The NC State baseball team returns from a COVID-19 pause this weekend to take on the Louisville Cardinals for a three-game series at Doak Field at Dail Park.
The Wolfpack (4-6, 1-5 ACC) is coming off a COVID-19 break after positive cases within the program canceled the previous weekend’s series at Duke and a midweek matchup at Coastal Carolina. Prior to the pause, NC State had struggled to find wins, particularly in ACC play. After a disappointing performance versus Georgia Tech that resulted in a sweep, the Wolfpack was able to scrape together one win versus No. 6 Miami. Still, NC State has yet to win an ACC weekend series thus far.
The Cardinals (11-5, 4-2 ACC) are coming off a midweek loss versus Eastern Kentucky. This past weekend, Louisville swept Boston College. The Cardinals have only lost one weekend series this season, losing two out of three games versus Georgia Tech.
Louisville has proven to be a dangerous offensive team with a .284 composite average. Additionally, the team has hit 25 doubles, 18 home runs and has 96 RBIs this season.
A name to watch for the Cardinals is junior pitcher Michael Kirian, the preseason Stopper of the Year. The lefty has been impressive through his first four games, posting a 0.56 ERA in four appearances. Kirian has struck out 14 batters while only walking four.
The start to the season has been less than ideal for the Wolfpack, as the bullpen has struggled with inconsistency. The overall team ERA sits at 6.70, and there are currently eight pitchers with an individual ERA of over 10.
Fortunately for the Wolfpack, the offense has shown much more promise. Posting a .296 team average, the Pack has hit 17 home runs and has 65 RBIs. The bulk of this load has been carried by sophomore catcher Luca Tresh, who has amassed seven home runs and 15 RBIs through 10 games.
While the Wolfpack has undeniably struggled through its first couple of weeks, it is still early in the season. The series versus Miami was a sign of this progress, as the series was theirs for the taking. Louisville’s offense poses a big challenge for the bullpen, but if it can pass this test, the Wolfpack can feel good about turning its season around.
The series begins Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Doak Field at Dail Park. The contests will be streamed on ACC Network Extra, and follow @TechSports on Twitter for live updates.
