The NC State baseball team is set to begin its season this Friday, Feb. 19 with a series against VMI. This will be Wolfpack head coach Elliott Avent’s 25th season as the head man in Raleigh.
Any opening day is reason for anticipation, but this particular season may mean more after last year’s season was cut short due to COVID-19.
“We all take [playing baseball] for granted,” Avent said at media day Wednesday, Feb. 17. “Anytime you have something taken away from you, it makes you appreciate it more.”
There is a reason for excitement because the Wolfpack only lost two regular starters from last season, catcher Patrick Bailey and left-handed pitcher Nick Swiney, who were both drafted by the San Francisco Giants.
Despite the anticipation of opening day, the veteran group coach Avent has with him this season knows what it is going to take to accomplish goals of winning an ACC Championship and getting to Omaha for the first time since 2013.
“I like this ball club a lot; even though they’re excited about opening day, as every ball club is, they do not seem to have the giddiness that some clubs have,” Avent said. “I think they realize that it’s going to be a long haul, and I think right now they are more preparing for May then they are for Feb. 19, and that’s a good sign.”
One of the strong suits of the Wolfpack this season will be its pitching staff, with experienced weekend starters and late-inning relievers to go along with exciting young arms who could break out this season.
Two of those exciting young arms are freshmen right-handed pitcher Sam Highfill and left-handed Chris Villaman, who will start Saturday and Sunday, respectively, for the Wolfpack on the bump this weekend. Both of these guys got some experience last year, but this year will be the opportunity for them to show what strides they have taken since last year.
“Those guys missed some reps, but they are good players and are ready for this weekend,” Avent said.
Starting this Friday for the Wolfpack will be junior left-handed pitcher Evan Justice, who has had a mixed role as a starter and a reliever throughout his time at NC State. Avent said he, along with juniors right-handed pitcher Reid Johnston and left-handed pitcher David Harrison, have also proven they can go in and do the job as starters.
Coming out of the bullpen, senior left-handed pitcher Kent Klyman and redshirt junior Dalton Feeney will lead the group as veterans who have thrown several innings in the ACC. As two leaders on the team, these two will serve as great role models for the younger guys in the pitching rotation.
“Kent Klyman is unbelievable,” Avent said. “Just how he goes about his business and his experience level. He’s worked himself a lot to get his body in the best shape.”
As mentioned earlier, the Wolfpack will be without Bailey, who was a All-American catcher during his time at NC State. To replace him, the Wolfpack have three viable options in sophomore Luca Tresh, redshirt junior JUCO transfer Danny Carnazzo and freshman Bryce Behmer.
“Those three are going to have to handle the catching duties, and they’ve been doing a great job,” Avent said. “We are very satisfied with what we have behind the plate right now.”
When going through the lineup, there are three really powerful bats for NC State who will be expected to carry on from a hot start to the 2020 season: junior third baseman Devonte Brown, sophomore outfielder Tyler McDonough and junior first baseman Austin Murr. All three of these players had high slugging percentages over .554 a season ago.
Those three to go along with middle infielder starters from last year: junior second baseman J.T. Jarrett and freshman shortstop Jose Torres, who both had success at the plate, batting over .300. Both could set the Wolfpack’s offense up to have another strong season.
With ACC play starting next weekend against Georgia Tech, the results of the games against VMI and a midweek tilt with UNC-Greensboro could go a long way in determining who Avent trusts to play in that opening conference series. Whether that be mostly veterans or a couple younger guys who took their opportunity is yet to be seen.
“You’re never ready when ACC play starts anyway,” Avent said. “You don’t have who exactly needs to be where and you just figure this stuff out as the season goes along. It is going to give us an idea or a tape measure of where we are right now and where we are trying to go and fit the pieces in.”
Opening day against VMI is Friday, Feb. 17, with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. The game will be televised online on ACC Network Extra. To keep up on Twitter, follow @TechSports for live coverage from Doak Field all season long.
