First Pitch

Lindsay Leftwich became the face of NC State softball last summer when she left her job as an assistant coach at Louisiana State University after coaching stops at Florida International University and New Mexico. NC State magazine caught up with Leftwich before the spring season started.

You’ve lived in Louisiana. You’re from Houston, Texas. Now, North Carolina. Did you think about barbecue when you took the job? . . . A couple of people asked me about it. They’re like, “What are you going to do? It’s vinegar-based.” And I was like, “At the worry of offending some North Carolina locals, I’m just going to have my own sauce.”

You saw so much success at LSU — four College World Series appearances. How do you use that to set a vision here? . . . We sent out this survey to alumni, to everybody who touches our program, to every current team member. We asked, “What are the words that you think we need to do in order to find success?” We decided W for “work,” O for “ownership,” L for “love,” and F for “fight,” which spells “wolf.” All the words have three-word definitions that everyone can tell you about, and we try and use them every day.

What will be the earmarks of your NC State teams? . . . Effort, across the board, will look different. Energy, across the board, will look different. That’s how you will know it’s our team. . . . I think we are going to be better than NC State has ever been defensively.

How are you dealing with NIL and the transfer portal? . . . The place that I came from does NIL really well. . . . From a female sport perspective, so much of the NIL stuff needs to be generated and pushed by the athletes themselves. We’re set up here to educate them in better ways . . . and be like, “Hey, if you really love this brand, here’s how we can help you move forward.”