The NC State baseball team completed a three-game sweep over the Clemson Tigers this weekend in perhaps the Pack’s most impressive weekend of baseball since qualifying for the College World Series in 2013. Let’s take a look at what it means moving forward.
Better than good
The Wolfpack was 11-2 heading into conference play, which is very good, but the competition wasn’t very strong. NC State took two out of three from Boston College last weekend, which is what good teams are supposed to do, but it’s not a spectacular performance. Heading into Clemson, we knew the Pack was good, and definitely an NCAA tournament team, but how good? Top 25? Top 10? The Wolfpack dominated the consensus top-10 Tigers throughout the weekend, to prove the team deserves top-10 consideration. Sweeping any ACC series is a difficult task, let alone on the road. Against a top-10 team on the road? Head coach Elliott Avent can’t ask for anything more from his team.
Versatility and depth on offense
The Wolfpack wasn’t going to score nine runs per game in the ACC like it did in nonconference play. It’s been evident this team can hit for power, but sometimes it won’t be able to wait around for the three-run homer, and have to play small ball. NC State hit five home runs this weekend, but those only accounted for six runs. The Pack manufactured the rest of them. Wolfpack hitters had seven sacrifice plays to either move runners up or bring them in, and six of those resulted in a run being scored. That’s a good sign for when the Pack offense hits a slump, which it inevitably will. The other good sign is that of the Wolfpack regulars, senior outfielder Brock Deatherage has the lowest batting average at .295. That’s ridiculous. Not many teams have that kind of depth one through nine in the batting order, and that’s without the leadoff hitter from the last two years.
Pitching answers the bell
We knew the Pack could hit, but how would the pitching handle ACC offenses? Based on this weekend, quite well. Clemson scored five runs in three games after scoring 117 runs in 17 games, or 6.9 per game. The Tigers had three extra base hits this weekend, all on Sunday, after averaging almost three per game to start the year. That’s answering the bell. NC State still needs to find a Sunday starter so it doesn’t have to take away pitchers from the fantastic bullpen, but the bullpen is good enough to win a game per weekend for the Pack. If Avent can get quality starts on Friday and Saturday from sophomore Michael Bienlien and senior Brian Brown, NC State will win many ACC series.
Help still on the way
If you needed any more good news, the Pack has reliable veterans on their way back from injury. Graduate pitcher Johnny Piedmonte didn’t pitch this weekend after struggling the last two weekends, but this was likely related to his back issues and not his performance. The Pack needs him to be healthy in May and June, but you never know when his back may flare up, as it did this weekend. If he gets healthy and stays healthy, he will start on Sundays and Avent will have his weekend rotation.
Redshirt junior Austin Staley has yet to pitch this year due to injury, but assuming he comes back at some point, which we have no reason to believe he won’t, he will add another experienced and trusted arm to an already stout bullpen.
Senior second baseman Stephen Pitarra hasn’t played since opening weekend due to a hamstring injury which required surgery. He was given a four-to-six week timetable at the time, and this weekend marked four weeks since his surgery. If he hasn’t had any setbacks, he should be back either this coming weekend or the next. Three weeks away is a trip to Louisville and Avent will want to get him some at bats before that showdown. Adding him back to the mix, likely as the leadoff hitter, adds another guy who is an on-base machine to a team that already has a .425 OBP.
Moving forward and handling success
The Pack has had a dream start to this season, at 18-3 and 5-1 in the ACC. It’ll appear in the top 15 of most polls which come out on Monday. However, if the Pack doesn’t beat teams it is supposed to beat, it’s going to be a frustrating season. NC State should win every remaining series at home, starting next weekend against Georgia Tech. To do that, this team has to keep its head down and keep working hard. It’s played with a chip on its shoulder, and it needs to continue to do that, no matter what the polls say. If NC State does that, it’s well on its way to having the best season since 2013, when the Pack advanced to the College World Series.
