North Carolina State University Athletics
Baseball Hosts No. 1 Florida State This Weekend
4/5/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
RALEIGH, N.C. — The uphill marathon that is the Atlantic Coast Conference baseball season is about to hit Heartbreak Hill for NC State, which hosts Florida State this weekend in a three-game series at Doak Field at Dail Park.
The Seminoles, 29-3 overall and 8-1 in the ACC, come into the series ranked No. 1 nationally by Collegiate Baseball and No. 2 in all the other national polls.NC State is 23-8 overall and 8-4 in the ACC. The Wolfpack, which has won six games in a row and 12 of its last 14, comes into the weekend ranked No. 21 by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, and unranked in the other polls.
Game times are 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 1 p.m. on Sunday. All three games will be broadcast live on WKNC (88.1 FM) and on-line at gopack.com through Pack Pass.
NC STATE VS. FLORIDA STATE: The Seminoles lead the overall series with the Wolfpack by a 42-21 margin. Florida State has won seven of the last 11 meetings, nine of the last 14, 12 of the last 19, and 24 of the last 34. Since 1997, Elliott Avent’s first year as head coach, NC State is 12-25 against the Seminoles.
The two teams met five times a year ago, all in the state of Florida and all in the space of 10 days. The regular-season series took place in Tallahassee from May 18-20, with the Seminoles taking two of three, winning the first two games 11-10 and 7-1 before the Wolfpack came back to salvage the finale 15-7. A week later at the ACC Tournament in Jacksonville, Florida State and NC State met twice in the semifinal round. FSU won the first 7-1 before the Wolfpack eliminated the Seminoles 8-7 to move to the championship game vs. Clemson.
THE ROTATION: Sophomore lefthander Eric Surkamp (3-1, 3.00) will start for the Wolfpack in the series opener on Friday. Surkamp has been the Pack’s tough-luck pitcher for most of the past month, turning in five excellent outings and figuring in just one decision, which he won. Last Friday at Boston College, Surkamp worked six innings and allowed two runs on four hits, walked four and struck out five. In his last five starts, he has worked 32 2/3 innings and allowed 12 runs, 11 earned, on 26 hits while walking nine and striking out 30. Surkamp has made eight appearances, all starts, has worked 45 innings and allowed 37 hits, walked 15 and struck out 43. Senior righthander Bryan Henry (7-0, 2.44) will pitch the opener for Florida State.
Junior righthander Andrew Brackman (5-2, 3.42) will make his ninth start of the year in the middle game of the series. Brackman is coming off a tough stretch in which he has a 2-2 record and a 5.10 ERA in five starts. In Brackman’s last outing, March 31 at Boston College, he bounced back to his early-season form, allowing just one run on four hits in seven innings. He walked three and struck out seven. In his last five appearances, Brackman has allowed 20 runs, 17 earned, on 33 hits in 30 innings with 14 walks and 27 strikeouts. For the season, he has worked a career-high 47 1/3 innings, allowed 45 hits, walked 18 and struck out 45. Senior righthander Michael Hyde (8-1, 2.79) will start on Saturday for the Seminoles.
Freshman lefthander Jimmy Gillheeney (3-1, 2.06) will make his 10th appearance and his fourth start of the year in Sunday’s series finale. Gillheeney moved into the weekend rotation two weeks ago and is 2-0 with a 2.38 ERA in starts at Wake Forest and Boston College. Against BC last weekend, Gillheeney squared off against BC ace Terry Doyle, who hails from Gillheeney’s hometown of Providence, R.I., and allowed the Eagles two runs, six hits and a walk in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out four. For the season, he has allowed 30 hits, walked nine and struck out 29 in 35 innings. Junior righthander Ryan Strauss (7-0, 2.08) will get the start on Sunday for FSU.
400 WINS AND COUNTING: NC State’s 6-2 win April 1 at Boston College was Wolfpack head coach Elliott Avent’s 400th win in his 10-plus seasons at NC State. Avent is the second NC State baseball coach to win 400 games or more, joining Sam Esposito, who went 513-253 from 1967-87. Avent’s record at NC State now stands at 401-243. His career record in 18-plus seasons is 626-454. Avent spent nine seasons at New Mexico State prior to becoming NC State’s head coach in 1997.
HOME TURF: Since Doak Field underwent a $5 million renovation during the 2003-04 seasons, NC State has been tough to beat at home. Although the Wolfpack played 10 games at the Doak in 2003 and 27 more in 2004, those games were played while the ballpark was under construction.
The 2005 season was the first for the new Doak Field at Dail Park, and the Pack protected its home field well, posting a 27-5 record at home, the fifth best home record since Doak Field first opened in 1966. The Pack went 24-7 at home a year ago and is 15-3 at the Doak this season. That makes NC State 66-15 at home since Doak Field at Dail Park re-opened in 2005, an .815 winning percentage.
