North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State Visits Top-Ranked Clemson This Weekend
4/3/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 3, 2002
RALEIGH, N.C. - NC State will continue play in the Atlantic Coast Conference this weekend with a three-game conference series against nationally top-ranked Clemson. The Tigers, 24-1 heading into a game Wednesday night, April 3, against Winthrop, are 3-0 in ACC play. NC State is 20-11 overall, but 1-5 in the conference after series against Wake Forest and Georgia Tech, two teams also ranked in the national top 10.
Game times for the series are scheduled for 7:15 p.m. on Friday, 4 p.m. on Saturday, and 1 p.m. on Sunday. All three games will be broadcast over WKNC-FM and on gopack.com. In addition, live in-game stats will be available on gopack.com.
THE STARTING ROTATION: Junior righthander Derek McKee (2-2, 5.31) will start for the Wolfpack in the series opener on Friday evening. In his last start, March 29 vs. Georgia Tech at Doak Field, McKee allowed six runs on 12 hits in eight innings in NC State's 6-4 loss to the Yellow Jackets. McKee walked two and struck out eight. In his last three outings, two of which were starts, McKee worked 19 innings and allowed 11 runs, 10 earned, on 25 hits. He walked nine and fanned 14. For the season, McKee has made seven appearances, six of them starts. He has worked 39 innings and allowed 50 hits. He has walked 16 and struck out 41.
Sophomore lefthander Mike Prochaska (3-0, 3.18) will start the middle game of the series for the Wolfpack. Prochaska worked 5 2/3 strong innings in the first game of a doubleheader against Georgia Tech on March 30, but got no decision in the Wolfpack's 20-12 loss. Prochaska allowed four runs, only one of which was earned, on three hits. He walked five and struck out six. In his last three appearances, Prochaska has allowed seven runs, four of them earned, on nine hits in 10 2/3 innings. He has walked seven and struck out nine. For the season, Prochaska has made two starts in six appearances. He has allowed 17 hits, walked 10 and struck out 16 in 22 2/3 innings.
Junior righthander Daniel Caldwell (5-3, 4.79) will start the series finale for NC State. Caldwell's last start, March 30 vs. Georgia Tech, may have been his best of the season, albeit in a losing cause. In that game, Caldwell tossed his third complete game of the year, allowing three runs on nine hits. He walked three and struck out six, but took the loss as Tech's Brian Burks threw a shutout and won 3-0. In his last three games, all starts, Caldwell has allowed 18 runs, 15 of them earned, on 26 hits in 20 1/3 innings. He has walked five and struck out 14. Caldwell has made eight appearances this season, all starts, and has allowed 68 hits, walked 14 and struck out 46 in 56 1/3 innings.
TUESDAY VS. NORTH CAROLINA A&T: Chad Orvella went 3-for-3 and drove in two runs as NC State defeated North Carolina A&T, 8-1, Tuesday night at Doak Field. Wolfpack reliever Daryl Minugh (3-0) picked up the win, tossing two innings while allowing one run on two hits. Aggie starter Toby Middleton (3-5) suffered the loss despite holding the Wolfpack scoreless over the first four innings. He pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing six earned runs on nine hits while striking out four.
Trailing 1-0, in the bottom of the fifth, the Wolfpack bats came alive with four runs off Middleton. After back-to-back singles by Matt Butler and Sammy Esposito, Orvella put NC State on top with a two-run single to left. Brian Wright followed with his fifth home run of 2002, a long, two-run blast to left to put the Wolfpack up 4-1.
Mike Prochaska led off the bottom of the sixth with a single to left, and later scored on Esposito's first sacrifice fly of the season. After the Wolfpack chased Middleton, Wright worked A&T reliever Joe Locklear for a bases-loaded walk to drive in Butler for a 6-1 lead.
The Wolfpack tacked on a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth when Adam Hargrave scored on a wild pitch, and Justin Riley followed with a run-scoring groundout. Wright finished the game with three RBIs for the Wolfpack, while Butler went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored.
DOUBLE-FIGURE RUNS: Through 31 games this season, NC State has scored 10 runs or more in a game 16 times, including one stretch of six consecutive games, and nine times in 11 games. The Wolfpack just missed setting a school record for most runs in a game when it defeated Coppin State 27-5 on February 24 in a game shortened to seven innings by the 10-run mercy rule. The school record is 29, set March 29, 1984, vs. Wake Forest.
DOUBLE-FIGURE HITS: The Wolfpack has racked up 10 hits or more in a game 24 times in 31 games this season, including 15 times in the first 16 games of the season. NC State has gotten 20 hits or more in a game four times.
ON PACE: With 58 being the least number of games that NC State will play this season, the Wolfpack is on pace to set several school offensive records.
Through 31 games, the Pack has scored 328 runs, rapped out 419 hits - including 88 doubles - stolen 49 bases, and is hitting .373 as a team.
