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The Good and Bad of NC State Baseball’s #2 Seed in NCAAT

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3 years ago

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The selection committee Monday made the final decision that State will head into the NCAA Tournament as the best #2 seed in the land. Friday, State heads down to Ruston, LA, to meet up with Louisiana Tech, Alabama and Rider.

 

Good News – Best Regional

With LA Tech being a 16-seed overall, it means that State will be the best 2-seed. When you look through the schools, and yes I know State has to show up and play, but State should actually be the favorite.

LA Tech – In last 13 games they’re 7-6, with four of those wins in extra innings. Furthermore, against ranked teams this year, they’re 4-7. To put that in perspective, State played over double the amount of ranked teams, and won a majority of said games.

Alabama – Considered one of the last four in, Bama heads to Louisiana with a 31-24 overall record after finishing TENTH in the SEC at 12-17. With how loaded the SEC is, however, the record situation is helped with the fact they had the second toughest schedule in the country.

Rider – Winners of the MAAC Conference, the Broncos head into NCAAT on a five game winning streak. When they face LA Tech in game one, they’ll be meeting their first ranked opponent of the year. They play small ball to produce runs with 19 total home runs on the year. Their top dinger total is McGeehan at five…State have seven players with at least five…

 

Bad News – What Lurks Ahead

This is completely, “cross that bridge when you get there” situation, but Arkansas would be the next opponent for whomever comes out of the Ruston Regional. Without a doubt, THE team this year from beginning to end with a 42-10 record. Their run to a SEC Championship went through, #3 Vandy, #12 Ole Miss and #4 Tennessee…good lord…

Here is the complete least of weaknesses for the Razorbacks:

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Good News – The ACCT Proved State Starters Can Get Through A Regional

The starting pitching was just brilliant for the Wolfpack in Charlotte. If you take away just the first inning of that Friday game against that one team, State pitching gave up 7 total runs in a four game stretch. Johnston, Highfill, Willadsen, Villaman and Justice out of the pen, have gained the trust of this team to eat innings and reduce runs needed. To that latter point, REDUCED TO ONLY NEEDING TWO F*CKING RUNSSSSSSS…

Bad News – The Bullpen Will Be Tested At Some Point

There is no way a team gets to Omaha without that weird “just get an out” game. State’s bullpen, while improving, hasn’t quite shown it’s ready. Whether in Regionals or, fingers-crossed, Super Regionals, guys are going to need to come in for a couple outs.

 

Good News – That Tar Heels Game Didn’t Matter

Can’t emphasize enough how angry I was Saturday morning reading all the Carolina hate about “well we should have moved on with run differential, this Tourney is a joke of a setup.” You really think if the game mattered, Avent would have put in Tillery and all 10 total innings this year as Starter? You don’t think that you barely hung on after being GIVEN six runs in the first? Just shutup, I don’t want to hear about the 6 straight wins in the ACCT, it didn’t matter for the Pack and they moved onto the Semifinals. *Takes deep, deep breath*…GTHC!

Bad News – That Tar Heels Game Probably Mattered

When you look at things in retrospect, they’re always different. Avent made 10000% right decision on throwing unneeded arms into UNC game and hoping that the Pack could steal it. If the 1-0 loss was instead against GT the very next game, it’s a direct correlation, but that played so well Saturday. Here’s what happened with that stupid loss though… UNC got into the NCAAT BECAUSE of that damn State win. You could also potentially have seen a #1 seed go because of State dropping two of four games. Woulda, coulda, shoulda…

We’ll start spreading the good vibes for the tournament in the coming days…Until then, let’s refocus and takeover Louisiana.

 

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NC State Baseball

#21 NC State Convincingly Wins Series Opener Against Ball State 10-2

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2 hours ago

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April 26, 2024

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#21 NC State convincingly defeated Ball State 10-2 in the series opener in Raleigh this evening.

Senior Sam Highfill pitched a Quality Start against the Cardinals, giving up 2 earned runs in 6 innings, while striking out 6. The Quality Start was Highfill’s 3rd of the season, and his record on the year is now 4-1.

Freshman Ryan Marohn was brilliant in relief, pitching 3 scoreless innings, giving up only 1 hit, while striking out 3. Marohn picked up his 1st Save of his collegiate career.

