North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Hosts George Mason In Weekend Series
3/2/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
NC State (7-4) vs. George Mason (2-6)
March 3-5, 2000
Doak Field / Raleigh, N.C.
The Series vs. George Mason: NC State has faced George Mason 15 times in baseball and has prevailed all 15 times. The two teams last met in March 1997 for a two-game series at Doak Field, with NC State winning by scores of 9-8 and 11-3.
The Patriots led the first game of the series by a 7-2 score heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, but the Wolfpack, as it often did that season, rallied for a comeback win in the late innings. The Pack scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead to 7-4, and after the Patriots scored a run to take an 8-4 lead in the top of the eighth, NC State scored four times in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game at 8-8. Tom Sergio then won the game with a two-out homer in the bottom of the ninth. Sergio went on to torment the Patriots in the second game of the series with a homer, a double and four RBIs to lead the Wolfpack in the second game of the series.
The NC State Pitching Rotation: The Wolfpack's sophomore trio of Dan D'Amato (1-1, 3.38) and Ryan Combs (1-2, 3.79) and Mike Sollie (1-0, 2.25) will each make their fourth starts of the season in this weekend's series with George Mason.
D'Amato, a lefthander, will pitch the opener on Friday afternoon. He worked the middle game of the Cleveland State series last weekend and came away with a 7-3 win after allowing three runs, one of them unearned, on seven hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out five. All three Cleveland State runs scored in the fifth inning and were more the result of slipshod defense by NC State than poor pitching by D'Amato. For the season, D'Amato has worked 16 innings, allowed 14 hits, walked 11 and struck out 11. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is unusually high for him (he was at 52-to-26 a year ago), but opponents are hitting just .233 against him.
Combs will start the middle game of the series on Saturday. In his last start, he earned his first win of the season with six solid innings against Cleveland State, allowing three runs on five hits. He walked two and struck out four. Combs has allowed 19 hits in 19 innings this season, walking five and striking out eight. He lost his first start 2-1, and then handed a 4-2 game over to the bullpen in his second start, only to see the bullpen allow three runs in the eighth inning of a 7-3 loss.
Sollie had his shakiest outing of the season in the finale of the Cleveland State series, yet still battled through the adversity and gave the Wolfpack a chance to win the game in the late innings. Sollie allowed two runs, one of them unearned, on four hits in six innings. He walked an uncharacteristic three (he walked six all last season) and struck out five. He left trailing 2-1, but got off the hook when the Pack rallied for three in the bottom of the eighth. For the season, Sollie has allowed 22 hits, walked four and struck out nine in 20 innings of work.
The George Mason Rotation: The Patriots will send senior lefthander Derek Ashcraft (0-1, 6.43) to the mound on Friday to face Dan D'Amato in the opening game of the series. In the middle game of the series on Saturday, sophomore righthander Marcus Davis (0-1, 0.00) will oppose Ryan Combs, and junior righthander Mike Steller (0-1, 6.23) will square off against Mike Sollie in the series finale on Sunday.
The Week In Review: While NC State didn't exactly tear the cover off the ball in its series against Cleveland State last weekend, the Wolfpack did combine solid pitching with timely hitting in sweeping the Vikings by scores of 10-5, 7-3 and 4-2. Freshman third baseman Jeremy Dutton went 4-for-10 with three RBIs in the series, and senior outfielder Craig Lee went 5-for-10 with three RBIs. Sophomore pitchers Ryan Combs, Dan D'Amato and Mike Sollie all made solid starts, while freshmen Nate Cretarolo, Daniel Caldwell and Mike Prochaska allowed just two runs in nine innings of relief.
The news was not so good on Wednesday vs. Davidson. The Wildcats jumped to an early 5-1 lead through 5 1/2 innings, then answered every Wolfpack rally to hold on for a 7-5 victory at Doak Field. Davidson got to four NC State pitchers for 15 hits. Lee, Prochaska and Jamey Shearin had two hits apiece for NC State, and Prochaska teamed with Caldwell to limit Davidson to just one earned run over the final 3 1/3 innings. Tim Frend came out of left field for the Wildcats to notch the final five outs and record his fourth save of the season.
