So far this season, the baseball team has been effective on the mound, having allowed just 10 runs in 45 innings, and at the plate, where the team has torched opposing pitching for 56 runs in just five games.
But Wednesday afternoon, according to coach Elliott Avent, N.C. State will face a North Carolina A&T team, which has the potential to compete with the Wolfpack.
“[A&T has] always been good and well-coached since I’ve been here,” Avent said. “They got a good coach who does a good job with his guys. And [coach Keith Shumate] gets some pretty good players. Maybe not enough good players, but he does a good job with them.”
Last season, though, the Aggies had a tough year, finishing with an overall record of 22-36 and six games under .500 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. And exactly a year ago from today, A&T lost to State in Raleigh 9-3.
But even with last year’s success over the Aggies and the team’s down year, Avent isn’t letting his players overlook their opponent.
“If we don’t show up to play [Wednesday] we will get beat,” he said.
On the mound for the Pack to start the game will be freshman right-hander Sam Brown. It will be Brown’s first start at the college level, but as far as he’s concerned it’s no different from what he’s done in the past.
“I’m just going to go out there and throw my best stuff,” he said. “There’s no reason to be nervous. I just want to go out there and have some fun.”
For Brown, it will be his first start, but not his first appearance. In Saturday’s home win over Gardner-Webb, he came in and pitched a perfect ninth inning in which he needed just eight pitches to retire the side.
Brown, a Raleigh native and the Washington Nationals’ seventh-round draft pick last year, said the experience of getting a few college pitches under his belt has eased any apprehension he had about pitching at State.
“It’s always good to get that first one out of the way, especially with it being my hometown,” the Millbrook High School-product said. “Because you might obviously feel a little pressure on you. But it was really good to do well in that one, and now I’m ready to get back out there.”
As for how many familiar faces will be in the stands today to see his debut as a starter, Brown’s expecting a few.
“I know my parents and some of my family will be here,” he said. “And I figure some of my friends will come, but we’ll see what happens.”
Along with Brown, Avent plans on giving a lot of his pitchers some work in the game. So far this season, the Pack has used nine different pitchers, but still has some who have yet to see action and many who have seen limited time.
“We got a lot of guys who haven’t pitched yet,” Avent said. “So we have a lot of guys who need to get out there and get some work. And some guys have only pitched once. These guys need to get out there.”
The first pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Doak Field at Dail Park.
