Wolfpack Baseball Places Four on All-ACC Teams

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Four members of the NC State baseball team have been named to the 2017 All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Team, announced Monday by the league office. Joe Dunand headlined the group with second team honors, while Brad Debo garnered a spot on the third team. Michael Bienlien and Will Wilson were named to the ACC's All-Freshman Team along with Debo.

The all-conference honors are the first of each Wolfpack player's career and NC State's three selections on the freshman team were a league high.

Now in his 21^st year as head coach at NCSU, Elliott Avent has had at least one player tabbed to the all-conference team in each of his seasons. The Pack's five selections matches its total from 2015, tying for the most in the last decade.

Dunand collected the first all-conference mention of his career, as he garnered a place on the All-ACC Second Team. He owns a batting average of .289 on the year, highlighted by 16 home runs, third most in the conference and tied for 16^th in the NCAA. The Miami, Fla., native leads the team with 47 runs batted in (RBI) and 117 total bases.

Earlier this season, the Wolfpack's shortstop was named one of Collegiate Baseball Newspaper (CBN) and College Sports Madness (CSM) Players of the Week, in addition to claiming ACC Co-Player of the Week honors. Dunand was 9-for-15 during that week with 13 RBI, eight runs scored, four home runs and four doubles.

Debo has enjoyed a stellar rookie campaign to capture a spot on the All-ACC Third Team, as well as the ACC All-Freshman Team. He leads the team with a .344 batting average, which ranks among the top 20 in the conference and paces all freshmen. Debo has started 36 games as the Wolfpack's designated hitter and 12 games behind the plate.

The native of nearby Durham leads the team with 20 multi-hit games this season, including seven three-hit outings and a four-hit performance.

Wilson is one of two players on the NC State squad that has started all 55 games to secure ACC All-Freshman Team accolades. He has tallied the second-most hits on the team with 66 to compile a .300 batting average in his first season in Raleigh. Wilson has hit 18 doubles, which is the second most among the nation's freshman and best in the ACC.

Hailing from Kings Mountain, N.C., he has started 51 games at second base, two at shortstop and two as the designated hitter. Defensively, Wilson has recorded 134 assists complemented by 93 putouts with just four errors.

As the lone pitcher of the group, Bienlien earned ACC All-Freshman Team honors thanks to a strong season in which he moved into the weekend rotation to make eight of his nine starts on the year. He owns a 3-3 record with a 4.53 earned run average (ERA).

Bienlien picked up the win on the mound against Notre Dame, Florida State and Delaware. The product of Chesapeake, Va., turned in one of his best performances of the season at Notre Dame with seven innings pitched, one earned run allowed to go along with three strikeouts in his first ACC start.

NC State will return to action Tuesday afternoon when it opens play in the ACC Championship against Boston College at 3 p.m. at Louisville Slugger Field.

#STATEMENT

Players Mentioned

Michael Bienlien

Brad Debo

Joe Dunand

Will Wilson

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