Coming off a disappointing showing in the form of a sweep at the hands of last-place conference opponent Boston College last weekend, the NC State baseball team will face Virginia Tech in an ACC series matchup this weekend at Doak Field.
The Wolfpack (22-20, 8-13 ACC) will look to top a similarly inconsistent Virginia Tech squad. The Hokies (20-23, 8-13 ACC) own a series victory over Florida State, just as NC State does, but also dropped a series to the last-place Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets earlier in the season.
The Pack rebounded from the Boston College series with a 13-0 trouncing of North Carolina Central on Tuesday and a 6-0 win against East Carolina Wednesday night.
This series is essentially a must-win for the Pack, and a sweep will go a long way to putting the team back in the picture for the NCAA Tournament.
Head coach Elliott Avent will shake up the rotation this weekend, as redshirt senior Johnny Piedmonte will receive a well-deserved start in place of senior Sean Adler, who couldn’t escape the first inning against Boston College in his last start. Piedmonte has pitched to the tune of a 1.88 ERA in 28.2 innings in six relief appearances and two starts and has been a key piece out of the bullpen for the Wolfpack.
Freshman Michael Bienlien and junior Brian Brown have continued to throw well for the Pack.
Brown tossed 6.2 innings against Boston College, surrendering only one run while striking out 11, though the Pack ultimately fell 2-1. The lefty owns an impressive 3.12 ERA on the season.
Bienlien threw six innings in his last start, giving up just one earned run in a 1-0 loss. The righty has carved out a role as a Sunday starter and boasts a 3.86 ERA in 44.1 innings on the season.
The pitching will need to keep a high-powered Hokie offense in check, as the team has produced a .285 average collectively on the season while connecting for 72 home runs and a .496 slugging percentage.
Redshirt junior infielder Sam Fragale has paced the Hokies’ offensive attack, slashing .308/.370/.645 and connecting for 14 home runs and 54 RBIs.
The Wolfpack offense will need to return in order to pull off a series victory over the Hokies. Though the bats have struggled, the offense produced 13 runs against NC Central and was swinging the bat well prior to the Boston College series.
Freshman Brad Debo continues to lead the way for the offense, mashing his way to a .346 batting average and a .500 slugging percentage while also driving in 31 runs, good for second on the team.
Shortstop Joe Dunand is pacing the team with 15 home runs, which leads the ACC, and a .660 slugging percentage.
The Pack will likely see Virginia Tech redshirt senior lefty Kit Scheetz Friday, who has logged a 3.26 ERA in 47.1 innings. Redshirt junior outfielder and pitcher Nick Anderson has also made an impact for the Hokies, tossing 53.1 innings and tallying a 4.05 ERA. As a hitter, Anderson owns a .346 average and .928 on-base plus slugging.
First pitch is scheduled for Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Doak Field. Saturday’s game will take place at the same time and Sunday’s series finale is due to start at 1 p.m.