Senior 3rd Baseman Alec Makarewicz was the Wolfpack’s Offensive MVP, going 2 for 4, with a Grand Slam.

Makarewica now has 17 Home Runs and 55 RBI’s.

Sophomore Right Fielder Josh Hogue, Junior Catcher Jacob Cozart, Junior Left Fielder Chase Nixon, Freshman 2nd Baseman Luke Nixon and Sophomore Matt Heavner all had an RBI apiece.

Junior Shortstop Brandon Butterworth was the only player besides A-Mak to have multiple hits, going 2 for 4 with a Double.

Game 2 is tomorrow at 3pm.

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NC State Baseball Bracketology Report Heading Into Series Against Ball State

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2 days ago

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April 24, 2024

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#21 NC State is coming off of a series victory over UNC this past weekend, and a loss to #7 ECU on the road last night. Where does NC State project to land in the 2024 NCAA Tournament?

The Wolfpack have already seen the Pirates twice this season, but according to D1Baseball and Baseball America, they might not be done playing ECU. Both of them project NC State to be a #2 seed in the Greenville Regional, with D1Baseball projecting the Pirates as the #6 seed and Baseball America projecting them as the #8 seed.

NC State has plenty of baseball left to play, with series against UVA (#14), FSU (#10) and Wake Forest (#8). If the Wolfpack can handle business in 2 of those 3 series, you could make an argument for NC State hosting their own regional.

D1Baseball

Baseball America

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NC State Baseball

#21 NC State 6 #7 ECU 10: Box Score (with notes)

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3 days ago

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April 23, 2024

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#21 NC State lost to #7 ECU 6-10 on the road this evening in a midweek game. As a result, the Pirates have won both games against the Wolfpack in 2024.

When you record 10 hits and score 6 runs, you would hope that’s enough offense to win a baseball game.

Unfortunately the Wolfpack pitching staff was unable to contain the bats of the Pirates, allowing ECU to put 15 hits and 10 runs in the Box Score.

Kudos to Senior 3rd Baseman Alec Makarewicz for making a STATEment in his return to Clark-LeClair Stadium. A-Mak transferred to NC State from ECU this offseason. This evening Makarewicz was 2-4 with 1 RBI, 2 Runs, and 1 Walk.

A-Mak’s Home Run was a part of back-to-back-to-back Home Runs in the Top of the 3rd for the Wolfpack, with Sophomore Right Fielder Josh Hogue and Junior Catcher Jacob Cozart also hitting bombs.

NC State will look to flush this loss, and get ready for a 3-game series at home this weekend against Ball State.

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#21 NC State is Looking for Revenge Against #7 ECU

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4 days ago

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April 23, 2024

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Earlier this season on April 2nd, #21 NC State (22-15) lost to #7 ECU (31-8) 4-12 in Raleigh. This evening the Wolfpack will look to get revenge against the Pirates in a game in Greenville at 6pm.

Overall, NC State holds a 71-43 advantage over East Carolina in the series, which dates back to 1957.

Last year, the Wolfpack and the Pirates split their 2-game series, ironically, losing at home, and winning in Greenville.

Replicating last years results will be no small task. The Pirates are ranked 7th in the land, and boast a 3-1 record against ranked opponents this season. One of those wins was against NC State, when the Wolfpack was ranked 19th. The other two ranked wins were at UNC when they were ranked 15th.

NC State has done well against ranked opponents, going 7-4 against teams in the Top-25, and 4-2 against teams in the Top-10.

The Pirates’ pitching staff leads the AAC and is in the Top-10 nationally in ERA (3.61), WHIP (1.18), hits allowed per nine innings (6.99) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.04).

ECU’s home field advantage is a real thing, going 20-2 at home thus far this season.

Senior Carter Cunningham leads the Pirates in nearly every offensive category, batting .396 with 9 Home Runs. He’s not alone though. Five of ECU’s regular starters have batting averages over .300.

It will be a homecoming for Senior Wolfpack Third Baseman Alec Makarewicz, who transferred to NC State from ECU this offseason. A-Mak is having the best season of his career, hitting 15 Home Runs while batting .349. It would be fitting for Makarewicz to win at his old stomping grounds.

 

 

 

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