I’m not going to lie, I was super stoked for baseball season to start this year. After hosting and winning a regional last year and nearly going to Omaha, Neb., I had pretty high expectations for this ball club. Needless to say, the team has fallen miserably short so far this season. In a year of disappointments on the football field and the basketball court, I thought the diamond would have brought some cheer to N.C. State this year.
Now these expectations that I formulated were not in the clouds, they were planted firmly on the infield grass, at least that is what I thought. I saw the team more or less dominating the non-conference schedule, beating up on the basement of the ACC and stealing a series or two from the creme de le creme of the conference. This would have set the team up with a nice ranking in the top 15 and given them a good shot at hosting another regional.
Now judging by the lack of red and white in the stands after the sixth inning of last night’s massacre, I am not the only one who has been left in utter disappointment. And the fans should be disappointed. A 15-13 record is nothing to boast about–it’s the third worst in the ACC. Opening the season with two losses, dropping the home series to Maryland, the ACC’s last place team, and several speckled losses to weekday non-conference opponents is not where this team should be.
It is time for the Pack to get it’s s–t straight in all aspects of the game if it even wants a glimmer of hope for post season ball. The offense needs to hit the ball, the pitchers need to throw the ball and the fielders need to field the ball better. And all of this has to happen together. If one gets better and the others do not, the team will still lose.
Sure, the Pack has a couple of hitters that are doing solid this year, but it does not matter when they are left standing on second or third at the end of the inning. Use some small ball tactics, bunt them over, get them across the plate with a sac fly. Hell, get another hit and drive them in. Do something to get some runs across the plate.
For the pitchers, come on, you have to, I mean have to, get outs off of 0-2 and 1-2 counts. Make your pitches count. Have faith in the guys behind you, even if it is blind faith. Pitch to get batters out, whether it is a strike out, ground out or fly out. Just make smart pitches. Do not leave a 3-1 pitch over the middle of the plate as if it were batting practice. Be smart on the rubber.
Now for you out on the diamond, back up your pitcher, earn that faith they are putting in you to make the play. Fiver error games, four error games, seriously? Come on now. Field the ball with two hands, point and throw, use the basics you undoubtedly learned in tee ball and make the play. Don’t drop cans of corn. Do not pull a Bill Buckner. Make the plays, get the outs and get your pitcher off the mound.
It is time for the team to put all of these together, work together, have faith in each other and have a little bit of heart and start living up to your fans’ expectations. You have the skills, and we all know this. Now put them to use and be proud to be wearing the RED and WHITE of the WOLFPACK!