The NC State baseball team pulled off another ACC series win this weekend, this time against Notre Dame. The Wolfpack has yet to drop an ACC series this season, and sits atop the Atlantic Division standings with a 13-5 conference record and a 28-7 overall record. Here are some takeaways from the season so far:
Offense continues to roll
The Pack plated 33 runs against the Irish this weekend, and owns an ACC-best .304 team batting average. On the season, the team has an absurd 270 runs this year, also tops in the conference, and has powered its way to a blazing hot start and a No. 2 ranking. Even when the pitching falters, the bats have carried the team.
Junior outfielder Brett Kinneman has been the main story all year, but the contributions have been excellent all across the board. Kinneman is still slugging a conference-best .690 with 13 home runs, but senior center fielder Josh McLain has been impressive in his own right, batting a team-high .335 while striking out just 15 times in 167 at bats.
Brian Brown is really good
He may not have an ERA under 1.00 anymore, but senior left-hander Brian Brown has used his funky delivery and off-speed stuff on his way to an impressive 1.09 ERA in 57.2 innings pitched. He was brilliant Saturday against the Fighting Irish, throwing his first career complete game while allowing just one earned run on eight hits and two walks while striking out eight batters.
Brown’s control has been solid this season, as he’s walked just 17 batters this season compared to 53 strikeouts. His dominance and ability to keep opposing hitters off-balance has been critical to the Wolfpack’s success this season.
Series opener woes
It’s tough to argue with the results as NC State has won all of its conference series thus far, but it’s worth mentioning that the team has lost four series openers in a row. Against Notre Dame Friday, the Wolfpack plated eight runs but still lost, 12-8. The bullpen was shaky, giving up 10 runs in just six innings of work.
In the previous three series openers, the Pack scored a combined eight runs, and it was an encouraging sign for Wolfpack fans to see the offense come alive Friday. With two tough series against UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke coming up, it’ll be important for the Pack to put it all together in a series opener.
Tough stretch ahead
It’s going to be a battle for the next two weeks for the Pack. The Wolfpack has already been great against tough ACC competition, but NC State will face No. 20 UNC-Chapel Hill four times, No. 8 East Carolina at home in a midweek tilt and the ACC Coastal Division leader in No. 10 Duke. The Pack finishes up the season with a home series against Wake Forest and a trip to Tallahassee to face Florida State.
A lot can happen in the final month of the season, but NC State has put itself in a good position for the final stretch. If the offense keeps rolling and the pitching remains consistent, a strong finish could be in order for the Pack.
