The NC State baseball team will get things going against the Bucknell Bison on Friday to kick off the Pack’s first weekend series of the 2019 season. They last met in March of 2016 when NC State won 5-2.
The preseason-ranked No. 21 Pack was 42-18 overall and 19-11 in the ACC last season and looks to build similar success this year despite losing a number of key pieces in the outfield. However, the infield remains strongly intact and will be the strength of the team on both sides of the ball.
Bucknell was 17-27-1 and 13-11-1 in the Patriot League in the 2018 season. The Bison lost their top two players by batting average from last season so there are some large shoes to fill at the top of the lineup.
NC State will face four players who were picked for Preseason All-Patriot League Team led by Jeff Gottesman. Gottesman went 5-4 last season with a 2.85 ERA and will likely get a start this weekend. If Gottesman gets the start on Friday afternoon, he would face Pack junior starter Jason Parker.
NC State pitchers will have to be careful while pitching to a couple of position players who also made the preseason conference team. First baseman Tyler Wincig hit .277 last season and tallied 15 RBIs. Outfielder JohnPaul Bell hit .250 and led the team with five home runs, while catcher Evan Klugerman hit .235 and led the team with 26 RBIs.
NC State knows the production it will get from junior shortstop Will Wilson, sophomore catcher Patrick Bailey and senior first baseman Evan Edwards, but it will be important for this team to get the rest of the lineup producing offensively.
Sophomore outfielder Terrell Tatum and redshirt junior third baseman Dillon Cooper are two guys that the Pack need to step up after losing all three outfielders to the MLB last year. Cooper started at third base for the first half of the season but his defensive play slipped and caused a switch at that position.
NC State will look to get off the ground against the Bison on Friday at 3 p.m. at Doak Field at Dail Park. Saturday’s first pitch is at 2 p.m. and Sunday’s is at 1 p.m.
