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Six NC State Players Selected On Day Three Of 2019 MLB Draft

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5 years ago

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RALEIGH – NC State baseball pitchers Alec Barger, Michael Bienlien, Andrew Blake, Evan Justice and Jason Parker alongside outfielder Thayer Thomas were selected on the third and final day of the 2019 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft on Wednesday.

In total, the Wolfpack had a total of eight players drafted this week. In his 23rd season at the helm of the program, Elliott Avent has had a combined 113 MLB Draft picks. 

This year’s eight picks are the second-most in program history in a single season, as it ties the eight drafted in 2006 and ‘17 and is just one shy the nine selected in 2008.

Additionally, #Pack9 signees Blake Walston (1stround, 26th pick), Noah Soles (19th round, 572ndpick) and Jose Torres (24th round, 733rd pick), as well as junior college transfer Andy Samuelson (12th round, 367th pick) were all drafted this week. Walston and Soles were both selected to the Arizona Diamondbacks while Samuelson and Torres went to the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers, respectively.

Jason Parker | RHP | New Bern, N.C.

16th round – 474th pick – Cincinnati Reds

Parker, who played two years at Louisburg Junior College prior to this season, led the pitching staff with 16 starts. He finished the year with a 4.38 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 76.0 innings, the second-best on the team. The North Carolina native earned four wins on the mound, and his career-best outing was when he went seven strong against then-No. 1 Florida State and struck out 10. 

Alec Barger | RHP | Savoy, Ill. 

17th round – 517th pick – Atlanta Braves

Barger spent two seasons at Polk State Community College before transferring to NC State for the 2019 season. He made 17 appearances, including six starts, and finished with a 2-2 record on the mound. Barger compiled a 6.14 earned-run average in 29.1 innings with 35 strikeouts, and his best outing of the season was vs. Elon on March 26 when he went a career-long 5.0 innings and fanned 10.

Andrew Blake | RHP | Lewisville, N.C.

21st round – 631st pick – Los Angeles Angels

Blake spent his first two seasons at Pitt Community College. In his junior year at NC State he picked up the win vs. Pitt after throwing 4.1 innings without allowing a run to score. His longest outing was on March 29 when he went 4.2 innings and fanned six. He finished the 2019 season with a 4.79 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 20.2 innings.

Michael Bienlien | RHP | Chesapeake, Va.

24th round – 712th pick – Detroit Tigers

Bienlien has made 19 career starts and 53 appearances in his three seasons with the Red and White. He owns a career 5.16 ERA and nine wins in 113.0 innings pitched. His career-long outing was at Notre Dame on April 2, 2017, when he tossed 7.0 innings, and additionally tallied a career-high six strikeouts on two separate occasions. 

Thayer Thomas | OF | Wake Forest, N.C.

33rd round – 1007th pick – Boston Red Sox

Thomas, who also plays for the football team, made 14 game appearances in his first season, including four starts as an outfielder. At the plate he batted .222 with four hits and a .500 slugging percentage, and defensively tallied eight putouts with a 1.000 fielding percentage. His best game of the season was on March 9 vs. Pittsburgh when we went 2-for-2 with a double and home run, driving in a pair of runs while scoring two of his own. 

Evan Justice | LHP | Richmond, Va.

39th round – 1161st pick – Miami Marlins

Justice led the Wolfpack’s bullpen with 29 appearances this season, coming away with four wins, and his 36 K’s were the second-most out of the pen. On Feb. 22 vs. Kent State the sophomore went a career-long 4.0 innings and fanned a career-best five. Overall, he owns a 5.60 career ERA and six wins in 45 appearances and 64.1 innings pitched. 

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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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9 hours 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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10 hours 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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17 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

NC State Baseball Bracketology Report Heading into UNC Series

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1 day 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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