The NC State baseball team completed its second weekend-series sweep to remain undefeated on the season at 7-0. The Wolfpack was dominant all weekend long, winning each game by at least six runs, with scores of 8-2, 10-3 and 15-1. Here’s a look at some of the important numbers across the weekend.
11 — Strikeouts by junior left-handed pitcher Nick Swiney. After opening the season with a career-high 11 strikeouts in his start versus James Madison, Swiney managed to equal that total in his second start of the season. The Wolfpack’s Friday starter has begun the year well, and if he can keep it up, expect the Pack to win a majority of its Friday games.
7 — Home runs hit by the Wolfpack across the series. The Pack entered the series having hit just three dingers in its opening four games, but the bats were on fire against Tennessee Tech as four different players sent the ball out of Doak Field.
.375 — Junior catcher Patrick Bailey’s batting average over the weekend. After starting the year with just one hit in 11 at-bats across the opening four games of the season, Bailey returned to what everyone knows he can be, a dominant power hitter. Two of Bailey’s three hits were home runs, including a grand slam in the second game of the Saturday doubleheader.
.400 — Junior third baseman/right fielder Devonte Brown’s batting average over the weekend. Brown started the year on fire for the Wolfpack, leading the team with a .462 season batting average. Across the weekend, Brown went 4 for 10 with six RBIs and two home runs.
4 — Extra-base hits by junior first baseman Austin Murr. Since transferring to the program from the junior college ranks, Murr has made a name for himself as the Wolfpack’s leadoff batter. Murr has the ability to not only get on base consistently, leading all regular starters in OBP (.515), but stretch those hits into extra-base hits and put himself in scoring position right away.
12 — The Wolfpack pitcher’s strikeout to walk ratio across the series. Head coach Elliott Avent used 11 different pitchers across the weekend, and all of them performed well, striking out 36 and walking just three.
1 — Number of times the Wolfpack was caught stealing. NC State has been aggressive on the base paths to start the season, and this series was no exception, stealing eight bases and only being caught once. Junior left fielder Jonny Butler was the sole man caught, but that can be forgiven since he successfully stole four, half of the Pack’s total.
