The NC State baseball team made the long flight across the continental United States and Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, off to play the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors to kick off the 2017 college baseball season.
When the first pitch is thrown on Friday night, it will represent a changing of the guard for the Wolfpack in head coach Elliott Avent’s 20th season at the helm.
Catcher Andrew Knizner and first baseman Preston Palmeiro were both drafted last summer and were key cogs in the NC State lineup. Gone are pitchers Ryan Williamson and Will Gilbert, the former, the staff ace, and the latter, one of NC State’s most important bullpen pieces.
In their place will be a whole lot of upperclassmen and freshmen who will be tasked with keeping up the success of the program.
Returning to head the rotation is soft-throwing junior left-handed pitcher Brian Brown, who has extensive experience pitching in big games throughout his NC State career. Brown anchored the rotation last year after Williamson’s season was cut short by injury. The weekend rotation will be mostly shaped by early season results, as several names could seize opportunity and find playing time in a largely open competition.
Freshman Dalton Feeney, a hard-throwing, 6-foot-3-inch right-handed pitcher from North Dakota, will most likely find a place in the weekend rotation. Feeney was expected to be a third-round draft pick before teams shied away, afraid he wouldn’t sign. After the dust settled, he ended up at NC State and the Wolfpack rotation will benefit greatly from it.
Other options to fill out the rotation are senior Cory Wilder and junior Tommy DeJuneas.
The bullpen welcomes converted starter Johnny Piedmonte, a redshirt senior with experience and the skills to become a dominant reliever. Joining him will be senior Sean Adler, giving the Wolfpack an experienced bullpen tandem.
One theme for the 2017 baseball season for NC State will be youth. The Wolfpack has a total of 14 freshmen on the roster, resulting in the 17th-ranked recruiting class in the nation. However, the Pack has some seniors to anchor a young squad.
Of the returners, only five are seniors and none are position players. That’s not to say the lineup won’t have bite, however.
Returning is junior shortstop Joe Dunand and junior third baseman Evan Mendoza, both of whom figure to be drafted in the 2017 MLB Draft.
All three starting outfielders return, with juniors Brock Deatherage and Josh McLain combining with sophomore Brett Kinneman to form an incredibly fast trio. The three players combined for 29 stolen bases last year and are looking to increase that number this season.
Replacing Knizner behind the plate will be a tall order, but NC State is confident that freshman Brad Debo is up to the task. Debo, the top-ranked catching recruit in North Carolina, chose the Wolfpack over the South Carolina, a perennial baseball powerhouse.
Avent has constructed another deep and talented roster that should have the Wolfpack competing in the tough ACC conference again this season. The Wolfpack will need to find a consistent rotation and find ways to make up for the production the lineup lost with the graduations of Palmeiro and Knizner.
The Wolfpack is highly ranked for a reason, and a deep NCAA Tournament run is not only possible but almost a starting point for this season’s expectations. Managing the youth on the roster will be the key to a successful season for Avent and company.