Head Coach Elliott Avent: Now entering his fourth season as NC State baseball coach, Elliott Avent has maintained the proud and rich tradition of excellence that is Wolfpack baseball. In his three-plus seasons on the job, Avent has guided NC State to a 128-72 record, a .640 winning percentage and an average of 40 wins per season. The Wolfpack earned NCAA regional berths in each of Avent's first three seasons, running NC State's current streak of consecutive regional appearances to four.
Avent's first three seasons as head coach did nothing but enhance the Wolfpack's longstanding baseball tradition. Avent's first team had lost four of its best players and had seen its recruiting class wiped out by the major league baseball draft. Avent guided the 97 Wolfpack to a 43-20 overall record and had the Pack in contention for first place in the conference standings until the last weekend of the regular season.
Avent's 1998 team was just as big a success story as its predecessor. The Wolfpack had lost a 1997 senior class that batted .345 with 48 home runs offensively and posted a 23-9 record on the mound with a 3.98 ERA. Despite the personnel losses, the Pack just kept on winning, running up a 41-23 overall record and finishing third at the NCAA West Regional at Palo Alto, Calif.
The success continued in 1999. Despite heavy losses to graduation and the baseball draft the previous two seasons, Avent's 99 team jumped from the gate quickly, winning 17 of its first 18 games, including 14 in a row at one point. NC State won five of its last seven regular-season games, and then won a pair of games in the ACC Tournament to nail down the program's 12th NCAA Tournament appearance in the last 14 years, finishing the year at 37-25.
In Avent's three seasons at NC State, four Wolfpack players have earned All-America honors, two have been named Freshman All-Americans, and 11 have been named first- or second-team All-ACC. That success has carried over to the professional ranks, with 15 NC State players signing professional contracts after playing for Avent.
Avent Among The Winningest Young Coaches in America: According to research done by the George Mason University SID staff, NC State baseball coach Elliott Avent is the ninth winningest coach in the country among coaches age 45 or younger. At 43 heading into the 2000 season, Avent had an 11-year career coaching record of 346-279, which included a 121-68 mark in his three seasons with the Wolfpack.
The 10 Winningest Coaches Age 45 Or Younger (Through 1999)
No. Coach (School) Years Record
1. Jack Leggett (Clemson) 20 665-402
2. Ray Tanner (South Carolina) 12 537-238
3. Pat Murphy (Notre Dame) 12 506-279
4. Bill Brown (George Mason) 18 501-438
5. Danny Hall (Georgia Tech) 12 461-237
6. Jim Wells (Alabama) 10 436-179
7. Rod Delmonico (Tennessee) 10 404-207
8. Mike Stone (Massachusetts) 17 399-306
9. Elliott Avent (NC State) 11 346-279
10. Gary McClure (Austin Peay) 12 337-337
Lee Steps Up On Offense: While the NC State offense has been slow to come around this season, don't blame senior outfielder Craig Lee, who has done more than his part to help the Wolfpack put runs on the board.
Coming into the George Mason series, Lee was hitting .441 and led the team with five multiple-hit games. He also was putting the bat on the ball, having struck out just twice in 41 plate appearances.Heading into the Mason series, Lee had hit safely in nine consecutive games, tying his career best, set in April and May of 1998.
Starting Pitching Outstanding Through First 11 Games: All a coach can ask of his starting pitchers is to keep the team in the game and give the offense a chance to win. Through 11 games this season, NC State's starting pitchers have done more than their share to keep the Wolfpack alive into the late innings of ballgames.
Although the starters had a combined won-lost record of just 3-4, their cumulative ERA was a sterling 3.05. NC State starters had allowed 68 hits and 23 walks in 65 innings while striking out 37. NC State starters were averaging 9.4 hits and 3.18 walks per nine inning, and a coach will take that every time.
