The NC State baseball team will travel to Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham to face the UNC-Chapel Hill Tar Heels in an unconventional nonconference game Tuesday night.
The Wolfpack (28-7, 13-5) and Tar Heels (24-12, 12-6) have had very different seasons, especially compared to preseason expectations, but both teams have played very well recently to set the stage for a massive game that doesn’t count in the conference standings.
“It’s Carolina, so the rivalry’s always there,” NC State sophomore shortstop Will Wilson said. “It’s going to be a great atmosphere. We had a lot of fans out [Saturday night against Notre Dame], so I think they’re going to come with us and it will be a great atmosphere to play in.”
The Tar Heels came into the season expected to be one of the best teams in the country, but struggled for about a month, including losing series to Louisville, East Carolina and Florida State. The Heels have since turned it around and won three ACC series in a row.
They are firmly in the NCAA Tournament, but still want to get back in the race to host a regional, and need quality wins to do that. Tuesday is an excellent chance to collect a high-quality, nonconference win that the Heels will need in order to be considered as a regional host.
The Wolfpack came in with tempered expectations on the season, and has blown every realistic expectation out of the water so far. Right now, the Wolfpack is a consensus top-six team in the country, and is ranked No. 2 in three different polls. The Wolfpack leads the conference, and has a full two-game lead in the Atlantic Division, which boasts perennial national powers in the likes of FSU, Clemson and Louisville.
NC State is as much of a lock to host a regional as is possible at this point in the season, and is in excellent position to host a super regional as well. The Pack needs to strengthen its nonconference resume, which is why the game against the Tar Heels is so important.
“If you think about it, it really prepares you for down the road,” Wolfpack senior right fielder Brock Deatherage said. “It’s going to be a regional atmosphere. It’s going to be a good fan base from both sides. Just being able to do this and play against a rival like this, and a good team, it’s a good feeling for us.”
Kyle Datres leads the Heels with a .368 batting average, while Michael Busch is the Heels best offensive player. Busch has a .331 average with nine home runs and 43 RBI.
Pitching wise, Tar Heels head coach Mike Fox relies on his depth in the bullpen. The lowest ERA on the team who has started more than two games is Austin Bergner, who has a 4.22 ERA. There are five pitchers who have thrown more than 21 innings who have an ERA lower than 3.00, and the Wolfpack will likely see a mix of those five pitchers, highlighted by Brett Daniels and Josh Hiatt, who have a 1.11 and 2.28 ERA, respectively.
On the other hand, Wolfpack head coach Elliott Avent has a team that mashes its way to victory. The Wolfpack has four players in the top-15 of the conference in the home runs, led by junior left fielder Brett Kinneman, who leads the conference with 13 home runs and 45 RBIs. Just for good measure, the Pack also leads the conference in team batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, runs and home runs.
On the mound, the Wolfpack has a 3.45 team ERA, good for fourth in the ACC. Avent will have all hands on deck to pitch against the Heels, likely including sophomore Mathieu Gauthier, and freshmen David Harrison, Reid Johnston and Nick Swinney, who will be charged with getting the ball to sophomore Kent Klyman and redshirt senior Joe O’Donnell to close out the game.
“It’s just fun for the players, and it gets you ready for if you’re in postseason,” Avent said. “The Durham Bulls is a great environment, and it’s big for the fans. [Fox] was looking for another game, and I say ‘why not?’ It’s good for our players. It’s a good environment, it’ll be good down the stretch.”
The game will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU.