The school records for each of those categories are 571 runs (1988), 766 hits (1994), 161 doubles (1991), 90 steals (1990), and a .346 team batting average (1988).
Should NC State maintain its current pace through 58 games, it would score 613 runs, collect 784 hits and 165 doubles, and steal 92 bases.
LITTLE BALL: NC State, while averaging more than 10 runs per game this season, also has been able to play the little game effectively. The Wolfpack has been quite proficient at bunting this season, laying down 49 bunts and getting 19 hits and 22 sacrifices in those 49 attempts.
BATTING AROUND: While averaging 10.6 runs per game this season, NC State has had many big innings and put many crooked numbers on the scoreboard. Heading into play this weekend at Clemson, the Wolfpack has batted around in an inning 30 times in 31 games, or once every 8.45 innings (252 total innings). The Wolfpack has scored three runs in an inning 11 times, four runs in an inning 16 times, five runs in an inning 12 times, six runs in an inning twice, seven runs in an inning three times, eight runs in an inning twice, nine runs in an inning once, and 14 runs in an inning once.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Thus far this season, NC State has played 25 of its 31 games at home, and is batting .385 as a team at Doak Field. Five NC State regulars or semiregulars are batting .400 or better at home this season, led by Marc Maynor at .463 (31-for-67), Brian Wright at .438 (42-for-96), Matt Butler at .411 (30-for-73), Tim Coffield at .468 (22-for-47) and Joe Gaetti at .426 (26-for-61).
RILEY GOES ON A RIP: NC State backup catcher and first baseman Justin Riley has pretty much forced his way into the lineup with the way he has hit when given the chance. Riley, batting .367 with three doubles, five home runs and 28 RBIs, has had just 60 at-bats this season. He is averaging a home run every 12.0 at-bats, the best ratio on the team, and an RBI every 2.1 at-bats, also best on the team.
In his last 10 games, Riley is hitting .424 with three doubles, three home runs and 21 RBIs. He has started the last six games and has driven in 13 runs in those six starts.
WRIGHT GETS 11 STRAIGHT HITS: Wolfpack senior left fielder Brian Wright set a school record March 15-17 against St. Joseph's by collecting 11 consecutive hits. Wright went 4-for-4 on Friday in the first game of the series, and then went 4-for-4 in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday to run his streak to eight consecutive hits. After hitting safely in his first three at-bats of the nightcap, Wright had his streak snapped when he lined a laser shot that the second baseman caught with a leaping grab.
During the streak, Wright also collected three walks and hit a sacrifice fly. He had one at-bat extended when the Hawks catcher dropped a pop-up in foul territory for an error.
Wright just missed tying the ACC record for consecutive hits by one (Tony Larioni, Maryland, 1980) and the NCAA Division I record by three (Larry Patterson, Gonzaga, 1977).
ALL-WASHINGTON DP COMBO: Without question, NC State is a far better defensive team this season than in recent years, and the biggest reason for the defensive turnaround has been the play up the middle.
In particular, shortstop Chad Orvella and second baseman Adam Hargrave have made all the plays in the middle of the diamond. The two junior college transfers have committed just 10 errors between them and have a combined fielding percentage of .959 through the Pack's first 31 games.
Hargrave has not committed an error in the last 16 games, handling 73 chances without a miscue during that time. He has made just one error in 87 chances over the last 22 games.
Orvella had a streak of 14 errorless game snapped on March 27 at Old Dominion. During that streak, Orvella handled 49 consecutive chances without an error. He has made just three errors in 59 chances the last 19 games.
Aside from their defensive and offensive prowess (Hargrave is hitting .381, Orvella .355), the Wolfpack's keystone combo holds one other distinction: they may be the only Division I double-play combination in the country to hail from Washington state.
Hargrave is from Vancouver, Wash., and came to NC State from Tacoma Community College. Orvella is from Redmond, Wash., and came to Raleigh from Columbia Basin Community College.
There are three Division I schools in the state of Washington that have baseball teams, and of the three, only Gonzaga uses a double-play combo with two Washington natives, but the Zags use two different shortstops, and the one listed as their starter, Danny Evans, hails from Glendale, Ariz. Grant Zurmley has actually made more starts at shortstop than Evans, but neither has nailed down the starting job.
Interestingly, Zurmley is from Orvella's hometown, Redmond.
STREAKS: Senior outfielder Brian Wright had a 15-game hitting streak broken March 10 vs. Richmond. During his streak, Wright batted .456 (26-for-57) with eight doubles, three home runs and 23 RBIs. Wright's streak was the longest by an NC State player this season.
Sophomore first baseman David Hicks had a 14-game hitting streak snapped on March 5 vs. William & Mary, the longest hitting streak of Hicks's career. Hicks batted .508 (31-for-61) with 14 doubles, one homer and 20 RBIs during his streak. Hicks's streak was the second longest by a Pack player this season.
