Wolfpack Baseball has hit a few bumps in (and on) the road the past couple of weeks. Currently riding a six game losing streak in conference, the Pack welcomes DaU to Raleigh this weekend for a three game set.
Hopefully some home cookin’ will help get the ship righted before it takes on any more water.
Disclaimer: In the interest of reversing some recent bad mojo (and probably more accurately…because I’m a lazy bastard watching too much basketball this week), this week’s preview is going to be a little different and light on the stats (Sorry Va).
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Week in Review
It stunk, just like the week before.
After the disappointment (even if understandable) of dropping 3 straight in Tallahassee two weekends ago, the Pack followed that up by crushing my soul and dropping 3 straight to Maryland last weekend. Worse yet, none of the 3 in College Park was even competitive, including a 10-0 loss in game one which featured 8 unearned runs. Seriously…8 unearned runs.
Carlos Rodon took the loss in that one, his 4th of the year (2-4) and his 2nd consecutive. But he did manage to lower his ERA because of the aforementioned 8 FRIGGIN’ UNEARNED RUNS…
No. 10 Pack Drops Opener at Maryland (GoPack.com)
A couple more uninspiring losses followed…
No. 10 Pack Falls 7-4 Saturday at Maryland (GoPack.com)
State Drops Series Finale at Maryland, 5-2 (GoPack.com)
A Tuesday date with Campbell got washed out, but the Pack did manage to break their overall six game skid on Wednesday, thanks to a trip to Wilmington to visit the Seahawks of UNC-W…
No. 19 Pack Drills UNCW, 11-2 (GoPack.com)
WILMINGTON, N.C. – No. 19 NC State baseball snapped its losing skid with an 11-2 pasting of UNC Wilmington on Wednesday at Brooks Field.
Trea Turner came one RBI shy of tying his career high, driving in five and scoring twice to play a role in each of the Wolfpack’s (15-8) first seven runs of the game. Turner went 2-for-5 with two runs and five RBIs on a double and a home run. The junior hit the 16th bomb of his career, third in his last three games, and fourth in his last five.
Nine other Wolfpack batters contributed exactly one hit each. Brett Austin scored twice from the top of the order with a single and two walks. Preston Palmeiro hit his first collegiate extra-base hit on a two-RBI double. Kyle Cavanaugh also drove in a pair. Logan Ratledge scored once and pushed one run across. Jake Armstrong scored twice with a single, a walk, and was hit by a pitch.
NC State starter Logan Jernigan (4-2) claimed the win in a designated role, allowing two earned in 2 1/3 innings pitched. Brad Stone worked the next 3 2/3. striking out three while holding the Seahawks (11-12) to one hit. Eric Peterson fanned three in two innings, allowing two hits. Jon Olczak closed the door with a one-hit ninth, striking out the final two batters of the game.
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Bad News, Good News(?)
State currently sits at 3-6 in conference, looking up at everyone in the Atlantic Division not named ND or BC. That’s obviously the bad news. The (maybe) good news is that this time last year the Pack had an identical 3-6 conference record before winning 11 of their next 12 ACC games.
After getting roughed up and lasting only 2 innings in his start vs Maryland, Logan Jernigan got the ball again vs UNC-W. The (maybe) good news is that despite still being somewhat shaky on Wednesday vs the Seahawks (2.1 IP, 2 ER), he nonetheless got back into the win column thanks to 6.2 scoreless innings from the bullpen, including 3.2 from Brad Stone (who also made an early exit in his start vs the Terps…but then again, who didn’t?). More on the shakeup involving the starting rotation/bullpen later.
As a whole, Wolfpack hitting had been somewhat stymied during the six game losing streak. The (maybe) good news is that Trea Turner seems to be hitting somewhat of a stride, including 4 HRs in the last five games.
Freshman 3rd baseman Andrew Knizner suffered through a 2 for 13 weekend vs Maryland, yet still leads the ACC in batting average.
