NC State baseball can now say it’s the only team in the nation with a series victory over No. 2 Clemson.
Despite the Tigers’ lofty ranking and season-long success, the Wolfpack dominated the Tigers 8-3, marking the Pack’s second straight victory over the Tigers.
“They’ve got a veteran ball club that plays really hard,” said head coach Elliott Avent. “They’re well coached and they’re very deserving of their No. 2 ranking. They played well, but we played very well.”
The Wolfpack (29-12, 14-6 ACC) earned one of its most important wins of the season. Winners of six in a row, NC State is playing its best baseball of the season, while strengthening its resume to host a regional in the NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, the Tigers (36-9, 13-7 ACC) lost back-to-back games for the first time all season, suddenly looking lost against the Wolfpack.
The Wolfpack owes plenty of credit to sophomore pitcher Heath Andrews. The righty threw six innings and put on a show against the high-flying Tigers. With a career-high nine strikeouts, Andrews was on point with his control all night, while throwing with more confidence after each inning. Without Andrews’ performance, the Pack wouldn’t be sitting on a series victory already.
“I think I did good enough for the team to win,” Andrews said. “That’s what I’m really happy about.”
While Andrews showcased his incredible talent on the mound, junior pitcher Andrew Shaffner sealed the win with his sixth save of the season. The breakout bullpen star once again proved to be a force on the bump. Allowing just two hits across three innings along with a trio of strikeouts, Shaffner deserves credit for slamming the door shut on Clemson.
“Everything in life starts with confidence,” Avent said. “Baseball is a game that’s not going to always give you success, so if you really believe in yourself, that doesn’t deter you when things don’t go well. Shaffner has great confidence, and not to mention a good fastball, a good slider and a good changeup.”
While the Wolfpack and the Tigers remained close most of the night in a pitcher’s duel, sophomore catcher Alex Sosa broke the game wide open for NC State in the bottom of the seventh. With runners on first and second base, Sosa hammered a home run past left field. With the dugout celebrating and the crowd at Doak Field roaring to life, there was no doubt that NC State proved itself on the biggest stage of the season so far.
“That moment was awesome,” Sosa said. “I’m definitely going to rewatch it a couple times — probably more than a couple times tonight.”
With the win, NC State is now firmly in the conversation to host an NCAA Tournament regional as it did last season. The Wolfpack now holds quality series wins over No. 2 Clemson, No. 19 Louisville and Virginia. With an RPI of 31, the Pack certainly wants to continue stacking wins, but its resume is much stronger now than it was just a few weeks ago.
The Wolfpack will go for the sweep on Saturday against the Tigers. With first pitch set for 1 p.m. at Doak Field, NC State will have an excellent opportunity to make a statement.
