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Two former Wolfpackers named in ‘5 to Watch’ for St. Louis Cardinals

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6 years ago

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As we start to cover NC State baseball this season, we are also going to put a little more time into covering Pack players in the majors.

Sure, you have Trea Turner of the Nationals who could compete for the MVP at some point in his career, and Carlos Rodon who had ace written all over him until his recent shoulder struggles. But after that, who is next?  Over the next few weeks, we’re going to look at some former Wolfpack players who are making a name for themselves in the minor leagues and may soon be getting their call to the big show.

The first couple guys we are going to focus on are a duo drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals, catcher Andrew Knizer and third third baseman, Evan Mendoza. Both of whom are budding starts in their farm system.

 

Andrew Knizner (C)
Knizner is a kid who played all over the diamond in his career at NC State, but no matter where you put him, he hit. Over his career at NC State he hit .312 and hit 15 HRs, but the real reason everyone loves his bat so much is because he’s an elite contact guy who will take a walk and rarely strikes out.

Since being drafted he batted .308 and hit 18 HRs in his three stops in the minors. The Cardinals have converted him to a full-time catcher, creating a debate over whether he or Carson Kelly (#1 rated catcher in their system) is the backstop of the future for the Cardinals.

Knizner was listed as one of ‘5 to watch’ in the Cardinals system by the St. Louis Dispatch. Here is what they had to say:

Catcher Andrew Knizner had a strong turn in the Arizona Fall League and positioned himself as the Cardinals’ top prospect at his position not named Carson Kelly. He’s Carson Kelly 2.0. Like Kelly, he moved from infield to catcher and has gone from learning the position to shining in it. His bat, also like Kelly, is catching up, and that gives the Cardinals some depth down the road.

The current catcher for the Cardinals is Yadi Molina. He is a future Hall of Famer and just signed a 3-year deal this past April, so he isn’t going anywhere.

So where does that leave the Kelly/Knizner situation? That is a good question. I think a lot depends on how Knizner performs this season. If he continues to progress, then the Cards could see Kelly as a major trade chip that they could use to acquire talent somewhere else. This would mean St. Louis was betting all their chips on Knizner as their future catcher. This is certainly a situation to watch.

Here is Knizner flashing some opposite field power with a game winning walk-off homer.

 

Evan Mendoza (3B)
We recently told you that many around the Cardinals organization already think highly of Mendoza, some even seeing him as the best 3B in their system.

His sophomore season was when he really shined, hitting a solid .362 with 4 HRs and 20 walks. He also finished up with a really nice.866 OPS

Since joining the Cards’ Low-A affiliate (The State College Spikes) he’s done nothing but impress. His .370 average over 41 games earned him the league’s batting title and a promotion to high-A ball.

Since he’s only been a pro for less than a year, the jury is still out on him, but the St. Louis Dispatch also ranked him as one of the ‘5 to watch’ in the Cardinals farm system, saying this:

Infielder Evan Mendoza had one of the best season for a 2017 draft pick, and is going to get some looks as a sleeper top prospect. Mendoza, 21, was the Cardinals’ 11th-round pick (so he could get the higher bonus) out of NC State. He hit .339/.388/.508 at two Class A levels this past season, and he finished the year with a .896 OPS. Also, solid at third.

Unlike Knizner, Mendoza’s path the pros is a little more clear. The Cards really aren’t really enamored with any of their 3B prospects and their current 3B Jedd Gyorko is signed through 2021, which should be a year after Mendoza is ready for a jump to the bigs. If Mendoza can push his way up, Gyorko would likely be swung in a deadline deal in 2020.

Here is Mendoza going yard for the Pack against UNC during his Junior year.

We’ll keep you updated on these guys journey through the minor leagues as the season gets going.

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NC State Baseball

WATCH All 9 of NC State’s RBI’s From Their 9-8 Walk-Off Win Over #11 UNC

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42 mins ago

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April 18, 2024

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NC State just defeated their rival #11 UNC 9-8 in dramatic fashion, walking it off in the Bottom of the 9th inning via a Solo Home Run from Junior Shortstop Brandon Butterworth.

The Wolfpack victory snapped a 5-game losing streak to the Tar Heels.

Check out all 9 RBI’s from NC State’s 6th walk-off win of the season, which leads the nation.

