Pack Tops Vandy, Wins Raleigh…Next Stop Gainesville

Baseball29

Brett Austin crosses the plate as Matt Bergquist(7) shouts his approval.

Despite being the visiting team on the scoreboard, Wolfpack Baseball treated a partisan sellout crowd to a come from behind home field season finale, topping Vanderbilt 9-7 with a late inning surge and winning the Raleigh Regional in exciting fashion Monday night. The come from behind victory returns the favor to the Commodores for Saturday’s crushing game four loss, and advances the Pack to the NCAA Super Regionals for the first time since 2008. The Pack will face the Florida Gators in Gainesville for a best of three series this coming weekend, the winner advancing to the College World Series in Omaha.

The Wolfpack jumped out quickly Monday night against the Commodres, scoring a run in the first on a Danny Canela RBI base knock, but Mike Yastrzemski would knot the score at 1 with a solo HR for Vandy in the bottom half. The Pack would add two more in the top of the 3rd to take a 3-1 lead before things would unravel a bit for the Wolfpack in the bottom of the 3rd.

Logan Jernigan would start for the Pack, and aside from the mistake thrown to Yastrzemski in the first inning he entered his third inning of work looking strong. But the second time through the Commodores’ lineup proved to be disastrous. In the inning, nine Commodores would come to bat and five runs would cross the plate giving Vandy a 3 run lead. They would add another in the 5th to extend it to 7-3, and would carry that lead to the 8th.

Tarran Senay

But in the Pack’s half of the 8th, the bottom of the order came through once again. After a Brett Austin leadoff walk and a Logan Ratledge double, Tarran Senay, hitting in the #9 slot after entering the game as a defensive replacement in left field the previous half inning, hammered a 3 run shot over the right field fence to pull the Wolfpack to within one.

Then in the top of the ninth, it was Senay once again. This time he would fight off a 1-2 offering to center, knocking in two more. When Trea Turner followed him with an RBI single of his own, the Pack would lead 9-7 with a chance to close it out going to the last half of the 9th.

Ryan Wilkins

Ryan Wilkins, who came on in relief for State in the 5th inning and would go the rest of the way for the win (5-2), pitched shutout ball for 4.2 innings, giving up 3 hits, 3 walks and striking out 6. But he saved his best for last on Monday night. After losing the Vandy 9th inning leadoff hitter Gregor to a walk (after a questionable call on what would have been strike three the previous pitch), Wilkins would bear down and strike out the next three batters he faced, securing the come from behind victory, and a hard fought Raleigh Regional Championship. It would be Wilkins’ second win in as many nights against the Commodores.

Senay’s 2 for 2, 5 RBI night would propel the Pack in the late innings, but it was a team victory. Trea Turner would go 3 for 6 and get his 56th stolen base of the year, while Danny Canela and Andrew Ciencin had two hits and an RBI each.

Despite a 1 for 5 night that would see him strike out on three occasions, Ryan Mathews was deservedly named the Regional’s Most Outstanding Player. Matt Bergquist, Trea Turner and Brett Austin each were named to the all regional team.

The Pack now takes its 43-18 record to Gainesville to face the top seeded Gators.

 

Media Coverage

GoPack.com – Senay Drives in Five as Wolfpack Roars Back to Advance (Incl. Video Highlights and Photo Gallery)

The Pack electrified the crowd in the top eighth by cutting the lead to 7-6. Austin drew a lead off walk and Ratledge sent a laser down the left field line for a double to put two in scoring position. Senay came to the plate next, and put a charge into a 3-2 pitch, blasting it miles into the trees behind the right field fence for a three-run homer. Reliever Will Clinard entered after a two-out single by Ryan Mathews and ended the inning on the first batter he faced.

In the ninth, State triumphed with three runs to put the game away. Ciencin led off the inning with a single up the middle, and Bryan Adametz took his place as the pinch runner. Fincher laid down a sac bunt to push him to second, and reached when the throw to first hit him in the hand. A groundout to first advanced both runners into scoring position, and Ratledge was walked to load the bases. Senay took center stage once again, delivering the game-winning hit to score a pair with one out. Turner singled behind him to add the insurance run and set the final at 9-7.

Box Score

 

NewsObserver.com – Pack roars back to win 9-7 in regional final; Florida next

That brought Senay back to the plate. The junior outfielder lined a single to center for two runs, pushing the Pack ahead 8-7.

When Trea Turner followed with an RBI-single to right, the lead was 9-7.

That left it up to Ryan Wilkins, a junior righthander who pitched the final 4.2 innings, to protect the lead in the bottom of the ninth. Wilkins gave up a leadoff walk, then fanned Spencer Navin, Riley Reynolds and Connor Harrell to end it.

