No. 13 NC State Baseball to Host Seton Hall in Season Opener This Weekend

SETON HALL - NC STATE WEEKEND SERIES
Dates: Friday – Sunday, February 16-18
Location: Raleigh, N.C.
Site: Doak Field at Dail Park
Times: 12 p.m. Doubleheader (Fri.) | 1 P.M. (Sun.)
Radio: WKNC 88.1 FM
Live Video: ACC Network Extra
Live Stats: SideArm Stats
Tickets

STARTING PITCHERS
Friday Game One: RHP Shane McCarthy (SHU) vs. LHP Brian Brown (NCSU)
Friday Game Two: RHP Andrew Politi (SHU) vs. RHP Johnny Piedmonte (NCSU)
Sunday: TBD (SHU) vs. LHP David Harrison (NCSU)

#Pack9 Season Preview (Adobe Spark)

RALEIGH, N.C. – The 13^th-ranked NC State baseball team will open the 2018 season this weekend against the Seton Hall Pirates at Doak Field at Dail Park. In an effort to avoid the likelihood of inclement weather, the weekend schedule has been changed to a doubleheader on Friday starting at noon and a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m.

All three games will be broadcast live on the ACC Network Extra, accessible through Watch ESPN and the Watch ESPN App. Friday's games will also have radio coverage on WKNC 88.1 FM, while Sunday's contest will NOT air on the radio due to a programming conflict, but a FREE stream of the audio will be available on GoPack.com.

Tickets are still available and can be purchased by visiting GoPack.com/Pack9Tickets.

Recapping 2017
NC State is coming off a strong 2017 campaign in which the squad advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in the past eight seasons. The Wolfpack concluded the year with a 36-25 overall record, falling in the Lexington (Ky.) NCAA Regional Final to host Kentucky.

It was the Wolfpack's 29^th NCAA appearance and 16^th under head coach Elliott Avent.

Wolfpack in Season Openers Under Avent
NC State owns a 14-7 record in season openers with Avent at the helm. Last season, the Pack opened the year with a 4-0 victory against Hawai'i in Honolulu. It was the first time the Wolfpack has earned a shutout in the season opener since 1973.

Approaching Milestones
Now in his 22nd season, Avent enters the 2018 campaign with 791 wins with the Wolfpack and would reach 800 with the squad's ninth victory this year. Avent is the winningest coach in program history.

Additionally, Avent is now the longest tenured coach in program history as legendary head coaches Vic Sorrell and Sam Esposito each led the Pack for 21 seasons.

Last season, Avent became one of just 15 active head coaches in the NCAA to surpass 1,000 career wins when he accomplished the feat in April. He now owns 1,015 career victories heading into the 2018 season.

Brown Making His Mark on the Record Books
Senior left-handed pitcher Brian Brown has made 45 career starts on the mound, which is the second most among active players in the NCAA and most in the ACC. Only Louisiana's Gunner Leger has started more career games (49).

Brown is currently tied for the fourth-most career starts in program history, behind all-time leader Terry Harvey (60), Carlos Rodon (49) and Brad Rhodes (48).

Streaks Heading Into 2018
Senior Josh McLain concluded the 2017 season strong and heads into 2018 on an eight-game hitting streak, while Brad Debo and Brett Kinneman each own four-game streaks.

Will Wilson has the longest reached base safely streak on the Wolfpack, as he reached safely in NC State's final 16 games to possess that streak heading into the season.

Shutting It Down
Last season, NC State logged a perfect 34-0 record when leading after the seventh inning. That statistic increased to 35-0 when leading after eight innings of play.

The More, The Merrier
The Pack was undefeated in 2017 when tallying more hits than its opponent, recording a 29-0 mark.

Scouting Seton Hall
Seton Hall will make its first trip to Raleigh this weekend, as the Wolfpack and Pirates have never met. Seton Hall finished the 2017 season with a 29-24 overall record, including a 10-8 mark in Big East conference play.

The Pirates had three players selected to the Preseason All-Big East Team, headlined by Friday starter Shane McCarthy. Last season, Seton Hall earned a 3-2 victory against National Champion Florida in Gainesville.

Matt Toke was the squad's leading hitter in 2017 with a .321 batting average and he returns for his sophomore season. Seton Hall compiled a team batting average of .257 a season ago and averaged 4.91 runs per game.

On the mound, the Pirates were among the best in the Big East as they recorded a team ERA of 3.38, second best in the conference. Additionally, Seton Hall ranked 12^th in the NCAA and led the Big East with seven shutouts.

No. 13 NC State Baseball to Host Seton Hall in Season Opener This Weekend

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Players Mentioned

Brian Brown

Josh McLain

Johnny Piedmonte