Brick by Brick NC State Softball Looks to Breakthrough in 2026

“I think in general, you can’t be afraid of hard things. Just because something is hard doesn’t make it inherently bad.” — Coach Lindsay Leftwich

Building Brick by Brick

Coach Lindsay Leftwich is headed into her third season as the head coach of the North Carolina State Wolfpack softball team. It has not been easy by any means, and she does not expect it to be.

You cannot cheat the process or cut corners. You literally have to build it brick by brick.

So what is the message to the team coming into the 2026 campaign? Coming off a 25-29 season in 2025, including 6-18 in conference play, the buy-in looks stronger than ever. The bricks are being laid. This is a program looking to make the ACC Tournament for the first time since 2022.

“I think in general, you can’t be afraid of hard things. Just because something is hard doesn’t make it inherently bad,” said Coach Lindsay Leftwich.

Stacking the Moments

She touched on the way people in this generation often give up and move on when things get a little hard. You cannot build anything worthwhile with an approach like that.

The current Wolfpack team seems to have embraced her vision. It is about stacking the moments, one on top of the other, until they build into something greater.

You cannot skip ahead to the final product. That usually leads to disappointment. Instead, it is about crafting and putting it all together piece by piece.

“I think the previous two teams that I was here for, I think they got really distracted by like trying to build the whole wall at one time, you know, and like by saying like, oh, we have to make the postseason, we have to do these things and whatever.”

“But at the end of the day, like you have to figure out how to put together a great morning routine. You have to figure out how to put together a great at bat. You have to figure out how to put together a great week of practice. And by stacking all of those little moments you end up with really big moments,” said Leftwich.

Everyone in the Boat

She also spoke about the mindset her players have brought into the year. It looks as the team has not only bought it, but has taken full belief and ownership of the direction the program is going. That is normally when great things start to happen.

“I think the other thing that has really kind of been the message for this group, or honestly the message that the group has brought to me, is that they are 1000 percent ready for everyone that is in the boat to be in the boat and headed in the same direction. And that has been so fun for me because as much as you want people to buy in, until they are really ready, they are not always going to do it. And I think I have a group here that is ready to go and not look back.”

Players Buying In

The buy-in shows through players like Kendall Simmers, who went after what she wanted, walked on, and made it count by bursting onto the scene her freshman season. Or Hannah Church, who came in her first season from Ohio State and showed the leadership and drive to fix her struggles after a hot start cooled down a little. Things like that speak volumes.

There are also some new faces with great potential, and Kendall Weik is one that strikes me as ready to jump in and contribute. The former JUCO pitcher spent the summer in the Northwoods League with the Madison Nightmares championship team, going 7-1. While at Madison College, she struck out 267 hitters in 246 innings over two seasons. I am intrigued to see her in action in the ACC and Division I.

Another player to watch is MaKayla Marbury. She has been an all-in utility player, making appearances at four different defensive positions last season at first, second, short, and left field. Now the plan is for her to thrive and produce where she is most comfortable, in the outfield.

“She is really comfortable out there and so you should see her really kind of develop and blossom in that space. You know, a player being comfortable in the field has so much to do with how they play,” said Leftwich.

Just these examples alone prove there is will and want to inside this roster. With determination like that spread throughout the team, the Wolfpack should be just fine.

The ACC Standard

When it comes to ACC softball, Florida State has long set the standard. For years, the Seminoles have been the measuring stick for the rest of the league.

In more recent years, newer programs such as Duke and Clemson have built firm foundations of their own and established standards of winning. Coach Leftwich knows what it takes to win. She spent 16 years total with Coach Beth Torina, 12 of those at LSU. She is no stranger to success and hopes to build that in Raleigh.

So the question becomes, who is next? My outlook is that the brick by brick, stacking moments mindset is what can push NC State forward. It is the approach, with the performances to go along with it, that can carry the Wolfpack to meet the hopes and expectations of Coach Leftwich, the players, and Wolfpack Nation.

Brick by Brick Vision

“If you look around campus every building on campus is made of this like beautiful red brick and so everything that we are doing this year is about stacking one brick with perfect intent and then going back the next day and stacking the next one,” said Leftwich.

It will not be an easy task, but with the buy-in and the players in the locker room willing to work together for the betterment of the program, there is nothing that cannot be done. If the Wolfpack stack their bricks with intent and keep everyone in the boat rowing in the same direction, 2026 could be the year they change the course of the program.

Be sure to check out the full Fastpitch Wire Softball Podcast episode with Coach Lindsay Leftwich, now available on YouTube and all listening platforms.