North Carolina State University Athletics
North Carolina and NC State Clash at Doak Field
3/29/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
By Tony Haynes
It's not like NC State and North Carolina need any extra motivation to beat each other in any sport. But this weekend's three game series on the baseball diamond at Doak Field could go a long way in determining whether either club will have a chance to still be playing when the NCAA Tournament Regionals begin the third week of May.
Now 13-13 overall and 4-5 in conference play, NC State is facing a crucial stretch of games that could make or break its season. Having already gone 3-3 against ACC heavyweights Georgia Tech and Florida State, the Wolfpack has a realistic chance of putting together a streak of wins over the next few weeks. After the North Carolina series, the Pack will venture outside the league for games against UNC-Wilmington, Charlotte, UNC-Greensboro, High Point, VCU and Old Dominion.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
First, NC State must deal with a Carolina team that is somewhat desperate. The Tar Heels, who come in at 17-12 overall, are 0-6 in ACC play after being swept by both Wake Forest and Florida State. In a 3-2 loss to Winthrop on Wednesday night, UNC batters struck out a total of 14 times.
Statistically speaking, Carolina and NC State are relatively close. As a team, the Tar Heels rank seventh in the league with a team batting average of .290. The Pack stands eighth at .277. On the mound, NC State's staff is pitching to an earned run average of 5.06, a figure that ranks seventh in the ACC. UNC is eighth with an ERA of 6.01.
NC State's starting pitcher for the series opener on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. will be junior righthander Ryan Combs (1-1, 5.71), who has been knocked around by ACC competition. In his last three starts, all against league opponents, Combs has allowed 16 runs and 31 hits in 15 and a third innings.
Junior Dan D'Amato (3-3, 5.44) gets the ball for the Wolfpack on Saturday (7:00 p.m.), followed by sophomore Derek McKee (1-1, 6.10) on Sunday (1:30).
NC State's hottest hitter going into the weekend series is freshman catcher Colt Morton, who is hitting .316 with nine homers and 27 RBIs. In nine conference games, Morton is batting .395 (15-for-38) with three doubles, five homers and 15 RBIs. The West Palm Beach, Florida native needs just two more home runs to tie the NC State record for homers by a freshman set in 1991 by Pat Clougherty.
North Carolina holds a 133-108 advantage in the all-time series with the Wolfpack, although State has a 21-13 edge in games played over the last decade. Since 1991, the Pack is 10-4 against its arch-rivals at Doak Field. Last year, Carolina won two of three from NC State in a series that took place at Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill.
