#2 NC State vs. #12 Louisville: Battle for the Atlantic

Tonight #2 NC State (29-5) will host #12 Louisville (25-8) for a Battle for the Atlantic Division, beginning a 3-game series.

The Wolfpack boast the best ACC record in the Atlantic, and ultimately the conference.

NC State – 12-3

Clemson – 11-4

Louisville – 10-5

While NC State only holds a 1-game advantage over Clemson, winning their 8th consecutive series would put some healthy distance between them and the Cardinals in the standings.

Louisville was the preseason favorite to win the ACC in 2019. Last year the Wolfpack took 2 out of 3 against the Cardinals, marking the first time they ever beat them in a series.

Times: 6:30 p.m. (Fri.), 2 p.m. (Sat.), 1 p.m. (Sun.)
TV: ACC Network Extra

STARTING PITCHERS
Friday: RHP Jason Parker (NCSU) vs. LHP Reid Detmers (LOU)
Saturday: RHP Reid Johnston (NCSU) vs. LHP Nick Bennett (LOU)
Sunday: TBA (NCSU) vs. RHP Bobby Miller (LOU)

Tonight Parker will have his hands full against Detmers, who was D1Baseball’s Midseason Pitcher of the Year. Detmers boasts a 5-2 record, and a 1.65 ERA, striking out 86 batters in 54.2 innings of work. Parker’s 1.98 ERA isn’t shabby either.

The question of the weekend will be whether or not NC State’s bats can keep up with Louisville’s arms. The Cardinals boast the best pitching staff in the ACC, leading the conference in ERA (2.97).

Hopefully NC State’s balance will prevail, currently ranking 3rd as a team in batting average, and ERA. Louisville’s bats are mediocre in 2019, ranking 11th in the conference, hitting a measly .258 as a squad.

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