ACC play to earn the No. 5 seed in the ACC Championship. NC State finished 27-25 overall and 7-16 in the ACC to earn its first appearance in the conference tournament since 2022 as the No. 12 seed.
Louisville is 2-9 overall in the ACC Championship with an 0-2 record against NC State in the tournament.
QUICK HITS
- Madison Pickens leads the team with a .468 average, collecting 81 hits, 60 runs, 18 doubles, four triples, nine home runs, and 69 RBIs.
- Chelsea Mack is second on the team with a .456 batting average, tallying 83 hits in 182 at-bats, 64 runs scored, 42 stolen bases, and 19 RBIs. Her 42 stolen bases rank second in the NCAA.
- Bri Despines is third on the team with a .404 average, posting 63 hits, 16 doubles, and 67 RBIs, with a .731 slugging percentage. Camryn Lookadoo is fourth with a .377 average and leads the team with 20 doubles.
- Louisville leads the ACC in stolen bases (123) and triples (25) and is second in the conference in on-base percentage (.447). The Cards rank third in the ACC with a .353 batting average.
- Through 51 games, five Cardinals have at least 30 RBIs and seven have recorded at least 40 hits.
- Sophomore Anna Wise leads the Louisville pitching staff with a 3.19 ERA and eight wins in 63.2 innings pitched, giving up just 29 earned runs and striking out 45 so far.
- Senior Alyssa Zabala leads the team with 95 strikeouts and 14 wins in 122.1 innings. She has made a team-high 38 appearances in 22 starts, limiting opponents to a .258 batting average.
SCOUTING THE WOLFPACK
- Series Record: Louisville leads 17-11 (W1)
- At Louisville: Louisville leads 8-2 | At NC State: Tied at 7-7
- Last Meeting: May 1-3, 2026 – Louisville took two out of three games in Raleigh, N.C.
- Scouting the Wolfpack: NC State comes into the weekend with a 27-25 record and a 7-16 showing in conference play. The Wolfpack are 21-9 when playing in Raleigh this season, 3-5 in neutral games, and 1-15 vs. ranked opponents.
- Wynne Gore and Morgen Talley each boast sub-four ERAs to lead the NCSU pitching staff. The pair have a combined 527 appearances that include 20 wins, seven complete games, five shutouts, and three saves over 195.2 innings pitched. Talley leads the team with 101 strikeouts so far this year while also holding batters to a .225 average.
- Maia Townsend owns a team-high .343 average through 169 at bats. She has 58 hits on the year and scored 45 runs to lead the offense. Talley has knocked 13 home runs and Lily Livingston has launched 12 to lead the team, and the pair has 46 extra base hits between them. Townsend is joined by Carly Short and Sarah Johnson as players with over 10 swiped bags this season.
- Lindsay Leftwich is in her third season at the helm of NC State's program, and she has an 82-77 record through her tenure. This will be Leftwich's first appearance in the ACC Championship, and NC State's first appearance in the tournament since 2022.
ACC SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
ACC Network and ESPN will provide live coverage of the 2026 Allstate ACC Softball Championship. The first three rounds will be broadcast on ACC Network, with additional studio coverage between games. ESPN will carry the championship game on Saturday.
All-Session passes, which include access to all 11 games, including the championship game on Saturday, are priced at $45. Daily tickets are also available, with prices ranging from $12 to $20. Children ages two and under will get in free. Tickets are now available by visiting https://virginiasports.evenue.net/events/acc-softball.
For more information on the 2026 Allstate ACC Softball Championship, visit the ACC Softball Championship page.
Six ACC teams are ranked in the latest ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 poll, led by No. 10 Florida State. Joining the Seminoles are Duke at No. 11, Virginia Tech at No. 17, Stanford at No. 18, Clemson at No. 22 and Louisville at No. 24.
2026 Allstate ACC Softball Championship Schedule (All Times Eastern)
Wednesday, May 6
Game 1: #8 Notre Dame vs. #9 Georgia Tech | 11 a.m. | ACCN
Game 2: #5 Louisville vs. #12 NC State | 1:30 p.m. | ACCN
Game 3: #7 Clemson vs. #10 North Carolina | 5 p.m. | ACCN
Game 4: #6 Virginia vs. #11 Pitt | 7:30 p.m. | ACCN
Thursday, May 7
Game 5: #1 Florida State vs. Game 1 Winner | 11 a.m. | ACCN
Game 6: #4 Stanford vs. Game 2 Winner | 1:30 p.m. | ACCN
Game 7: #2 Duke vs. Game 3 Winner | 5 p.m. | ACCN
Game 8: #3 Virginia Tech vs. Game 4 Winner | 7:30 p.m. | ACCN
Friday, May 8
Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner | 1 p.m. | ACCN
Game 10: Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner | 3:30 p.m. | ACCN
Saturday, May 9
Championship: Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN
