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Former Pack star Knizner needs to step up if he wants the Cardinals catching job next year

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2 years ago

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Andrew Knizner was a career .300 hitter for NC State (2014-16). He also was seen as an elite backstop, with a strong arm and the ability to manage a pro pitching staff.

These are the reasons that the St. Louis Cardinals traded their other prospects at catcher and settled on Andrew Knizner as the eventual heir to Yadi Molina’s throne.

Molina has spent 18 years with the Cardinals and is destined for the Hall of Fame, but he’s made it clear that this year is his last. That means that St. Louis needs to start prepping the next man up.

That next man has been Knizner all season long. When Molina has gone down with injuries, its been Knizner who has stepped in. However, in the small sample size, the former Wolfpacker hasn’t shown much offensively.

Knizner is batting just .221 with 1 home run in his 190 plate appearances. And while Yadi is only batting .219 with 2 homers himself, he’s also 40 years old and one of the top defensive catchers in the game (still).

Knizner is going to get more opportunities down the stretch. The Cardinals are 5 games up in the central and a likely lock for the post-season. That means that they are going to have an incentive to rest Molina for the playoffs.

This could be Andrew Knizner’s last chance to prove he’s up for the task of replacing Molina next season. If he can get hot and regain the form he showed in the minor leagues, then its likely that St. Louis won’t make a move for a catcher in the offseason. But if he continues to flounder at the plate, there’s no guarantees.

Here is Cardinals coach Oliver Marmol talking about Knizner’s struggles:

In his 5+ seasons in the minors, Knizner batted .303 with a little pop. Add that to the fact that he’s always been a good defensive catcher, and you can see why they were so high on him. But it’s been over 3 years now and Knizner is hitting just .205 in the majors for his career.

Usually, when a prospect comes up from AAA, you can expect their major league ceiling to be their minor league average, especially for an experienced prospect drafted out of college. Their average can be expected to fall up to 30 points due to the quality of pitching they are seeing on a nightly basis.

Knizner’s .100 point drop from AAA to the majors lets you know that something is off. He’s had multiple seasons to get used to major league pitching, but he’s failed to make the adjustment. Now he comes into his age 28 season, a year where most players hit their statistical peak. It’s time he either adjust or be passed over.

Will having his back against the wall push Knizner to elevate his offense? We hope so, because if not, the once promising back stop could be destined for a career back-up role (at best), or head back to the minor leagues (at worst).

Keep an eye on him this final month of the season and let’s hope the former Pack star can turn things around.

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gigi debe
gigi debe
1 year ago

Whoaaa! Whoever wrote this article needs to be given a Wolfpack ass whooping! This article is full of inaccurate stats, derogatory statements, and seems more like an attempt to to defame Knizner than to truly depict performance of one of NC States best professional athletes! . I am sure that Coach Avent and Coach Hall would not be happy that someone writing for the Pack Insider actually put this trash out there, too. Anyone ACTUALLY following Knizner and the Cardinals team would know that the video of Coach Marmol talking about Knizner was only a snippet taken from a post… Read more »

Knizner stats august 26 2022.JPG
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Pack Insider Staff
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Pack Insider Staff
1 year ago
Reply to  gigi debe

None of the stats we posted are wrong as of the time of publishing. You are just focusing on a smaller sample size and you know who is not focusing on small sample sizes? The Cardinals front office. We’re rooting for Knizner. We’ve written a ton of great fluff pieces on him in the past. But the truth is, he needs to produce down the stretch if he wants to secure the starting job for next year.

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NC State Baseball

#20 NC State Loses 4-5 to UNCW, Losing 5th Straight Midweek Game

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1 day ago

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April 30, 2024

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#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.

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.

On Friday, the Wolfpack will head down to Tallahassee for a 3-game series against #7 Florida State.

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NC State Baseball

NC State Outfielder Josh Hogue Out for Remainder of the Season

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3 days ago

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April 29, 2024

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NC State will be without Sophomore Right Fielder Josh Hogue for the remainder of the season. Hogue unfortunately suffered a fractured leg due to a collision with Center Fielder Eli Serrano III on Saturday, with both players diving for a ball in the outfield.

Hogue will have to undergo surgery, and he is expected to be out 4 months.

This is a huge loss for the Wolfpack. Hogue has been batting 3rd in NC State’s lineup, with the 3rd best batting average on the squad (.314) and 4th best OPS (.848).

On Sunday, Freshman 2nd Baseman Luke Nixon moved out to Right Field to fill the void, and his brother Chase Nixon was in Right. Starter Senior Noah Soles has been out since the Notre Dame Series at the end of March, but he has been taking batting practice and should be returning soon.

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NC State Baseball

NC State Baseball Jumps Up in Top-25 Rankings After Ball St. Sweep

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3 days ago

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April 29, 2024

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After sweeping Ball State this past weekend, NC State jumped up in almost all of the Top-25 polls.

Baseball America – 13th (+4)

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RPI – 20th (+9)

D1Baseball – 20th (+1)

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USAToday Coaches Poll – 20th (+3)

Perfect Game – 25th (-)

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NC State Baseball

#21 NC State Defeats Ball St. 11-3 in Finale, Completing Sweep of Cardinals

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3 days ago

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April 28, 2024

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#21 NC State defeated Ball St. 11-3 this afternoon, completing the sweep of the Cardinals.

Freshman Cooper Consiglio got the start, and pitched a career high 85 pitches, giving up 2 earned runs in 4.1 innings pitched. He struck out 3, and walked 3.

Junior Carson Kelly came in for an inning of relief after Consiglio’s exodus, and even though he gave up a run, he was credited with the win.

Junior’s Jacob Cozart (C) and Brandon Butterworth (SS) each hit Home Runs, and each had 3 RBI’s. Cozart was a double shy of hitting for the Cycle. He is on a torrid streak, hitting Home Runs in 6 of the last 7 games.

Sophomore Center Fielder Eli Serrano III had a multi-hit game, going 2 for 5 with 2 Runs, and Senior 3rd Baseman Alec Makerewicz had a 2 RBI Double.

The Wolfpack will host UNCW this Tuesday at 5pm.

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