NC State Takes on Top Team Vanderbilt

Is everyone good? Have a nice weekend? NC State started things off in just about the most perfect of ways. A 10-4 takedown of Stanford, means State enters the winners bracket and will face Vanderbilt, Monday night. Vandy came into the CWS as the odds-on favorite to win it all.

How They Got Here

Just a quick refresher for State…They beat the #1 team in the country IN Fayetteville…Then smacked around Stanford 10-4 with dingers and hits and awesomeness….not a big deal *brushes off shoulders*.

Vanderbilt has had a bit of an adventure to get here. In the Super Regionals they hosted ECU, winning both games 2-0 and 4-1. The matchup with the Pirates was a close one, and ask anybody at ECU or that watched the game, the strike zone was…well…favorable for the Commodores. Vanderbilt then needed extras in their opening CWS game against Arizona. A 12th inning single by Gonzalez brought in the winning run, of a 7-6 ballgame.

The Matchup

Vanderbilt has the best 1-2 pitching core in all the land. Rocker got a ND in Game 1, so onto the hill goes Jack Leiter for Game 2. Both Rocker and Leiter, by the way, could go within the top five picks of this year’s Draft. Sophomore Jack Leiter has gone 10-3 on the year and has arguably had a better year than Rocker. A 2.16 ERA, a total of 2 doubles and no triples against and better than a 3-1 strikeouts-to-walks ratio. When opponent batting averages are .127, that’s saying something.

Commodores are solid hitting team too. While Carter Young, Dominic Keegan and Isaiah Thomas have great home run power, the team excels in small ball action. Bradfield Jr, has 46 stolen bases on the year and will 100000% test Tresh.

Highfill will take the mound for the Wolfpack. If you call Leiter a “mature sophomore”, I have no idea what you’d classify freshman Highfill. In his last four games…

2-Seed Clincher against FSU: 6 IP | 8 H | 2 ER | 6K
ACC Tournament against GT: 6.1 IP | 4 H | 1 ER | 5 K
Regionals against LA Tech: 5.1 IP | 5 H | 0 ER | 4 K
Super Regionals against Ark: 6.1 IP | 2 H | 3 ER | 5 K

ALL MUST WINS AND ALL WERE WINS!!!

As for the State lineup, they just need to keep doing work.  Wolfpack thrive when they have a balanced attack of home run power and small ball scoring. The game versus Stanford was the best example possible. Got up early on the PAC-12 Pitcher of the Year and then provide insurance late.

State
Batting Average: .289
Runs Per Game: 7.09
Field Percentage: .982
Pitching ERA: 5.08
Road/Neutral Record: 23-6

Vanderbilt
Batting Average: .297
Runs Per Game: 7.13
Field Percentage: .975
Pitching ERA: 3.36
Road/Neutral Record: 16-9

Dream Scenario

Honestly? Take the Stanford game and do it all over again haha. In Leiter’s losses this year, he’s only given up 3, 4, and 3 runs. You are only going to get so many opportunities for a hanging pitch or to advance the runners, have to capitalize. Furthermore, need to get another pitching performance out of Highfill, to get into the 6-7th inning area. AND NO DAMN FIELDING ERRORS! This will 100% have to be the gritty underdog kind of win we saw against Arkansas.

Dream Scenario: State manufactures 3 runs against Leiter and then holds on for a 4-3 win.
Bad News Bears: Highfill finally has that off game and Vandy capitalizes. State gets run support but not enough, lose 8-3.