NC State baseball (21-4, 7-2 ACC) takes on Virginia Tech (10-13, 4-5 ACC) in a three-game series this weekend at English Field at Union Park in Blacksburg, Virginia.
NC State is off to its best start under head coach Elliott Avent since 2003, but the season will only get tougher from this point. NC State’s next seven games are all on the road, where it is 4-0 this season, including the sweep at Clemson.
Struggling Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech has not had a winning season since 2013 and this year hasn’t been any different. The Hokies have lost ACC series at Georgia Tech and Boston College, while taking two of three games at home against Pitt.
Virginia Tech is hitting .264 as a team, compared to a batting average of .317 for the Pack, which ranks eighth in the nation. Similarly, on the pitching side, NC State ranks 26th in the nation with a 2.96 ERA while the Hokies surrender significantly more earned runs per game at 5.33.
The 10 overall wins this season for Virginia Tech puts them at second fewest in the ACC, just ahead of Boston College.
Balanced Attack
Avent’s squad has won eight of its last nine games, due to an all-around balance of hitting and pitching. The pitching staff has shown its effectiveness in many performances this season. The Pack only gave up five total runs at Clemson and just two in a three-game series against Furman.
Even when the bats are struggling, there is an opportunity to win ball games, like what happened against Georgia Tech, because excellent pitching keeps the score close. Down 5-3 in the eighth inning, the Pack put up six runs, including two home runs to boost NC State to a 9-6 victory in the series finale against the Yellow Jackets.
Of course, it’s much easier to pitch in games when the offense explodes. NC State has scored 10 or more runs in six games this year while the pitching staff has only given up that many in three games.
Expectations
A mix of superior hitting and shut down pitching should give the Pack the advantage in the series. Also, the success on the road this season shouldn’t be overlooked, especially as ACC play picks up.
NC State swept the Hokies at home in a three-game series last year and will look for similar outcomes starting on Thursday at 4 p.m. Friday’s game is set to start at 4 p.m. as well and the finale Saturday begins at 1 p.m.
