The NC State baseball team will face No. 22 Florida State in a highly anticipated three-game series at home starting Friday in Raleigh.
The series is likely to be competitive, as the Wolfpack (16-14, 5-7 ACC) continues impressive play and the Seminoles (20-11, 6-6 ACC) attempt to regain their glory as a top-five team. State has been red-hot in its previous two games, demolishing its opponents with impressive offensive ability.
The Pack will have the opportunity to add three more to the win column this weekend as the Seminoles fight to maintain their status as one of the nation’s best teams.
NC State has had several ups and downs this season so far, but the future seems bright as the team hopes to be a championship contender.
The Wolfpack finished a weekend series with Notre Dame April 2, winning 9-2 against the respectable Irish team after dropping the first two. Freshman pitcher Michael Bienlien gave up a mere five hits for just one run in the contest, while the Wolfpack batting effort dominated the scoreboard.
The Pack built off that momentum as it rolled over UNC-Asheville, 13-1, at home Tuesday. NC State managed a season-high 18 hits, dominating the visiting Bulldogs. By the end of the third inning, the Wolfpack led 10-0 and only gave up one run in the remainder of the game.
The Wolfpack featured an incredible batting effort, as four different players had three hits, and every player who managed a hit had at least two. Redshirt senior Johnny Piedmonte pitched five innings for the Pack, completing four strikeouts and only giving up two hits.
State has benefited from outstanding play as of late by freshman Brad Debo, who is currently batting .374 with 34 hits and 24 RBIs. Junior Josh McLain has also played well, going 3 for 3 at bat against UNCA with two runs and two RBIs in the contest.
The entire Wolfpack team has demonstrated strong offense and defense, and the team looks to maintain this momentum. The early prediction of a batting powerhouse in Raleigh is starting to show life.
NC State hopes to continue on its hot streak looking forward to Friday’s game against FSU.
The Seminoles started their season with very high expectations but have dealt with a harsh reality as of late. Ranked No. 3 in the nation on opening day, the FSU team played an outstanding first few weeks. For a week in March, the team was ranked No. 1 in the nation.
However, more recent losses to Virginia Tech, Florida and UNC-Chapel Hill have set the team almost two dozen spots back. In last weekend’s meeting with UNC-CH, the Seminoles tallied a painful six errors and were unable to keep up with the No. 8 Tar Heel squad.
FSU’s troubles may be nearing an end, as the team snapped a four-game losing streak Tuesday night. A walk-off double brought the final score to 7-6 as the Seminoles defeated No. 20 Florida Gulf Coast at home.
It is important to note that this was FSU’s first win this season against a ranked team, having lost five of the last six meetings with nationally ranked squads.
NC State, on the other hand, recently defeated No. 1 Louisville in its series opener, before losing a closely contested second game and the lopsided third. The Wolfpack is 1-2 against ranked teams this season, with the Cardinals being the only ranked opponent going into the FSU game.
The Florida State team beat FGCU in its second matchup in a tightly-contested 3-2 game.
Although many would place the Wolfpack as the underdog in this game, the teams are evenly matched for the most part. If NC State can maintain its offensive dominance and capitalize on FSU’s mistakes, it will be an easy three wins for the home team.
The first game starts at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Doak Field, and fan attendance is expected to be high.
