Pack9 hit the road again this past weekend as it traveled up to Blacksburg, Virginia to take on Virginia Tech in another three-game series.
It was a strange weekend on the road featuring ejections, a snow delay and another first collegiate home run for a player, so let’s take a look at a few key takeaways:
Two steps forward, one step back
NC State entered this weekend ranked No. 21 following an ACC sweep over Georgia Tech and a series win against Clemson, but that same luck didn’t follow up in Virginia.
Managing to escape the sweep, the Wolfpack grabbed a 10-3 win over the Hokies in the final game of the series but it was defeated 21-10 in game one and 8-2 in game two, dropping the Pack9 out of the rankings.
Now back to a .500 record in ACC play, the Pack can’t afford many more ACC losses as it reaches the second half of the season.
Changes on the mound
The starting rotation for the Pack looked a bit different over the course of this series. Redshirt sophomore right-hander Logan Whitaker took the bump Friday night, sophomore right-hander Matt Willadsen on Saturday and senior left-hander Canaan Silver got the start over sophomore right-hander Sam Highfill on Sunday.
Whitaker gave up nine earned runs in just four innings in his series-opening start while Willadsen lasted the longest of all three pitchers, letting up six earned runs in 6.1 innings.
Silver took advantage of his opportunity on the mound, giving up just one earned run in six innings with five strikeouts.
With Highfill’s absence, it’s promising to see others on the roster step up and take control of the red-hot Virginia Tech bats.
Relief pitching
The Wolfpack saw action from a number of different pitchers out of the bullpen yet again this weekend.
Redshirt junior right-hander Logan Adams lasted the longest in game one, giving up five earned runs in two innings before being ejected for throwing a pitch high-and-inside to the Hokies’ Tanner Schobel. This was quite the controversial call and head coach Elliott Avent was also ejected shortly thereafter.
Junior right-handed Baker Nelson made an appearance on Saturday, grabbing two strikeouts and giving up two earned runs in 1.2 innings, while sophomore left-hander Chris Villaman recorded the save in game three with two earned runs and four strikeouts in the final three innings.
The long ball
Two home runs of note were hit in game three of the series.
For starters, freshman infielder Tommy White got a chance to showcase his strength with a 451-foot opposite-field home run, his 13th of the season. White’s bomb tied the NC State freshman record.
Freshman catcher Jacob Cozart also grabbed his first collegiate home run that game, making him the 12th Wolfpack player to hit one out of the park this season.
Other noteworthy offensive performances
Sophomore outfielder Noah Soles continued his recent impressive offensive performance, going 6 for 12 in the Virginia Tech series with three RBIs. His two hits on Sunday brought him to 14 in the past six games.
He also had an incredible day on defense with a huge catch, which sent him over the wall to secure an important third out.
Sophomore outfielder Dominic Pilolli also had an excellent weekend, particularly his 4-for-5 performance with two RBIs on Sunday.
On the other hand, seniors outfielder Devonte Brown and infielder J.T. Jarrett struggled against the Hokies.
Brown was 2 for 12 over the weekend with a home run to get the scoring started in game three while Jarrett also went 2 for 12 with an RBI.
The boys are back in town
For the first time since March 27, NC State baseball returns to Raleigh as the Pack is set to host UNC-Wilmington April 12.
Boston College will also make the trip to the state capital for the upcoming weekend series, which takes place between Thursday April 14 and Saturday April 16 due to Easter Sunday April 17.