Heading into play this weekend at Clemson, the longest active hitting streak on the team belongs to Wright, a modest four-game streak.
TAKING A WALK: Through the first 31 games of the season, NC State hitters have shown exceptional strike-zone judgement, drawing 152 walks and striking out just 148 times as a team. That's a strikeout to walk ratio of 0.97:1, and a marked improvement over a year ago when Wolfpack hitters drew 209 walks and struck out 349 times, for a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 1.67:1.
The most impressive K/BB ratio among NC State players belongs to, not surprisingly, senior outfielder Brian Wright, who was walked 23 times to just 10 strikeouts. Others with positive K/BB ratios through 31 games were freshman outfielder Marc Maynor (26 walks, 14 strikeouts), junior second baseman Adam Hargrave (16 and 9), junior shortstop Chad Orvella (21 and 16), and junior third baseman Jeremy Dutton (21 and 14).
LONG HOMESTAND: NC State's series with Wake Forest from March 22-24 marked the end of the Wolfpack's longest homestand ever, a 19-game marathon that saw the Wolfpack post a 15-4 record, bat .399 as a team, score 226 runs (11.9 per game), belt 55 doubles and 22 home runs, and steal 39 bases in 44 attempts.
Individually, six Wolfpack players batted .400 or better during the homestand, led by senior outfielder Brian Wright, who batted .479 (35-for-73) with nine doubles, two homers, 30 runs scored and 27 RBIs. Freshman center fielder Marc Maynor batted .462 (30-for-65) with 28 runs scored, 18 RBIs and 11 stolen bases in 12 attempts. Junior second baseman Adam Hargrave batted .410 (25-for-61) with 21 runs scored and 11 RBIs. In part-time action, freshman DH Tim Coffield batted .500 (21-for-42) with four home runs and 27 RBIs, and sophomore outfielder Joe Gaetti batted .450 (18-for-40) with three doubles, two homers and 12 RBIs.
NC State Hitters Recent Performances
Matt Butler: Went 2-for-3 on Tuesday vs. North Carolina A&T ... Went 1-for-10 in the Georgia Tech series ... Is hitting .389 (14-for-36) with five doubles, one home run and three RBIs in his last 10 games.
Tim Coffield: Did not play vs. North Carolina A&T ... Went 1-for-5 in the Georgia Tech series ... Is hitting .324 (11-for-34) with one double and six RBIs in his last 10 games.
Jeremy Dutton: Went 0-for-1 on Tuesday vs. North Carolina A&T ... Went 3-for-9 with a double and two RBIs in the Georgia Tech series ... Is hitting .345 (10-for-29) with two doubles and five RBIs in his last 10 games.
Joe Gaetti: Went 2-for-4 on Tuesday vs. North Carolina A&T ... Went 3-for-10 in the Georgia Tech series ... Is hitting .387 (12-for-31) with three RBIs his last 10 games.
Adam Hargrave: Went 1-for-3 on Tuesday vs. North Carolina A&T ... Went 2-for-12 with a triple and two RBIs in the Georgia Tech series ... Is hitting .286 (10-for-35) with a double, a triple, six runs scored and three RBIs in his last 10 games.
David Hicks: Went 1-for-4 on Tuesday vs. North Carolina A&T ... Went 3-for-11 with a double and an RBI in the Georgia Tech series ... Is hitting .341 (14-for-41) with four doubles and eight RBIs in his last 10 games.
Marc Maynor: Has not played since March 26 at UNCG because of tendinitis in his achilles tendon ... Went 1-for-2 with a walk, two runs scored and an RBI on Tuesday at UNCG ... Went 2-for-8 with six walks in the Wake Forest series ... Is hitting .313 (10-for-32) with two doubles, 13 walks, five stolen bases and 11 runs scored in his last 10 games.
Colt Morton: Did not have a plate appearance on Tuesday vs North Carolina A&T ... Went 0-for-9 in the Georgia Tech series ... Is hitting .194 (7-for-36) with two doubles, two home runs and eight RBIs in his last 10 games.
Chad Orvella: Went 3-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored and two RBIs on Tuesday vs. North Carolina A&T ... Went 3-for-10 in the Georgia Tech series ... Is hitting .306 (11-for-36) with six RBIs and 11 runs scored in his last 10 games.
Justin Riley: Went 0-for-5 with an RBI on Tuesday vs. North Carolina A&T ... Went 5-for-11 with a double, a homer and seven RBIs in the Georgia Tech series ... Is hitting .424 (14-for-33) with three doubles, three home runs and 21 RBIs in his last 10 games.
Brian Wright: Went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer and three total RBIs on Tuesday vs. North Carolina A&T ... Went 3-for-11 in the Georgia Tech series ... Is hitting .297 (11-for-37) with four doubles, a home run and eight RBIs in his last 10 games.