The Wolfpack (43-18) advances to its first Super Regional since 2008 and will face Florida, the No. 1 NCAA seed, in Gainesville, Fla., this week.

“It was a great game, we kept battling and battling,” said Senay, who entered the game in the seventh to play left field. “We never gave up.

“I’m at a loss for words. That was unbelievable — the feeling to come back and get the victory and go to Gainesville. Just unbelievable.”

 

CharlotteObserver.com – Tudor: Terran Senay’s swings put N.C. State in Super spot

News-Record.com – NCAA BASEBALL REGIONALS: N.C. State overcomes deficit to advance; Appalachian State eliminated

VUCommodores.com – NC State rallies past VU, 9-7

Tennessean.com – Vanderbilt falls to N.C. State in NCAA regional

 

NCAA Super Regionals

While all of this year’s super regionals feature at least one number one seed, only two feature two number one seeds, NCSU @ Florida and Stanford @ Florida State.

Games Friday thru Sunday:

  • (1) Stanford @ (1) Florida State (Tallahassee)
  • (2) TCU @ (1) UCLA (LA)
  • (4) Stony Brook @ (1) LSU (Baton Rouge)
  • (3) St. John’s @ (1) Arizona (Tucson)

Games Saturday thru Monday:

  • (1) NC State @ (1) Florida (Gainesville)
  • (3) Kent St. @ (1) Oregon (Eugene)
  • (2) Arkansas @ (1) Baylor (Waco)
  • (2) Oklahoma @ (1) S. Carolina (Columbia) – OU defeated App St. twice Monday to advance.

Game Times and TV coverage for NC State @ Florida are:

  • Saturday, June 9th – 2pm – ESPNU
  • Sunday, June 10th – 1pm – ESPNU
  • Monday, June 11th – 1pm – ESPN2

 

Good Luck in Gainesville, gents.  Go Pack!

–

About Wufpacker

A 2nd generation alumnus and raised since birth to be irrationally dedicated to all things NC State. Class of '88 and '92.

Baseball

29 Responses to Pack Tops Vandy, Wins Raleigh…Next Stop Gainesville

  1. TOBtime 06/05/2012 at 6:13 AM #

    Way to go guys! Hate I missed this game. By all accounts Doak was rocking for the last 2 innings.

    Don’t give up. Don’t EVER give up!

  2. old13 06/05/2012 at 7:23 AM #

    GREAT series with Vandy. The Commodores are a very entertaining team to watch plus having Yaz as a legends player for them. I would congratulate both teams for playing three great games the way baseball was meant to be played.

    Now, GET THOSE GATORS (my late father’s old school!)

    NOTE: The Tennessean link above doesn’t work, Here’s one:

    http://www.tennessean.com/section/SPORTS0602

    Wufpacker: Link fixed. Thanks for the heads up.

  3. BJD95 06/05/2012 at 7:36 AM #

    Great game! We are playing with house money now, let’s go into Gainesville loose and see what happens.

  4. panic83 06/05/2012 at 7:48 AM #

    The atmosphere last night (and all wknd) was unbelievable. I have never heard the stadium get so loud as it did when we chanted WOLF/PACK. I’ve got to tip my hat to Avent for the switch in the 7th that led to Senays 3 run homer in the 8th

  5. TheCOWDOG 06/05/2012 at 7:50 AM #

    The wife mentioned that at some point last night Tony Haynes dredged up the 1973 game.

    39 years, man, 39 freakin’ years of a bad taste everytime a Vanderbilt team is mentioned. You’d think a guy would ease out of something like that over more than half a lifetime.

    Well…standing in the Doak crowd, with some admittedly dampened eyes, something went poof.

    Thank you boys, thanks for returning the favor. You deserved it…in true grinder fashion. Now, there will be a new memory to replace the old.

    I wanna give a shout out to you guys in here also, for following State baseball with the passion you’ve displayed.

    Wuf, tip’o the cap for the continual, professional pieces you’ve been putting out.

    Hey, on to Goliathville, where the ball can take strange bounces too.

    Awright, sappiness set aside. Although we saw some nice pieces of hitting top to bottom, my personal MVP goes to Wilkins. The kid has been fearless in the face of high anxiety.

    And not lost, is that I finally witnessed a coach out over- manage our guy.

  6. Wulfpack 06/05/2012 at 8:16 AM #

    Awesome win! Can’t wait to watch the series with the Gators.

  7. CaptainCraptacular 06/05/2012 at 8:33 AM #

    NCAA says Saturday game time is 2pm, not 6?

  8. old13 06/05/2012 at 8:42 AM #

    The GoPack article says 2 o’clock for Saturday as well.

