North Carolina State University Athletics
TIM PEELER: Hobson's Aggressive Pitching Bolsters Staff
6/2/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
June 2, 2006
NC State's NCAA Regional Notes
BY TIM PEELER
RALEIGH - When Gib Hobson pitched NC State to an opening-round 9-3 victory over North Carolina in the first round of last week's ACC Tournament, it was a microcosm of his entire season: he struggled early, but finished strong.
Hobson, a senior righthander from Pfaffton, N.C., gave up three runs in the first inning to the Tar Heels, then shut them down the rest of the way in a masterful 118-pitch performance in grueling mid-day heat at The Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville (Fla.), in his first complete-game performance since pitching a no-hitter at Maryland last year.
The win set the Wolfpack on its way to the ACC Championship game.
"I definitely think it was time for our pitching staff to step up and I think we did in the ACC Tournament," Hobson said. "Our hitters had performed pretty well all year long. If there was one flaw in our team, it was the consistency on our staff.
"It gives us a lot of confidence going into the NCAA Regionals."
Friday, the Wolfpack's most season starter, who has 50 career appearances in three years, hopes to continue his late-season resurgence from set-up man to top starter when the Wolfpack (36-21) open play in its NCAA Regional in Austin, Texas. State faces Stanford at noon Eastern, with. The game will be broadcast live on WKNC 89.1-FM and shown on ESPNU.
It won't be an easy task, as the Wolfpack faces Cardinal pitcher Greg Reynolds, considered one of the top pitchers in college baseball and a sure-fire choice to go early in next week's Major League Baseball draft.
But don't sell Hobson (9-1, 4.60 earned run average) short. He's been the Wolfpack's ace since returning from the bullpen after sophomore Andrew Brackman ended his season early because of ailments and injuries. In his last nine appearances, Hobson has a 5-0 record with a 2.98 ERA.
"He is a different pitcher right now than he has ever been at NC State," said Wolfpack coach Elliott Avent. "He has been very focused. Against Carolina, he didn't start out well, but he came back and pitched a complete game in 100-degree heat. He made it look very easy against a good-hitting ball club that was ranked in the Top 5.
"He is a much different pitcher and has a whole different mentality than he ever has."
Early this season, Hobson struggled mightily and was taken out of the starting rotation. After allowing no earned runs in a 3-2 win over Penn State, Hobson gave up five earned runs in three consecutive starts. But his six appearances out of the bullpen gave him a new perspective, and he came back a better, more aggressive pitcher.
"When you come in out of the `pen, late in the game, with guys on base, you have to be aggressive, throw strikes and go right at the hitters," Hobson. "I brought that mentality back to my game when I began starting again. "It has worked out for me so far and hopefully, it will keep working out like that." It certainly helps that Hobson has one of the nation's top middle-of-the-field defenses with shortstop Jonathan Diaz, second baseman Ramon Corona, centerfielder Matt Camp and catcher Caleb Mangum, who is back at 100 percent after suffering from back problems in the ACC Tournament.
"I am not saying we are the best, but there is none that is better," Avent said.
That defense has helped boost Hobson's confidence and has allowed him to remain aggressive with his pitches.
"I have all the confidence in the world with the guys behind me," Hobson said. "My job is just to throw strikes and, whatever happens, use the defense."
In turn, Hobson's teammates have a renewed confidence in his abilities to win games and get big outs.
"We all knew that he was struggling early, but he has come in since the Miami series and pitched lights-out for us," said Camp, who has been a starter for four consecutive NCAA Tournament teams. "I feel great for him. Hopefully, he will continue to roll with what he is doing against Stanford.
"It's been a huge help for us."
It's also done wonders for Hobson's psyche, since he was feeling a little left out of the Wolfpack's Top 10 success earlier in the season.
"Coming out of the bullpen was difficult for me," Hobson said. "It was more difficult just thinking that I wasn't contributing to the team and the success we have had this year. It was hard for me, being a third-year guy, not feeling like I was contributing.
"It feels great being back in there starting games. That's where I like to be."
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
