CONWAY, S.C. – The NC State baseball team had a successful weekend down in South Carolina, picking up three wins over three different opponents in the Baseball at the Beach tournament.
The Wolfpack (7-0) beat Kent State 3-2 in extra innings Friday in Myrtle Beach, before picking up a 5-0 win over Michigan State Saturday at Springs Brooks Stadium in Conway. On Sunday, the Pack battled from behind to beat host Coastal Carolina 7-6 in the 11th inning.
Here are some takeaways from the Pack’s strong three-game weekend:
Middle of the order picking up where it left off
Senior first baseman Evan Edwards, junior shortstop Will Wilson and sophomore catcher Patrick Bailey were fantastic for the Wolfpack in 2018, and it has carried over into a new season for the trio.
The three led the way for NC State offensively over the weekend, with all of them having big home runs. Bailey went 3 for 5 in Sunday’s win, blasting the game-winning homer in the top of the 11th. He also had a walk-off RBI single to win Friday. He had three RBIs in total on the weekend, finishing a combined 5 for 14.
Edwards had four RBIs in Sunday’s win over the Chanticleers, which included a game-tying two-run homer in the fifth. He currently leads the Wolfpack with 13 RBIs on the season, and is tied for Wilson on home runs with three.
“It’s fun hitting behind anybody in this lineup,” Edwards said. “We’ve got a great lineup put together.”
Wilson went 7 for 15 over the weekend, driving in four runs and scoring three himself. In Friday’s win over Kent State, Wilson blasted a game-tying home run in the eighth inning.
If NC State is going to be successful in 2019, it is going to need production from its dynamic trio of Wilson, Bailey and Edwards. So far, the Wolfpack has gotten that production and it’s a big reason NC State is 7-0, and was a big reason why the Pack beat Coastal Sunday.
“I thought we were very mature,” head coach Elliott Avent said. “It was a lot of leadership out there from Bailey, Will Wilson, Evan Edwards. It was a sense of, ‘We’re ok here.’”
Dalton Feeney not missing a step after Tommy John
Redshirt sophomore righty Dalton Feeney was really good for NC State as a freshman in 2017, but missed the entirety of last year after having Tommy John surgery.
Feeney is back for the Pack, and looked strong and efficient in two appearances over the weekend. Feeney threw 1.2 scoreless innings Friday, getting through his outing on just 11 pitches. In Sunday’s win against Coastal, Feeney really shined.
After coming out of the bullpen with a runner on in the fifth inning, Feeney retired the first 11 batters he faced against the Chanticleers. He finished the day with four innings, allowing just one hit and one walk to go along with three strikeouts.
“I feel good. I’m just blessed to be on the mound,” Feeney said. “I came out of the bullpen knowing I’ve just got to throw strikes. I’ve got to have all three pitches working for me and trust my defense.”
Having a healthy Feeney back in the mix is a huge boost to the Wolfpack’s bullpen, and it’s also completely possible the redshirt sophomore could make his way into the starting rotation by the end of the season.
“He was good, wasn’t he? Holy smokes was he good,” Avent said. “He’s just an unbelievable person. Great student, great family. To see him have this personal success after taking a year off with Tommy John is just kind of neat.”
Reid Johnston is still the anchor of the pitching staff, regardless of role
Johnston, a 6-foot-3 sophomore righty, was lights out in his lone appearance of the weekend Saturday against Michigan State. Johnston gave the Wolfpack a fantastic long-relief outing against the Spartans, tossing 4.2 scoreless innings and striking out seven. He was incredibly efficient as well, allowing just two hits and no walks on 55 pitches, 37 of which he threw for strikes.
“Reid was outstanding for us,” Avent said. “That’s who he was for us last year. He was like that out of the pen last year before we put him in the starting rotation. He was outstanding today.”
In his freshman season, Johnston started the year coming out of the bullpen before transitioning into the Friday night starter spot. He was great for the Wolfpack in both roles, but finds himself back in the pen at the beginning of 2019. In his first appearance of the year, Johnston threw 3.1 scoreless innings in a win over Bucknell.
Regardless of when he’s pitching in games, Johnston is the unquestioned front man for the Wolfpack’s talented pitching staff. He’ll likely find himself in the starting rotation at some point this season, but for now he’s content to dominate out of the pen.
“I felt great. I had the mentality to just pound the zone,” Johnston said. “I’ve pitched in a bunch of big situations. Where [Avent] wants me to pitch, that’s what I’ll do. If he wants me to do these long-relief outings. I just want the ball.”
Butler strong in leadoff spot in second weekend with Pack
Replacing Josh McLain at the top of the batting order was always going to be one of NC State’s biggest challenges this year, but sophomore transfer Jonny Butler looks up to the task after a great weekend in South Carolina.
Butler really broke through Saturday and Sunday, going a combined 4 for 8 with four runs scored over the second two games of the weekend. Butler led both of those games off with singles, and did a good job of setting the table for NC State’s lineup.
“Jonny gets on base every time,” Bailey said. “It’s very easy to hit when people are on base and momentum’s going. Just one through nine’s been doing a really good job so far of starting rallies and driving guys in.”
He’s no Josh McLain, but Butler looks like he has the bat and the speed to take over at the top of the Wolfpack’s lineup. And for NC State, it’s important to have someone that can get on ahead of Wilson, Bailey and Edwards.
“I’m able to play my game, which is to spread it around the field and go wherever the pitch takes me,” Butler said. “I don’t have to think that I need to get a double if there’s two outs and nobody on, because there’s a decent chance they might double me in.”
Senior infielder Evan Edwards stretches up to catch the ball at Vrooman Field in Springs Brooks Stadium, Sunday, Feb. 24. Edwards scored once, helping the Pack win 7-6 in extra innings.
