The NC State baseball team couldn’t have asked for a better beginning. The Pack started 19-0 before suffering its first loss of the season on Sunday afternoon against Florida State and is ranked as the No. 1 team in the country by Collegiate Baseball for the first time in program history. About one-third of the way through the season, let’s take a look at what has gone right, what needs to change and what still needs to happen the rest of the way.
What has gone right?
Everything. Nineteen wins in a row in baseball is truly remarkable, regardless of competition. In the lineup, the Wolfpack’s three stars, junior shortstop Will Wilson, sophomore catcher Patrick Bailey and senior first baseman Evan Edwards, have been spectacular to say the least. The rest of the lineup has found production in many different spots, including freshman center fielder Tyler McDonough, who might be the freshman of the year in the ACC, and junior catcher Brad Debo, who has returned to his freshman year form when he was an All-American.
On the mound, junior Jason Parker has been a revelation as the Friday night starter. The bullpen has been outstanding with redshirt sophomore Dalton Feeney and sophomore Evan Justice leading the way. Junior Kent Klyman and sophomore Reid Johnston were the top two returning pitchers and have been solid so far.
The biggest difference between this season and last season is the depth behind the top five guys. It was clear that by the end of last season, Klyman, Johnston and redshirt senior Nolan Clenney didn’t have much gas left in the tank because they had been used so much. In contrast, 15 pitchers have been used so far this season, and each has made at least four appearances. Ten have thrown at least nine innings, with nobody eclipsing more than 26 innings. This year, there has been an emphasis on not using any pitcher too much early in the year, and the hope is that it will pay off in May and June.
NC State has played a very good schedule, unlike last year when the Pack only played three nonconference games outside of Raleigh and didn’t play a single team who made the previous season’s tournament outside of ACC play. This year, NC State has already played seven series away from Doak Field and six teams who made last year’s tournament, and there’s more to come, including Tennessee Tech, UNC-Wilmington and North Carolina A&T. Clearly, Coastal Carolina was a massive victory, and the rematch in Raleigh will have regional hosting implications. Despite their records, Campbell, Elon and Kent State are all favorites to win their conferences, and the Pack’s resume will improve as conference play picks up.
What needs to change?
In the lineup, there’s some spots up in the air, but that’s okay. As ACC play gets going, guys like sophomore infielder David Vazquez will emerge and earn their spots for good.
The biggest personnel question is on the mound. Who is the Sunday starter? Junior Michael Bienlien has been excellent out of the bullpen, but couldn’t make it out of the second inning when starting against Florida State on Sunday. Sophomore Canaan Silver has started five games, including four on Sundays, but hasn’t been given any length and got yanked in the first inning against Pittsburgh. Does he go back to the Sunday spot or become the midweek guy?
The other question is Feeney, who was the missing piece to last year’s team. He’s the most talented pitcher NC State has but is being brought along slowly after Tommy John surgery last season. Do they leave him in the closer spot or give him an opportunity in the rotation down the road? If — and it’s a big if — Feeney goes into the rotation and pitches like he can, the Pack is probably a favorite to make it to the College World Series. At some point, the Pack’s 9-0 record in one-run games will start to even out; that’s just a reality. However, NC State has already shown an ability to excel in high-pressure situations, and that will undoubtedly be helpful in the ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament.
What still needs to happen?
It hurts that after a historic start, NC State is tied with Louisville at the top of the Atlantic Division. The next three weekends are a chance for the Pack to establish itself at the top of the division and conference. Road trips to Miami and Boston College are sandwiched around a home series against Virginia. Simply put, if the Pack wants to win the ACC, this is a stretch where the Wolfpack needs to go 6-3. Last year, the Wolfpack didn’t sweep bad teams, and it hurt come seeding time.
The other part of the equation is that NC State needs help from Minnesota. The Gophers advanced to Super Regionals last year and were expected to be one of the best teams in the Big Ten. That hasn’t happened, as they have stumbled to a 5-12 record. The Pack needs Minnesota to turn it around; they’ll probably have to win their conference to make the NCAA tournament, so it has a signature nonconference series sweep to hang its hat on.