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NC State Baseball

NC State Defeats #11 UNC 9-8 with Walk-Off HR in Series Opener

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1 hour ago

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April 18, 2024

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NC State just defeated #11 UNC 9-8 via a walk-off Home Run from Junior Shortstop Brandon Butterworth in the Bottom of the 9th inning.

The Wolfpack have 6 walk-off wins in 2024, which leads the nation.

In a game in which there was a combined 8 Home Runs between both teams, it was the last one that mattered most.

UNC kicked things off in the Top of the 1st inning with a Home Run from Casey Cook. The Wolfpack would respond in the Bottom of the 1st with a 2-RBI Single from Junior Catcher Jacob Cozart.

Cook would hit another Home Run in the Top of the 3rd, and Vance Honeycutt would also hit a 2-Run Home Run, giving the Tar Heels a 4-2 lead.

Once again, the Wolfpack responded in the bottom frame. Senior Third Baseman Alec Makarewicz hit his 15th Home Run of the season.

Junior Outfielder Chase Nixon had an RBI Single, and his Freshman brother Luke (2B) brought in the third run of the inning on a fielders choice, giving the Wolfpack a 5-4 lead.

The 4th inning was the only inning of the contest in which no runs were scored.

UNC’s Park Harber tied the game in the Top of the 5th with a solo shot.

Cozart was the Wolfpack’s MVP, giving his team a 3-run cushion in the bottom of the 6th inning with a 3-run Home Run. He had 5 RBI’s this evening.

The cushion wasn’t enough, with the Tar Heels scoring 3 runs over the next two innings. Alberto Osuna hit a solo shot, Alex Madera had an RBI Single, and Harber hit a sac fly.

With the game tied in the bottom of the 9th, with one out, Brandon Butterworth crushed the ball over the left field fence, snapping a 5-game losing streak against UNC.

Wolfpack Starter Sam Highfill lasted 3.1 innings, giving up 4 runs, while striking out 4. His ERA on the year is 5.16.

It was Sophomore Shane Van Dam that brought stability to the mound, pitching 3.2 innings, giving up 2 earned runs, while striking out 5. On the year, Van Dam’s ERA is 2.90.

Sophomore Derrick Smith came in to close things out, and gave up 1 run on 1 hit in 2 innings, striking out 2. Smith picked up the Win, and is 3-0 on the year.

Game 2 of the series is tomorrow night at 6pm at Doak Field. The Wolfpack will look to secure their first series victory over their rival since 2021, and their first one at home since 2016.

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NC State Baseball

NC State vs. UNC: A Historical Perspective

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8 hours ago

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April 18, 2024

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The Wolfpack and the Tar Heels face one another on the diamond at 7pm on ACC Network.

NC State holds a 139-175-1 record against North Carolina in the all-time series.

NC State’s most recent series victory over North Carolina came in style, taking all three games in Chapel Hill with a three-game sweep over the Tar Heels from March 26-29, 2021. The Wolfpack allowed just six runs over three games in a dominant sweep over UNC, outscoring the Tar Heels 23-6 .

NC State has hosted UNC just twice over the past eight seasons. NC State’s most recent home series victory over North Carolina came from May 19-21, 2016. The Wolfpack won the rubber match, claiming the series with a dominant 10-1 victory on May 21.

North Carolina has won five straight in the series dating back to a series at Doak Field at Dail Park in 2022. NC State’s most recent win over the Tar Heels came in game one of a doubleheader on May 8, 2022, cruising to a 9-2 victory over UNC.

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NC State Baseball Bracketology Report Heading into UNC Series

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17 hours ago

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April 18, 2024

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NC State and #11 UNC will kickoff a 3-game series in Raleigh tonight, but before the two rivals hit the diamond, here’s a Bracketology report for the Wolfpack before the first pitch.

D1Baseball currently projects that NC State will be the #2 seed in Greenville Region, hosted by #9 seed East Carolina. Back on April 2nd, the Wolfpack lost 4-12 to the Pirates at the Doak.

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Baseball America projects NC State will be a #2 seed in the Knoxville Region, hosted by #6 seed Tennessee.

The Wolfpack are currently 20-14 overall, ranking 33rd in the RPI.

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