  9. TOB4PREZ 06/05/2012 at 8:43 AM #

    It’s all Avent’s fault!!!! Damn him!!

    LOL… we win and lose as a team….

    now, let’s go WIN 2 down in Gainesville!!!

  10. Mike 06/05/2012 at 9:00 AM #

    With Rodon on the mound in one game, I like our chances. That kid gives us a good chance to win if we can keep him on the mound and not surrender to the pen in the 8th.

    Not saying a sure win by any stretch, but with him, we just have to find a way to steal one more to advance.

  11. patientwuf 06/05/2012 at 9:50 AM #

    Am I reading too much into this? First Vandy now Florida plus Cowdog gives us some payback history.

    Wow- I like playing in the SEC.

  12. wufpup76 06/05/2012 at 10:13 AM #

    That’s awesome … Way to go team!

  13. nav 06/05/2012 at 10:49 AM #

    Is Avent likely to start Rodon in game 1 or 2? I would think it would be important to start him in game 1 to try and get that early 1-0 adv.

  14. Prowling Woofie 06/05/2012 at 11:39 AM #

    Can’t see any logic in this scenario for withholding Rodon from Game 1. Got to go with your ace…

  15. DC_wolf 06/05/2012 at 11:51 AM #

    Head ’em up, move ’em out…
    Move ’em out, head ’em up…

    Raw hide!

  16. TheCOWDOG 06/05/2012 at 11:53 AM #

    ^^^/^^ If I’m laughing like hell, I’m not laughing AT you two.

  17. vtpackfan 06/05/2012 at 12:37 PM #

    Special shout out to Ciencin and Austin for being a thorn in the side of opposing.pitchers all weekend. It’s a nice feeling to have a lineup that can all swing the bat from 1-9.

  18. Wufpacker 06/05/2012 at 12:45 PM #

    When I wrote the original entry last night, game times were still tentative but yes, it appears game one on Saturday has indeed been changed to 2pm. TV coverage still the same as originally published.

  19. wolfbuff 06/05/2012 at 1:04 PM #

    Wow, what a great stretch of games. I was living and dying by the twitter updates. So thanks to whoever does that! I also have been able to catch parts of the games on the radio. And I’ll have to say that I am very impressed with Tony Haynes. I’ve never been a huge fan of his in the basketball booth, or for his interview questions. But he he seems very comfortable and is easy to listen to in the baseball booth.

    I would hold off on Rodon until the 2nd game (if we lose the 1st) or maybe even the 3rd, if needed (if we win the 1st). He threw an awful lot of pitches on Saturday. Plus, I think he pitches better when it’s do or die.

    Go Pack. Gitcha some gator meat!

  20. Wufpacker 06/05/2012 at 1:37 PM #

    Rodon’s 130ish pitch count his last outing is a non-issue at this point (if it was ever one to begin with) and a week’s rest is more than enough for him.

    While I understand arguments to the contrary, there is no sane reason why Rodon doesn’t go in game one of a best of three. Have to win two games (doesn’t matter which two and you’re facing the same lineup all three days) but losing the first one makes it a helluva lot harder.

  21. fvpackman 06/05/2012 at 3:28 PM #

    He threw pretty much what he always throws 120 to 130….plenty of rest…he will go in game 1….all this talk of pitch count issues with Carlos is really BS….kid threw a 100 pitches multiple times in HS his Jr and Sr year in 7 inning games….Against Avent’s orders he warmed up and was ready to go in the 8th last night…Avent couldnt see him in the visitors bp/dugout…he loves NC State has no regrets about coming here and no issues with how he is being used….he has a huge midsection and legs…his pitching strenth and durabilty comes from his legs/butt/mid section…take a look at the dog pile video from last night…nobody wants to win and throw more then him…..

  22. Wufpacker 06/05/2012 at 5:32 PM #

    Easton baseball blog has a run down of yesterdays regional action, featuring the NCSU/Vandy game. Includes some great photos, including a post game shot of Danny Canela getting ready to unload on a Brett Austin in the fetal position, as Ryan Wilkins wisely sidesteps the action.

    http://blogs.eastonbaseball.com/collegebaseballtoday/2012/06/04/the-shock-awe-continues/

  23. MrPlywood 06/05/2012 at 5:57 PM #

    I like the rising tide that is lifting State athletics…

  24. MISTA WOLF 06/05/2012 at 8:32 PM #

    Rodon pitches 1st game and comes in 3rd game to close it out. Here to win it.. Do whatever possible.

  25. MISTA WOLF 06/05/2012 at 8:38 PM #

    Can we get a picture of Rodon’s head on Rodan’s body ( Godzilla’s sidekick?) sorry I’ve been drinking and conjured up the idea.

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