Sophomore pitcher Brian Brown pitches in the rain on Doak Field at Dail Park on June 6, 2016. Brown pitched four innings allowing three runs on three errors. NC State lost the battle against weather, fatigue and Coastal Carolina 7-5." />
Nick Faulkner
Sophomore pitcher Brian Brown pitches in the rain on Doak Field at Dail Park on June 6, 2016. Brown pitched four innings allowing three runs on three errors. NC State lost the battle against weather, fatigue and Coastal Carolina 7-5.
Wolfpack baseball will kick off its 22nd season under head coach Elliott Avent this weekend, seeking to build on last year’s second-half push that earned the team its 15th NCAA tournament appearance in the last 20 years. As in any other year, the conference schedule will be stout, with the Pack taking on three of the top-15 ranked teams in the preseason polls.
Though the nonconference slate is nothing to scoff at, in all, it is a bit more favorable than the ACC schedule. After opening with Seton Hall at home, the 2018 season should shake out to be quite exciting, as the team’s fate will likely be decided by how it fares against its crosstown rivals.
March 16-18 @ Clemson
NC State’s first road series of the season will be against the Tigers, who are looking to improve on last year’s early dismissal from the NCAA tournament. Despite being a No. 1 seed and a regional host, Clemson was bounced in the first round of the tournament. This will be a tough task for the Pack though, as Clemson reeled in Baseball America’s 15th-ranked recruiting class this year. Plus, Clemson returns one of the nation’s best players in outfielder Seth Beer, who many project to be the best player in college baseball this year.
April 6-8 @ Louisville
The Cardinals enter the year as the 15th-ranked team in the polls, after finishing last season ranked fifth in the nation. One of two teams on NC State’s schedule that made the College World Series last year, this will be a tough road series for the Pack. Though Louisville put up an impressive 52-10 record last year and, like Clemson, was a regional host in the tournament, on a more positive note, many of the team’s top players went on to be drafted.
April 11 @ UNC-Wilmington
The Pack follows up Louisville by staying on the road with one of its many intriguing single-game matchups on the year. Sure, it is only one game, but the Seahawks are trending in the right direction — they pulled in two of the top players in the high school ranks in left-handed pitcher Zarion Sharpe and shortstop Greg Jones. They also return All-American and Raleigh native junior right-handed pitcher Alex Royalty.
April 20-22 @ Duke
NC State goes on the road again to face 25th-ranked Duke. This series will be paramount for the Wolfpack, as it comes on the heels of a home game against a loaded UNC W team. While not being the strongest team on NC State’s schedule, Duke’s lineup has depth and seniority, including first team All-American outfielder Griffin Conine.
April 24 @ East Carolina
This portion of State’s schedule will be its most grueling, as it takes on Duke, ECU and UNC consecutively. Coach Cliff Godwin’s Pirates may be a difficult nonconference opponent, as they look to rebound from a disappointing 2017 season that saw them miss the NCAA tournament, after a Super Regional appearance in 2016.
April 27-29 vs. UNC
The Tar Heels are aiming to win a national championship this year, and have the talent to achieve their goal. One of the five teams on NC State’s schedule — Clemson, Louisville, UNC, Wake Forest and Florida State — that were regional hosts in the 2017 NCAA tournament, the Heels come in ranked sixth nationally.
May 11-13 vs. Wake Forest
In its penultimate series of the schedule year, the Wolfpack draws the Demon Deacons. NC State played Wake on the road last year in a hotly contested series in which the team lost two of three games. Wake’s 2017 campaign was a successful one, advancing to a Super Regional before being thwarted by eventual national champion Florida.
May 17-19 @ Florida State
The Seminoles could be the most daunting team on NC State’s schedule: they begin the 2018 season as the highest-ranked of any of the Pack’s opponents at No. 5. Two-way star Tyler Holton, a left-handed pitcher and designated hitter, is a first team All-American. If the Pack handles its business in the series leading up to this one, then it can stamp its ticket to college baseball’s “Big Dance.” If not, the season may come down to these three games.