Strain Breaks Hand, Out 3-4 Weeks: Wolfpack freshman Ryan Strain may have become a victim of his own success when he broke the fourth metacarpal on his left hand February 26 while diving for a fly ball in center field against Cleveland State. The injury, comparable to a hairline fracture, will sideline Strain for 3-4 weeks.
A career middle infielder, Strain readily agreed to give center field a try when the Wolfpack coaching staff suggested it as a way to get his bat into the lineup. Strain's first game in center field came on a rainy Friday against Rutgers, and he handled numerous difficult chances without a miscue. The game vs. Cleveland State was his third start in the outfield.
For the record, on the play in question, Strain did make the catch for the third out of the second inning. He stayed in the game for one more inning before being removed. Strain has played nine games and made seven starts, batting .269.
Freshman Class Coming Up Big: When national magazines such as Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball rank recruiting classes, they rely heavily on the evaluations of professional scouts, but scouts are evaluating a players tools and trying to project whether or not that player will develop into a possible major leaguer several years down the road.
When college coaches look at their incoming freshmen, they are more concerned with which players can play the game and help their team win right now, not which ones might become major leaguers five years from now. And on that score, NC State's freshman class of 2000 is a winner in anyone's book. Wolfpack newcomers have had an impact on almost every game of the 2000 season.
Through 11 games, head coach Elliott Avent has put an average of three freshmen in his starting lineup, and five different first-year players have started games in the field. Four freshman pitchers have made 13 appearances on the mound.
Following is a game-by-game account of the exploits of NC State's freshman class:
February 12 vs. The Citadel (L, 1-2) at Charleston, S.C.: Third baseman Jeremy Dutton hits a double and a single in four at-bats and drives in NC State's only run in a 2-1 defeat ... Lefthanded pitcher Mike Prochaska hurls two shutout innings, allowing two hits and striking out one.
February 13 vs. Old Dominion (W, 11-1) at Charleston, S.C.: Third baseman Jeremy Dutton doubles and singles in five at-bats, scores two runs and handles six chances flawlessly at third base (including five assists) ... Shortstop Chris Goodman has three putouts and two assists in the field, and singles and scores a run offensively ... Mike Prochaska makes his first start offensively, batting cleanup at DH, and drives in three runs ... Righthander Derek McKee makes his debut and throws a scoreless inning.
February 16 vs. Elon (W, 4-3): Lefthander Mike Prochaska makes his first start on the mound and hurls 6 1/3 shutout innings, allowing five hits, walking one and striking out four ... Righthander Daniel Caldwell relieves Prochaska and allows two runs on five hits in four solid innings ... Chris Goodman singles and scores a run offensively, and racks up three putouts and four assists defensively at shortstop.
February 18 vs. Rutgers (W, 9-8): DH Mike Prochaska goes 4-for-5 with two RBIs, including the game-winner, and scores two runs to lead the Pack past Rutgers, 9-8 ... Jeremy Dutton makes three outstanding plays at third base without a miscue ... Ryan Strain has two singles and an RBI, and in his first game ever (in his life) in center field, handles five tough chances flawlessly on a cold, wet field ... Chris Goodman six assists and a putout at shortstop.
February 19 vs. Rutgers (L, 3-7): Third baseman Jeremy Dutton drives in all three of the Wolfpack's runs on a two-run single and a bases-loaded walk.
February 20 vs. Rutgers (W, 5-4): Third baseman Jeremy Dutton, who winds up 2-for-5, ties the game with a two-run, two-out single in the bottom of the ninth inning ... Ryan Strain, also 2-for-5, follows Dutton with the game-winning single to left field that caps a four-run ninth inning for the Wolfpack ... Dutton flags down two hard-hit balls at third base ... Strain has five putouts and five assists in a stellar defensive performance at second base ... Mike Prochaska pinch-hits in the bottom of the ninth, reaches on a single to left, and eventually scores the tying run on Dutton's single to left ... John Whitley pinch-runs and winds up scoring the winning run on a close play at the plate.
