The red-hot No. 8 NC State baseball team will head to Kentucky this weekend to take on Louisville in a crucial ACC Atlantic Division matchup.
The Wolfpack (23-5, 9-3 ACC) sits atop the Atlantic Division standings and will go for its fifth straight ACC series win to start conference play in 2018.
The Cardinals (19-8, 5-7 ACC) dropped out of the rankings last week after dropping their third straight ACC series at the hands of Florida State last weekend, but remain a tough team to beat.
NC State’s top two starters, graduate Johnny Piedmonte and senior Brian Brown, will need to continue their dominance of ACC offenses against Louisville. The two veterans have been stalwarts of the Wolfpack rotation all season, as Brown has pitched to a 0.41 ERA while Piedmonte owns a 2.93 ERA.
Even more impressive is the fact that the Wolfpack hasn’t lost a game started by Piedmonte or Brown all season. The third weekend starter spot has been a question all season, but there may not be a more effective duo at the top of the rotation than what the Pack has right now.
Louisville sophomore first baseman Logan Wyatt may give the Wolfpack pitching staff some trouble, however. The Cardinals’ slugger is destroying opposing pitching this season to the tune of a team-high .343 batting average with an excellent .502 on-base percentage. He’s garnered 31 walks to just 14 strikeouts, an impressive ratio. He has just one long ball on the season, but his plate discipline will play a factor in the series.
It’s no secret the Wolfpack offense has been incredible this year, but Louisville left-hander Adam Wolf has been impressive as well. The junior was touched up for eight runs in 2.1 innings against Florida State, but he still owns a 2.68 ERA in seven starts with 49 strikeouts.
Fortunately for the Wolfpack, the bats have been red hot. The team is averaging a plentiful 7.4 runs per game, the best mark in the ACC. The Pack also leads the conference in team batting average (.310), home runs (44), total bases (482) and slugging percentage (.499).
Among individual contributors, junior outfielder Brett Kinneman leads the way with an ACC-best 12 home runs and .750 slugging percentage. Senior outfielder Brock Deatherage has stolen 14 bases in 16 attempts, tied for the most in the conference. Sophomore shortstop Will Wilson is another excellent hitter, hitting .324 with a .581 slugging percentage, a step up from his breakout freshman season.
Senior second baseman Stephen Pitarra has been sidelined with an injury for the last month, but he appeared in the series against Virginia Tech last weekend and has some excellent on-base skills that could be useful off the bench or in the lineup.
If the Wolfpack can continue its offensive dominance, another series win may be in order.
