Halfway through the conference schedule, N.C. State is at 9-6 and sits in third place in the Atlantic Division of the ACC. But to just look at the Wolfpack’s record and standings alone may be a little deceiving.
Four of the five conference series State has played so far were against teams at the bottom of the standings. In fact, of those four teams, only Wake Forest — at 7-8 in the league — is anywhere near .500.
And against current Atlantic Division leader Florida State (10-2) last weekend, the fifth ACC team the Pack has faced, State dropped two of three games.
Sophomore left-hander Eric Surkamp, who is scheduled to start on the mound Friday night, said the way conference play has gone so far and with the tough games remaining, it’s important that the team take at least two games this weekend in Miami.
“On the road in the ACC, all you can ask for is to win two out of three [games],” he said. “So we definitely need that to help us in the conference standings.”
So far this year Surkamp is 3-1 with a 2.84 ERA. But in his last six starts he has posted a 2.82 ERA and has only one win to show for it.
Last season the lefty from Cincinnati, Ohio, started against Miami in Raleigh. He allowed two hits, walked two and gave up four earned runs before being pulled from the game in the fourth inning.
“I struggled a little bit last year,” Surkamp said. “I struggled with my control. So I’m ready to do better against them this year.”
Surkamp added the mild Florida weather will be a nice change from the frigid temperatures he’s had to pitch in at home so far this season.
“I can’t wait for some warm weather to pitch in,” he said. “It’s been too cold up here.”
For another Pack player, the trip to southern Florida will be a homecoming. Junior shortstop Ramon Corona is from Coral Gables, Fla. — the town in which the University is actually located.
Miami’s stadium, currently Mark Light Field, will soon become Alex Rodriquez Park, which is named for the current Yankee star and former neighbor of Corona’s, once the renovations are complete.
“It’s a chance to get back home and play against some of my old friends that I grew up playing with and against,” Corona said. “Then also my family and friends get to see me play and they’re very excited.”
Corona said his parents are the only ones who can usually make the games in Raleigh, but down there he’s expecting to see a lot of familiar faces in the crowd.
“There will probably be 30 to 40 people I know at the game to see me,” he said.
As for State’s opponent, the history is long and storied. Miami has played in 21 College World Series and won four national championships. And against the Pack, the Hurricanes are 15-7 all-time.
This year’s version, however, does not resemble its predecessors. The Hurricanes started the season by losing nine of its first 19 games and is just 7-8 so far in conference play.
Coach Elliott Avent warns, though, no matter the record, Miami is still Miami and the players are very familiar the program’s “mystique.”
“[Miami’s] very comfortable in their surroundings and you hope our guys handle it the way it should be,” Avent said. “They’re another good baseball team. But every time you play somebody in the ACC, they’re a good baseball team. If you can understand that and forget about the names on the front of their jerseys, then you’ll be a lot better off.”