February 25 vs. Cleveland State (W, 10-5): Third baseman Jeremy Dutton doubles and homers, driving in two runs ... Designated hitter Mike Prochaska caps NC State's five-run sixth inning with a two-run single ... Lefthander Nate Cretarolo makes his collegiate debut with three solid innings of relief to record the save.
February 26 vs. Cleveland State (W, 7-3): Third baseman Jeremy Dutton singles, draws a walk, steals a base, drives in a run and makes four terrific plays at third base ... Ryan Strain makes a diving shoestring catch in center field to kill a CSU rally ... Shortstop Chris Goodman has six assists and a putout at shortstop ... Daniel Caldwell throws three scoreless innings of relief to notch his first college save.
February 27 vs. Cleveland State (W, 4-2): Shortstop Chris Goodman continues to show great range, making four assists and a pair of putouts ... Lefthander Mike Prochaska pitches the final three innings and gets credit for his first college win.
March 1 vs. Davidson (L, 5-7): First baseman Mike Prochaska has a pair of hits, including his first double, and makes a diving play along the first-base line to save a double ... Prochaska also throws 2/3 scoreless innings on the mound ... Daniel Caldwell also pitches effectively, allowing just one earned run in 2 2/3 innings.
Smith Wins Weaver-James-Corrigan Postgraduate Scholarship: Senior infielder Jason Smith, an eight-time Dean's List student and three-time member of the ACC Honor Roll, received his latest academic honor on February 29 when he was named a recipient of the ACC's Weaver-James-Corrigan Postgraduate Scholarship.
Smith, currently in graduate school in civil engineering, holds a bachelor's degree in construction engineering and management. He graduated last spring with a 3.84 GPA. Smith also has won a graduate scholarship from the American Science Foundation and the AGC Education and Research Foundation.
The Weaver-James-Corrigan Scholarships are named after former ACC commissioners Jim Weaver, Bob James and Gene Corrigan. NC State has had 14 Weaver-James-Corrigan Scholarship winners in the last four years, tops among ACC schools.
Another Tough Schedule For NC State: According to the NCAA's RPI rankings, NC State played the seventh-toughest schedule in the country last season, and if Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America are right, the Wolfpack will play a schedule almost as demanding in 2000.
In its February 20 College Preview issue, Baseball America ranked the top 100 teams in the country, and the top of that list looks a lot like NC State's 2000 schedule. NC State had 22 games scheduled against BA's top 33 teams.
In the latest weekly poll by Collegiate Baseball, five NC State opponents are ranked in the top 10: No. 1 Florida State, No. 3 North Carolina, No. 6 Georgia Tech, No. 8 Clemson, and No. 10 Miami. The Wolfpack has a three-game series scheduled with each. That's 15 games against five of the top 10 teams in the nation.
D'Amato, Wright Named Freshman All-America In 1999: Since Baseball America began the practice of naming a Freshman All-America tean in 1983, NC State has had 10 first-year players earn that distinction, beginning with shortstop Alex Wallace in 1984. Until 1999, however, the Wolfpack had never had two players earn Freshman All-America honors in the same season.
Outfielder/designated hitter Brian Wright was named first-team Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball magazine last season, and Wright and lefthanded pitcher Dan D'Amato were named third team Freshman A-A by Baseball America.
Wright, who started the season as a platoon player facing only righthanded pitching, became a fixture in the everyday lineup in April and never stopped hitting. Literally. Wright, who wound up hitting .363 with 14 doubles, six home runs, 35 RBIs and 12 stolen bases, began a 21-game hitting streak on April 7, the day he moved into the lineup full-time, and batted .413 with seven doubles, five homers and 23 RBIs during the streak. Wright's hitting streak was the longest ever by an NC State freshman and the third-longest by any Wolfpack playe ever.
D'Amato (7-2, 5.11) opened the 99 campaign in the bullpen, but emerged as the Pack's best hurler midway through the season. Down the stretch, D Amato pitched the first game of every weekend series for the Wolfpack, and punctuated his season on May 8 with a 3-2 win over East Carolina at Wilson, N.C. D'Amato limited the Pirates to two runs on six hits in 8 2/3 innings.