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Miami Hurricanes
14-12 (5-4 ACC), Last 10: 4-6, Streak: Won 1
2013: 37-25 (14-16 ACC)
The ‘Canes are a decent enough team, but not spectacular.
They’re bottom half of the conference in pitching (Team ERA 3.82, 11th ACC – NCSU = 2.95, 5th ACC) and hitting (team avg .249…only ND and BC are worse – NCSU = .273, t5th ACC).
Defensively, they’re middle of the road (.964 fldpct, 8th ACC – NCSU = .974, 4th ACC).
Plus, they’ve been bad on the road (2-5), though admittedly 2 of those road losses were in Tallahassee.
That’s all I’ve got to say about them.
But I do have it on good authority that if the Pack’s conference losing streak reaches 9 this weekend, a certain someone who holds the ‘Canes in very low regard might be looking for a tall building. You know who you are.
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ACC Standings
| Conference | Overall | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | schools | W-L-T | PCT | W-L-T | PCT |
| 1. | Florida State | 7-2-0 | .778 | 19-5-0 | .792 |
| 2. | Clemson | 6-3-0 | .667 | 15-9-0 | .625 |
| 3. | Maryland | 5-4-0 | .556 | 16-6-0 | .727 |
| 4. | Wake Forest | 5-4-0 | .556 | 16-10-0 | .615 |
| 5. | NC State | 3-6-0 | .333 | 15-8-0 | .652 |
| 6. | Notre Dame | 1-8-0 | .111 | 8-14-0 | .364 |
| 7. | Boston College | 1-8-0 | .111 | 7-15-0 | .318 |
| Conference | Overall | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | schools | W-L-T | PCT | W-L-T | PCT |
| 1. | Virginia | 7-2-0 | .778 | 20-4-0 | .833 |
| 2. | North Carolina | 5-4-0 | .556 | 15-9-0 | .625 |
| 3. | Georgia Tech | 5-4-0 | .556 | 15-10-0 | .600 |
| 4. | Virginia Tech | 5-4-0 | .556 | 12-9-1 | .568 |
| 5. | Miami | 5-4-0 | .556 | 14-12-0 | .538 |
| 6. | Duke | 4-4-0 | .500 | 14-11-0 | .560 |
| 7. | Pitt | 3-5-0 | .375 | 11-11-0 | .500 |
Elsewhere in the ACC this Weekend
- FSU @ BC
- GT @ Pitt
- WF @ ND
- UNC @ Duke
- VT @ UVa
- Clemson @ UMd
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Games Schedule – Probable Starters – TV (aka “The Pitching Situation”)
Like the hitting, Wolfpack pitching has taken it on the chin the past two weeks. No one guy has been significantly more suspect than any other. It’s been a ‘team effort’ to be sure.
Nonetheless, there is a bit of a shakeup this week.
As mentioned earlier, lefty Brad Stone who previously had been the Pack’s regular Sunday starter thus far in ’14, ended up working 3.2 scoreless innings in relief this past Wednesday vs UNC-W. As a result, at least for this weekend the starting rotation will have a bit of a different look.
Carlos Rodon will go Friday as per usual. Andrew Woeck who has a 3-0 record out of the pen (1.25 ERA) will get the ball on Saturday. And Logan Jernigan, who worked 2.1 innings Wednesday, will get pushed back to Sunday.
This also disrupts the normal L/R/L that Pack starters have had going on the weekend, but that hasn’t seemed to do much good lately anyway.
- Friday 3/28, 6pm – Carlos Rodon vs Chris Diaz – ESPN3
- Saturday 3/29, 1pm – Andrew Woeck vs Andy Suarez – RSN
- Sunday 3/30, 1pm – Logan Jernigan vs Bryan Radziewski – ESPN3
TV NOTE: Even though I haven’t bothered to check, I’m going to presume that Saturday’s RSN game means FoxSportsCarolinas for those of you in the area. If not, it is allegedly also on ESPN3.
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In the Interest of Mojo Reversal
Last time the Pack faced the ‘Canes….
Always a favorite…
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Go Pack!!!
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