The NC State baseball team came into the season ranked in the top 15 in several preseason polls; however, things have not panned out so far. The Wolfpack (4-6, 1-5 ACC) was swept by Georgia Tech then lost two of three to Miami to begin conference play.
That being said, the ACC season is 36 games long and things can change by then for the Wolfpack if it fixes some things. Here are my takeaways from the first 10 games of the season.
Catcher is not a problem for the Wolfpack
NC State sophomore catcher Luca Tresh came into this year with a difficult job. That was to somehow replace Patrick Bailey, who was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the first round. Not surprising to many in the program, he has stepped into this role with ease.
His bat has proved to be a problem for opposing pitchers as he leads the ACC with seven home runs. Tresh also leads his team in the two other major offensive statistical categories with a .400 batting average and 15 RBIs.
Tresh has solidified himself as the power hitter in the NC State lineup. I do not see this changing anytime soon considering how hot he is offensively.
Bullpen needs a “go-to” guy
If NC State wants to be the team it was predicted to be, finding a solid option late in the game out of the bullpen is a must. Coming into the season, NC State was expected to rely on veteran pitchers such as redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Dalton Feeney and senior lefty Kent Klyman. Things have not panned out for them so far, each currently have ERAs above 11.
This gives NC State head coach Elliott Avent the opportunity to give younger relievers a chance to prove their worth. Freshman right-handed pitcher Cooper King has been arguably the most consistent guy out of the bullpen thus far. He has only allowed two hits in four innings on the mound with a 2.25 ERA.
Whether it’s one of the veteran pieces of the bullpen or a young arm like King, fixing the late inning pitching problem is imperative.
Defensively, NC State is solid
Despite some problems with the pitching staff at times, the defense behind the mound has been rock solid. In 10 games, NC State has a fielding percentage of .989 and only four errors. Both are good enough for second place in the ACC.
With defensive standouts such as freshman shortstop Jose Torres and junior left fielder Jonny Butler, it is no surprise that the Wolfpack is around the top of the ACC in this part of the game.
Long way to go
As was mentioned earlier in this article, the ACC conference schedule is 36 games long. Though it might not look pretty now, this is a really talented and veteran group that is going to do all it takes to try and turn things around.
NC State as a team ranks second in batting average in the conference at .296. NC State fans knew before the season that this team was going to score runs. This is positive that the team can take and build on moving forward.
Up Next
NC State travels to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park for a three-game set with Duke starting Friday, March 12. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 4 p.m.
