NC State Baseball
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.
#20 NC State upset #7 Florida St. 8-7 in the series opener down in Tallahassee this evening.
Freshman Cooper Consiglio was the hero on the mound this evening, coming in after Senior Sam Highfill and Sophomore Shane Van Dam, pitching 4.1 innings, while giving up only 1 earned run and striking out 5. It was probably Consiglio’s best performance of his collegiate career, marking the first time he’s ever pitched 4 innings, and given up 1 run or less. He now is 2-4 on the year with a 5.66 ERA.
Sophomore Derrick Smith picked up his 4th Save of the year, failing to give up a hit in 1.2 innings pitched, while striking out 3.
Left them loaded! @DrockSmith22 strikes out Fisher to leave the bases loaded in the eighth!#Pack9 pic.twitter.com/ZxrysbIJVI
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) May 4, 2024
Junior Catcher Jacob Cozart got things started off for the Wolfpack in the Top of the 2nd hitting his 9th Home Run in the past 9 games, and his 15th of the year.
Sophomore 2nd Baseman Matt Heavner led the Pack with 2 RBI’s tonight. The first followed Cozart’s bomb, hitting a Single in the Top of the 2nd that scored Sophomore Left Fielder Luke Nixon. Then Junior Chase Nixon hit a Single, and 2 NC State runners scored due to a wild throw.
In play, runs ➕2️⃣ pic.twitter.com/jb5gAAs727
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) May 3, 2024
Then in the Top of the 3rd, Heavner knocked in another run with a Sac Bunt, that scored Luke Nixon.
Small Ball™️ pic.twitter.com/4U61oxRbE5
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) May 3, 2024
Then Sophomore Center Fielder Eli Serrano III hit an RBI Single that scored Chase Nixon, giving the Wolfpack a 6-2 lead.
In the Top of the 6th, Senior 3rd Baseman Alec Makarewicz hit a solo Home Run, his 18th of the season.
SEE. YOU. LATER. ✌️.#Pack9 | @Alec_mak99 pic.twitter.com/muKGGbkEqJ
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) May 4, 2024
In the same inning, Junior Shortstop Brandon Butterworth scored on a wild pitch, giving the Wolfpack their 8th run of the evening.
Senior starting Pitcher Sam Highfill was only able to pitch 2 innings, giving up 2 earned runs. Sophomore Shane Van Dam continues to struggle in relief, giving up 3 earned runs in 1 inning. His ERA is now up to 5.17. Van Dam left the game with an injury, which might have led to his exit.
The Wolfpack and the Seminoles will play Game 2 tomorrow at 7pm.
#20 NC State will head down to Tallahassee tomorrow for a 3-game series against #7 FSU. Before they do, here’s a look at where NC State is projected to land in the 2024 NCAA Tournament as things currently stand.
Last week, both D1Baseball and Baseball America projected the Wolfpack to play as a #2 seed in the Greenville Regional (ECU), with the former projecting the Pirates to be a #6 seed, and the latter projecting them to be a #8 seed.
This week, D1Baseball has NC State as a #2 seed in the Lexington Regional, with Kentucky as a #5 seed. Baseball America still has the Wolfpack as a #2 seed in the Greenville Region, with the Pirates still sitting as a #8 seed.
D1Baseball
Baseball America
#20 NC State lost to UNC-Wilmington 4-5 this evening at home, losing their 5th straight midweek game. The Wolfpack were swept by the Seahawks this year, ironically losing 4-5 down in Wilmington on April 9th.
Freshman Ryan Marohn got the starting nod, and he was excellent, giving up 1 earned run in 5 innings pitched, striking out 7. It was arguably his best start since his collegiate debut against VCU in the opening series.
Sophomore Shane Van Dam was Mr. Reliable through much of the season, but he hasn’t had his best stuff as of late. This evening, he faced four batters, hitting 2, walking another, and surrendering a hit to the other. Van Dam failed to record an out, and gave up 3 earned runs. Heading into the UNC game back on April 18th, Van Dam had a 2.63 ERA. After the past 4 appearances, his ERA has shot up to 3.96.
Freshman Jacob Dudan settled things down, pitching 4 scoreless innings, giving up only 1 hit, while striking out 5.
Unfortunately, Sophomore Derrick Smith allowed the Seahawks to score a run in the Top of the 10th, which was enough for the opposing team to leave Raleigh with a win, with NC State failing to score a run in the final 5 frames.
Junior Jacob Cozart continues an insane power surge, hitting two more Home Runs tonight. Cozart has hit 7 Home Runs in the past 6 games.
*Scheduled tweet* pic.twitter.com/eHvyuGT6so
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 30, 2024
SCOREBOARD SHOT 🚀 pic.twitter.com/tMvY8imzgG
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 30, 2024
Cozart now has 14 Home Runs on the year. His previous career high was 11.
Senior 1st Baseman Garrett Pennington also hit a Solo Home Run, his 11th bomb of the year.
Goodbye Baseball ✌️#Pack9 | @Garrettpenn14 pic.twitter.com/p0tySYt3aF
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 30, 2024
On Friday, the Wolfpack will head down to Tallahassee for a 3-game series against #7 Florida State.
