Emily Peedin/Technician (@emily_peedin)

Student Writer Spotlight: NC State’s Erin Ferrare

In an effort to highlight the work of student journalists and grow the coverage of the sport, D1Softball will periodically be featuring stories they have written throughout the 2024 season.

The stories will be free to read and links to their publication and social media accounts will be provided so readers can continue to support their coverage as much as possible. Student journalists juggle their reporting and game coverage with their own academic demands.

Today’s featured writer is Erin Ferrare (@ferrare_erin) from the Technician (@TechSports). Ferrare shares a story from February about how new NC State head coach Lindsay Leftwich is changing the culture within the program.

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By Erin Ferrare

Head coach Lindsay Leftwich took the helm of NC State softball at the perfect time. Hired in June 2023, the former LSU assistant coach came to Raleigh with one thought running through her head: stacking the good moments into good days and building a winning culture in Raleigh.

“If you stack a little moment after a little moment, eventually that stacks into a great day, a great week and a great season,” Leftwich said.

Especially after a rough 18-35 2023 campaign, Leftwich has been able to do something that was once deemed unimaginable — she has led the team to an 8-3 start on the season, including an impressive seven-game win streak.

Many fans around NC State are wondering how she has done it. A team that started the previous season 3-8 has completely turned around and shocked the red-and-white faithful. Leftwich’s approach to entering this head coaching position — the first of her career — revolves around changing the culture of the program as a whole.

“In the moment, the result doesn’t matter,” Leftwich said. “The event, whatever the event is, your response will determine the outcome, and previously their response has been to kind of melt a little bit, to struggle through something and to then be like, ‘Fine, I’m done.’… It’s like you’re teaching them how to win. You’re teaching them that the effort matters more than anything.”

The mantra of Leftwich’s locker room is W.O.L.F. — an acronym that reminds players of the values of Work, Ownership, Love and Fight. All players on the team use this to motivate themselves on and off the field. For sophomore right handed pitcher Madison Inscoe, it means a variety of things.

“Those are our main core values brought together,” Inscoe said. “So we use that every single day. That’s been the biggest thing she’s taught us: outwork everybody, do what’s right, that love is the greatest form of aggression and then ‘burn the boats.’… We’ve learned a lot from her through that.” 

Leftwich didn’t come to Raleigh alone, but instead brought a whole supporting cast with her to the 919. Assistant Coach Paige Cassady and Leftwich have a long history together, with Leftwich being an assistant coach to Cassady during her time playing for Florida International University.

The other two assistant coaches have impressive resumes too — Mike Bosch is the former head coach of the Syracuse and Iowa Community College softball teams and has helped produce 28 All-Americans and 81 All-Region athletes over the course of his career. Grayson Radcliffe led her team throughout her career as a player at Indiana in runs, home runs and RBIs. 

It’s safe to say that Leftwich has created a new culture surrounded by winning and performing at the highest level. 

“I think your culture is this living, breathing organism, and it’s what you allow and it’s what you encourage,” Leftwich said. “I think we just have to be consistent as a staff in making sure that we’re growing them from the moment they get here into the women that we want them to be and into the type of player we want them to be. That just comes from the consistency of how we love and encourage them every day.”

The coaching staff wasn’t the only change to the Pack’s roster. The team is full of fresh new faces. With six freshmen and 10 sophomores, the program is a young and budding lineup that is still learning and growing. While this might seem intimidating to some, the players are confident that the lineup is special. 

“We’re a great team as well,” Inscoe said. “I think something that’s really cool about us is that people have information on us from last year, but we are a completely different team. I’m just really excited to go out and fight with my girls for sure.” 

Only time will tell the long-term effects of Leftwich’s head-coaching abilities, but so far she is working to reshape the program into something the Pack can be proud of. 

The link the full story can be found here: Leftwich’s changes in culture bring NC State softball to new heights

• Rhiannon Potkey can be reached at [email protected]