North Carolina State University Athletics
Sterry, Rogers, Devine Dot All-America Teams
2/4/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 4, 2004
RALEIGH, N.C. - With NC State's Vern Sterry, Michael Rogers and Joey Devine all back after being named All-Americans last season, NC State in 2004 becomes the first team in Atlantic Coast Conference history to have three returning All-America pitchers from the previous season. And based on all the preseason prognostications, all three should be in the thick of the race for All-America honors again in 2004.
Sterry and Devine both have been named first-team preseason All-America - Sterry by Collegiate Baseball magazine and CollegeBaseballInsider.com, Devine by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) - while Rogers has been voted a second-team preseason pick by the NCBWA and CollegeBaseballInsider.com and Collegiate Baseball.
Regardless of whose preseason All-America team you look at, you're probably going to see an NC State pitcher, maybe two or three, and for good reason. All three turned in sensational seasons in 2003. Sterry went 11-0 with a 3.25 ERA, becoming the first Wolfpack pitcher ever to win 10 or more games in a season and go undefeated. Rogers went 12-3 with a 3.02 ERA, making him just the third pitcher in school history to win at least 12 games in a season. Devine gave the Pack a commanding presence at the end of games, winning six games, saving an ACC freshman record 14 more, and posting a 2.19 ERA. Devine walked 16 and struck out 78 in 65 2/3 innings of work.
The presence of the names Sterry, Devine and Rogers on the roster is a big reason why NC State made the preseason rankings by the NCBWA (No. 22), Baseball America (No. 25), USA Today Sports Weekly (No. 25) and Collegiate Baseball (No. 29). Despite losing six players from the everyday lineup, the Wolfpack returns all but one member of a pitching staff that fashioned a 4.14 staff ERA, the best by an NC State team in a decade.
Look for all three of NC State's All-America pitchers early. The Wolfpack will open the season at 3 p.m. on Friday, February 13 at Campbell, and then will host the Camels at Doak Field at 2 p.m. on Saturday, February 14. Rogers should be the starter at Buies Creek, with Sterry set to get the ball the following day. And don't be surprised to see Devine on the mound in the ninth.
