The No. 9 NC State baseball team beat Longwood 19-3 in its second midweek game of the season on Wednesday, Feb. 23, at Doak Field.

The Wolfpack (5-0) had a few quiet innings in the middle of the game and gave up some late runs, but the Lancers (3-2) were simply no match for the Pack’s bats.

“We’re just out here playing hard, trying to have fun and just soaking in the moment,” said senior center fielder Devonte Brown. “We’ve got a bunch of new guys playing, I bet it feels good to them. It feels good to us and we’re just going to try and keep it rolling.”

Redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher Logan Whitaker made the first start of his career, allowing just two hits and striking out five over five innings of work.

“It felt like everything finally came together,” Whitaker said. “A lot of faith and patience in the process and that’s what led us today. Credit to the coaching staff for not giving up on me. Very blessed to have this opportunity back.”

Whitaker didn’t play in his freshman year (2019) and made his Wolfpack debut over the weekend, coming out of the bullpen on Saturday after fighting injuries throughout his career.

“Logan Whitaker, to go through what he went through, I mean, there were many, many people who thought that his career might be over,” said head coach Elliott Avent. “He’s gone through so many injuries, and to see him persevere. I heard him say, ‘I appreciate the coaching staff not giving up on him,’ you can’t give up on a person who never gives up on themselves. … I thought many times he would say, ‘That’s it. I can’t do it anymore.’ But he kept coming back. … And just to be on the mound like he did the other day, but then to see him go out here and pitch five innings of two-hit ball, shutout and get the win was amazing.”

After scoring one run in the first inning, the Pack exploded for sixth in the second. Five of the Pack’s six runs in the frame came with two outs as sophomore left fielder LuJames Groover III hit a two-run single, sophomore DH Dominic Pilolli crushed a two-run triple and redshirt junior third baseman Josh Hood hit an RBI single after senior center fielder Devonte Brown hit a one-out RBI sac fly.

The next three innings were quiet for NC State but it resumed its offensive onslaught in the sixth. The Pack’s four runs in the frame were far from the prettiest, with two coming on wild pitches and freshman first baseman Tommy White scoring after reaching base on an error.

White went 1 for 2 at the plate with just one RBI, ending his career-beginning streak of multi-RBI games at four. 

The Pack had a home run-heavy inning in the seventh, extending its lead to 14-0 behind a solo shot from freshman right fielder Will Marcy and a two-run shot from Brown. Sophomore pinch runner Eddie Eisert added to the hit parade with an RBI triple, while another error scored Eisert.

Brown ended the game going 3 for 4 at the plate with three RBIs. One of two big returning field players from the Wolfpack’s Omaha run last season, Avent credits the leadership that both he and senior second baseman J.T. Jarrett have given the team.

“What those two have meant to our ball club, the leadership off the field and on the field… [Brown] speaks how we want to play, how we do play and how we hope to continue to play,” Avent said.

An RBI single from Marcy, who led the inning off with his solo shot, was the last of the Pack’s offense in the inning.

Eisert and senior catcher Matt Oldham added some unneeded insurance runs with an RBI single and RBI double, respectively, in the bottom of the eighth, further extending the Pack’s lead.

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Garrett Payne pitched two hitless innings out of the pen, striking out three. Freshman right-handed pitcher Brandon Hudson threw a one-hit inning of relief. Redshirt freshman left-handed pitcher Trey Cooper came in to start the ninth and got two strikeouts, but with bases loaded and two outs, he was replaced by sophomore right-handed pitcher Cooper King.

King couldn’t get out of the jam right away, allowing a two-run double down the left field line and walked the next two batters to reload the bases and walk in a run, but got the next batter to fly out to end the game.

“We’ve got to build a bullpen, we don’t know who that is yet. We are trying to figure it out,” Avent said. “I know that was a tough game for Cooper and especially King. … That was a tough thing to bring Cooper King into. 19-0 game, you sit there for three hours, and it seems like five hours, you know what I’m saying? And you’re getting nothing coming into a bases-loaded situation. Tough situation for him, but that’s an opportunity for him and he knows that. We are trying to develop a bullpen. The game didn’t end exactly the way we wanted it, but we played very well today.”

The Wolfpack will continue its season-opening home stand on Friday, Feb. 25, as it hosts Quinnipiac. First pitch of game one is set for 6 p.m.