North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State To Host Marshall This Weekend
3/7/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 7, 2003
RALEIGH, N.C. - The who and what are known. NC State will host Marshall in a three-game series some time this weekend. When and where are more problematic. Weather already has forced the Wolfpack and Herd out of Five County Stadium in Zebulon for Friday's game, and the availability of Five County for the remainder of the weekend is in doubt. The series could be moved to a different venue, and suddenly, so fans should check back with gopack.com frequently for possible updates on time and place.
Once the two teams do get on the field, NC State (9-4) will look to extend its current four-game winning streak, its longest of the season, against a Marshall team that is 3-5 and has lost four of its last five games.
"With our situation, not having our ballpark ready yet and having to deal with the bad weather, it's been a struggle to get on a field and play," Wolfpack coach Elliott Avent said. "We've already lost three games to the weather, so we have to take advantage of every opportunity we have to get out and play. But finding a field that is playable is our problem right now."
Redshirt-freshman Mike Rogers (3-1, 1.55) will start one of the three games for NC State. This will be Rogers' fifth appearance and his fifth start. He has worked a staff-high 29 innings and allowed 19 hits, walked seven and struck out 23. In his last start, March 1 vs. Villanova in the second round of the Hughes Brothers Challenge in Wilmington, Rogers pitched a complete-game two-hit shutout. He walked two and struck out eight. He gave up a single in the first and second innings, and then retired 20 men in a row before leadoff hitter Chris Graziano worked him for a one-out walk in the ninth inning. Rogers retired 22 of the last 23 men he faced, and 25 of the last 27. Rogers enters play this weekend with a scoreless streak of 15 consecutive innings.
NC State's other two starters for the Marshall series are still to be determined. Junior righthander Vern Sterry (3-0, 2.13) worked on Wednesday at UNC Wilmington and probably will not be available. Sophomore righthander Phillip Davidson (0-1, 8.56) pitched well on Tuesday vs. Villanova and could be ready later in the weekend.
Offensively, the Wolfpack has struggled, but is slowly but surely beginning to break out of its season-long funk. In particular, junior first baseman David Hicks is hitting .333 with six doubles and 11 RBIs. He leads the team in hitting and doubles, and is 7-for-16 in his last five games with three doubles. Junior catcher Colt Morton is batting .300 with a team-high five home runs. He has driven in 14 runs. Junior outfielder Joe Gaetti is hitting .245, a figure that is on the rise after going 6-for-20 with two doubles, a triple, two home runs and eight RBIs in his last five games. Gaetti has three home runs and a team-high 17 RBIs.
The Pack also is getting solid offensive contributions from freshman outfielder Matt Camp (.304, a team-high 13 runs scored) and sophomore outfielder Marc Maynor (.308 with 4 doubles).
"We're not playing as well as we need to right now, but we're playing well enough to win," Avent said. "We're finding ways to win close games, and our confidence level is going up because we've been winning. We need to keep playing."
