The NC State baseball team will face one of the ACC’s best this weekend when No. 8 Florida State makes the trip to Doak Field.
If you were to flash back to last season, the headlines surrounding an NC State vs. Florida State baseball matchup would revolve around a 6-foot-4, right-handed, third team All-American pitcher in the Seminoles’ bullpen.
I’m speaking about Jameis Winston, who is better known for heroics leading Florida State to a National Championship in football than his escapades on a baseball diamond.
Winston is off preparing for the NFL Draft, much to the chagrin of fans hoping to see him and for reporters like myself that love storylines that write themselves.
This year however, the Seminoles travel to Raleigh with a 23-7 record overall, 9-3 in the ACC. They are fresh off an 8-3 win over the No. 5 Florida Gators last night after taking two of three from Virginia Tech last weekend.
NC State sits at 18-9 after a 10-6 win over UNC-Charlotte on Tuesday and 6-5 in the ACC. The Wolfpack have been nearly unbeatable at Doak, boasting a healthy 13-1 record at home.
One could make a valid point that State’s immaculate home record is nothing more than the result of a less-than-challenging schedule.
The Pack has feasted on cupcake home games against North Carolina A&T, Elon and Villanova. However, the one time State has traveled to play a top-25 team, the team was swept in a three-game series against the No. 15 Miami Hurricanes.
This weekend’s series will test whether the Wolfpack’s young core of talented players simply lacks the mettle to win tough games in unfamiliar environments or if the team has beaten the easy teams at home and struggled when stiffer competition comes knocking.
The Seminoles have struggled on the road as well. Florida State has a stellar 19-2 record at home, yet the team is just 3-5 on the road. No one is doubting that the Seminoles have talent on the roster—talent that will be on display this weekend.
The Wolfpack will likely face sophomore RHP Boomer Biegalski (2-2, 3.50 ERA) on Thursday night, as the series will be played Thursday, Friday and Saturday instead of the usual Friday, Saturday, Sunday series.
Biegalski has held batters to a paltry .207 batting average and has struck out 52 batters in 46.1 innings this season.
Freshman right-handers Drew Carlton (1-1, 5.26 ERA) and Cobi Johnson (3-1, 5.67 ERA) will likely be the other two hurlers that the Wolfpack will get to face this weekend.
Junior outfielder D.J. Stewart leads a potent Florida State offense that will test the NC State pitching staff all weekend. In addition to Stewart’s slugging ability, the Seminoles have speed in freshman INF Dylan Busby (who also leads the team in RBI) and several other home run threats throughout the lineup.
Perhaps the strongest asset the Seminoles wield is their lock-down bullpen led by senior LHP Billy Strode (1-0, 3.09 ERA, eight saves). The Seminoles are 21-0 when carrying a lead into the ninth inning.
NC State has a great chance to take advantage of a home series against one of the better teams in the ACC. This young team has talent and an effective offense when it shows up.
Young stars like sophomore first baseman Preston Palmeiro (.419 BA, 30 RBI) and catcher Andrew Knizner (.358 BA, 21 RBI) are finding their stride with the opportunity, and established veterans like second baseman Logan Ratledge (.368 BA, four HR) and center-fielder Jake Fincher (.337 BA, 12 RBI) have been the rocks that head coach Elliott Avent needed them to become.
It will be a hard-fought season that will go a long way towards determining how far the 2015 NC State baseball team can go.
