Fourth time’s the charm, right?
NC State’s baseball team is certainly hoping that is the case this year. In 2017, the Wolfpack (36-25, 16-14 ACC) lost its third straight NCAA Regional final in which it led in the seventh inning or later.
The Wolfpack entered the Lexington Regional as the No. 3 seed and picked up wins over Indiana and host team Kentucky to advance to the final. All the Wolfpack had to do was win one of two games against Kentucky, but the Pack dropped two games in heartbreaking fashion, something Wolfpack baseball fans are becoming all-too-familiar with.
After starting 2017 ranked as high as No. 6 nationally by Baseball America, the Wolfpack struggled during the first half of the season. A 20-20 start to the season had the Wolfpack’s College World Series aspirations looking bleak.
The second half of the season saw the Wolfpack finally live up to its preseason hype. The Wolfpack went 16-3 over its next 19 games and was just a few outs away from advancing to the NCAA Super Regionals for the first time since 2013 before suffering two losses in a row to Kentucky.
The 2018 Wolfpack is ranked No. 25 in the preseason USA Today Coaches’ Poll and will return a veteran roster with an abundance of playoff experience. The seniors on the team have been to an NCAA Regional final every year of their college career and will be looking to finally break through into the Super Regionals.
In addition to returning its entire starting outfield, seniors Brock Deatherage and Josh McLain and junior Brett Kinneman, the Wolfpack is bringing back all three of its players who hit .300 or over and its second-leading home run hitter, Kinneman. Sophomore catcher Brad Debo, .335, McLain .311 and likely shortstop Will Wilson, .300, will anchor an offense that hit .275 and slugged 64 home runs in 2017.
McLain (14th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers) and Deatherage (29th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates) were each drafted in the 2017 MLB Draft but both opted to return to a veteran-heavy squad that has eyes on a Super Regional appearance.
The Wolfpack returns sixth-year graduate student Johnny Piedmonte and senior Brian Brown to anchor the starting rotation. In the bullpen, NC State will see redshirt junior Austin Staley and redshirt senior Joe O’Donnell return to provide valuable late-inning relief.
It is clear that this Wolfpack team will be looking to summon the magic of the 2013 team that advanced all the way to the College World Series. Returning six position-player starters, three of its four starting pitchers, and its top two relievers has the Wolfpack in excellent position to do just that. As they say … fourth time’s the charm.
The Wolfpack begins its season on Friday at Doak Field at Dail Park against the Seton Hall Pirates at 3 p.m.
