FTCC Softball is the No. 4 seed in the 2021 Region 10 Tournament. [FTCC photo by Brad Losh]
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Fayetteville Tech softball will start its postseason campaign Saturday, May 8, at Caldwell CC.
This is the second time in as many complete seasons that the softball program has reached the postseason.
The Trojans (6-22, 6-14) reached the Region 10 Tournament in the program’s inaugural season of 2019. The 2020 season was cut short due to the Covid-19 pandemic, presenting a battle the Trojans continued to fight during the 2021 spring season.
“Our team showed a lot of grit, family and heart this season,” Trojans’ coach Keith Edgerton said. “I’m not necessarily proud of our record, but I’m proud of where we’ve ended up. The goal at the start of the season was to make the playoffs, and we’re there.”
The Trojans, who missed nearly three weeks of action early in the season due to Covid-19 protocols, struggled to hit their stride in the opening weeks but scratched out some key wins late in the year to grab a playoff spot.
The Trojans secured the fourth and final seed in the NJCAA Region 10 Division II East when they swept division mate Paul D. Camp in a doubleheader May 1.
The wins moved FTCC into a tie for fourth place with Camp and gave the Trojans a 3-1 advantage head-to-head over the Hurricanes to break the tie.
As the No. 4 seed, the Trojans are tasked with opening play at the No. 1 seed out of West, Caldwell CC. The Cobras (24-16, 14-6), which received votes in this week’s NJCAA Division II poll, finished the season by splitting a doubleheader with nationally ranked Catawba Valley CC.
The Trojans and the Cobras will play a best-of-three series with a doubleheader Saturday starting at 3 p.m. The third game, if necessary, would be played Sunday at noon.
The winner will advance to the South Atlantic Tournament, which will be played at Springwood Park in Burlington, N.C.
Edgerton knows his team has its work cut out for it.
“We need to limit the number of errors we make in the field and limit the number of extra base hits we give up,” Edgerton said. “And we’re going to have to hit with these teams. We know we’re not the sort of team that’s going to squeeze out a win in a 2-0 or 2-1 game.”
The Trojans have shown some pop in their bats lately, paced by freshman center fielder Angel Pearsall. The leadoff batter is hitting .483, seventh among Region 10 Division II players.
Edgerton’s counting on the determination the Trojans have shown throughout the year to continue into the postseason.
“I think we could go and surprise some people,” he said. “And after everything that’s happened this year, it would be a major coup for us to make it to Burlington.”