Big League Bloodlines: Three current NC State players have former major league players for fathers. Redshirt sophomore infielder Sammy Esposito is the son of former Wolfpack coach Sam Esposito, who was an infielder for the Chicago White Sox from 1952-1963 and with the Kansas City A's in 1963. Freshman infielder Ryan Strain is the son of Joe Strain, who was an infielder for the San Francisco Giants from 1979-80 and the Chicago Cubs in 1981. Freshman righthander Daniel Caldwell is the son of ex-Wolfpack lefty Mike Caldwell, who pitched for the San Diego Padres from 1971-76, the Cincinnati Reds in 1976, and the Milwaukee Brewers from 1976-84.
Freshmen Dominate 1999 NC State Pitching Staff: While NC State's success in 1999 was due in large part to yet another strong offensive team, the pitching staff was markedly improved a year ago, thanks to a quartet of freshman pitchers who combined to go 16-2 with a 4.67 ERA.
Lefthanders Dan D'Amato and Kyle Stephenson, and righthanders Ryan Combs and Mike Sollie began the season as role players for the Wolfpack, but by season's end, D'Amato was the unquestioned staff ace, Sollie was its stopper out of the bullpen, and Combs and Stephenson were the team's top two swingmen, making spot starts in the midweek and then pitching valuable innings in relief on the weekend.
D'Amato finished the season 7-2 with a 5.11 ERA and led the staff in wins and innings pitched with 88. Sollie, who went 4-0 with a save, led the staff with a 3.05 ERA and had the fewest walks per nine innings with 1.41. Combs was 3-0 with a 5.53 ERA and a save, and Stephenson was 2-0 with a 4.03 ERA.
The Wolfpack coaching staff not only hopes that last year's four rookie pitchers build on last year's stellar performances, but that the freshman class of 2000, which features four equally talented pitchers (righthanders Daniel Caldwell and Derek McKee, and lefthanders Mike Prochaska and Nate Cretarolo), can come close to the achievements of D'Amato, Sollie, Combs and Stephenson.
Wolfpack Inks Four In Fall Signing Period: With eight Wake County and Triangle area players already on the NC State baseball roster, Wolfpack head coach Elliott Avent went out this past fall and added to the local look of his team by signing four more Raleigh-area players in the fall signing period.
Avent and his coaching staff signed Millbrook High School outfielder Joe Gaetti, plus three players from Raleigh's Broughton High School -- catcher Conor Clougherty, first baseman and lefthanded pitcher David Hicks, and shortstop Lee Kimball.
All four of the Wolfpack's signees were first-team all-conference selections as juniors, and Gaetti is a three-time All-Cap-8 honoree. In 25 games as a junior in 1999, Gaetti batted .514 with nine home runs, 26 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. Baseball America ranks him as the No. 3 player in the state and projects him as a fifth- to eighth-round draft pick next June.
Hicks led NC State's Broughton trio in 1999, setting school records for home runs with 12 and RBIs with 36, while hitting .418. Kimball also broke the old school mark for homers, stroking 11 long balls, while drive in 21 runs and batting .345. Clougherty, the younger brother of former Wolfpack All-American Pat Clougherty, batted .340 with six home runs and 15 RBIs.
This past summer, Hicks and Kimball helped lead the Garner American Legion team, coached by former Wolfpack shortstop Moe Barbour, to the state championship and a berth in the national tournament. Hicks batted .481 with 22 home runs, while Kimball batted .377 with 21 homers.
Wolfpack Aiming To Continue NCAA Tournament Streak: NC State heads into the 2000 season looking to continue one of the most impressive postseason streaks in the nation. The Wolfpack has appeared in the NCAA Tournament 12 times in the last 14 years, including the last four years in a row. Since 1986, the Pack has played in the NCAA regionals every year except 1989 and 1995. NC State has not gone back-to-back seasons without appearing in the NCAA Tournament since the 1984 and 85 seasons.
