The NC State baseball team has gotten off to a slow start in conference play and has lost four of its last five games, but that is not due to the starting pitching. So far this season, starting pitching has been a bright spot for the Wolfpack and one of its key strengths.
The Pack has relied on three main starters, so let’s take a look at how they have done so far this season and who should be the “big game” starter.
Matt Willadsen, right-hander
Junior right-hander Matt Willadsen has been the Pack’s most reliable starter all season and is someone the team can lean on to shut down opposing offenses. Willadsen has a phenomenal ERA of 1.72 which places him fifth in the ACC while also being top five in the opponent’s batting average.
Not only is Willadsen shutting down the bats of the other team, he is also going deep into games which is just as important for a team that has an inconsistent bullpen. Willadsen has gone six innings or longer in the eight games he’s played so far this season, usually leaving his bullpen with a lead.
Willadsen’s best performance of the season came in a loss to the then-14th-ranked Virginia Cavaliers when he threw seven innings with a season-high nine strikeouts. The righty only allowed one run, but the Pack ended up losing 7-0 which speaks to the inconsistent bullpen.
https://twitter.com/NCStateBaseball/status/1636803715490541569?s=20
While Willadsen technically isn’t the Friday starter, he is the guy that the Pack will go to when it needs a shutdown performance.
Dominic Fritton, left-hander
While Willadsen has been the most dominant pitcher for NC State, freshman left-hander Dominic Fritton has been prevalent in his own right. Fritton leads the starters in ERA and is fourth overall in the ACC. He also leads the starters in opponent batting average which places him fourth in the conference.
While Fritton has slightly better stats than Willadsen, he can’t be considered the go-to guy for the Pack because he has only gone six innings or longer once. As mentioned earlier, it is crucial for the starters to go as long as possible due to the weak bullpen. This is not to discredit Fritton as he has taken advantage of the innings he’s pitched, never allowing more than two runs in any of his starts.
Fritton’s best start of the season came in a win against the University of Miami when he struck out seven batters and gave up zero runs. Although he only pitched 4.1 innings, his offense had already built a comfortable enough lead to secure the victory.
The freshman has been lights out when he steps on the mound, but he needs to be able to go longer in games to become a truly dominant pitcher.
Logan Whitaker, right-hander
While redshirt junior right-hander Logan Whitaker doesn’t have the same kind of stats the other two guys have, he has shown the ability to deliver clutch performances in big games. Inconsistency has been the issue with Whitaker as he has a 3.92 ERA but has thrown seven innings in a game twice. When Whitaker is on his game, he looks like the best pitcher on the team but also has performances that make him look like the third starter.
For instance, in a start against an unranked Miami team, he was only able to go 2.2 innings, allowing five runs on six hits. He then threw an absolute gem against then 11th-ranked Louisville when he pitched seven innings, allowing only one run and recording seven strikeouts.
Whitaker currently stands as the Friday starter, but that may need to change as the other two guys have been more consistent and shown more promise overall.