STATISTICAL ODDITIES: In the for what it’s worth dept., NC State’s five hits Wednesday night was the fewest hits in a game by the Wolfpack this season, and the fewest in an NC State victory since getting five hits in a 3-0 win at East Carolina on April 20, 2005. The last time the Wolfpack had fewer than five hits in a game and won was a 1-0 shutout at Virginia on April 10, 2005. NC State had four hits in that game … NC State’s unbeaten streak in games in which it hit at least one home run came to an end March 24 in Wake Forest’s 16-3 rout of the Pack. After sweeping Boston College this past weekend, NC State now is 17-1 when it hits at least one home run … The Wolfpack is 8-1 when the opponent does not make an error (Virginia Tech on March 18 managed to snap the Wolfpack’s six-game winning streak in this category) … The Pack is 8-4 when its opponent scores first, and 5-1 when its opponent scores in the first inning … The Wolfpack is 17-5 when the opponent starts a righthander and 6-3 when the other team’s starter is a lefty … NC State is 5-0 in shutouts.
ONE-RUN GAMES: NC State is 3-1 in its only one-run games of 2007. Based on recent history, the Wolfpack probably needs to play more one-run games. From 2003-06, NC State had a 39-18 record in games decided by one run, including a 12-3 mark in 2003 and an 8-3 mark in 2005. Counting this year’s one-run games, NC State is 42-19 in one-run games dating back to the beginning of the 2003 season.
The Seminoles, 29-3 overall and 8-1 in the ACC, come into the series ranked No. 1 nationally by Collegiate Baseball and No. 2 in all the other national polls.NC State is 23-8 overall and 8-4 in the ACC. The Wolfpack, which has won six games in a row and 12 of its last 14, comes into the weekend ranked No. 21 by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, and unranked in the other polls.
Game times are 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 1 p.m. on Sunday. All three games will be broadcast live on WKNC (88.1 FM) and on-line at gopack.com through Pack Pass.
NC STATE VS. FLORIDA STATE: The Seminoles lead the overall series with the Wolfpack by a 42-21 margin. Florida State has won seven of the last 11 meetings, nine of the last 14, 12 of the last 19, and 24 of the last 34. Since 1997, Elliott Avent’s first year as head coach, NC State is 12-25 against the Seminoles.
The two teams met five times a year ago, all in the state of Florida and all in the space of 10 days. The regular-season series took place in Tallahassee from May 18-20, with the Seminoles taking two of three, winning the first two games 11-10 and 7-1 before the Wolfpack came back to salvage the finale 15-7. A week later at the ACC Tournament in Jacksonville, Florida State and NC State met twice in the semifinal round. FSU won the first 7-1 before the Wolfpack eliminated the Seminoles 8-7 to move to the championship game vs. Clemson.
THE ROTATION: Sophomore lefthander Eric Surkamp (3-1, 3.00) will start for the Wolfpack in the series opener on Friday. Surkamp has been the Pack’s tough-luck pitcher for most of the past month, turning in five excellent outings and figuring in just one decision, which he won. Last Friday at Boston College, Surkamp worked six innings and allowed two runs on four hits, walked four and struck out five. In his last five starts, he has worked 32 2/3 innings and allowed 12 runs, 11 earned, on 26 hits while walking nine and striking out 30. Surkamp has made eight appearances, all starts, has worked 45 innings and allowed 37 hits, walked 15 and struck out 43. Senior righthander Bryan Henry (7-0, 2.44) will pitch the opener for Florida State.
Junior righthander Andrew Brackman (5-2, 3.42) will make his ninth start of the year in the middle game of the series. Brackman is coming off a tough stretch in which he has a 2-2 record and a 5.10 ERA in five starts. In Brackman’s last outing, March 31 at Boston College, he bounced back to his early-season form, allowing just one run on four hits in seven innings. He walked three and struck out seven. In his last five appearances, Brackman has allowed 20 runs, 17 earned, on 33 hits in 30 innings with 14 walks and 27 strikeouts. For the season, he has worked a career-high 47 1/3 innings, allowed 45 hits, walked 18 and struck out 45. Senior righthander Michael Hyde (8-1, 2.79) will start on Saturday for the Seminoles.
Freshman lefthander Jimmy Gillheeney (3-1, 2.06) will make his 10th appearance and his fourth start of the year in Sunday’s series finale. Gillheeney moved into the weekend rotation two weeks ago and is 2-0 with a 2.38 ERA in starts at Wake Forest and Boston College. Against BC last weekend, Gillheeney squared off against BC ace Terry Doyle, who hails from Gillheeney’s hometown of Providence, R.I., and allowed the Eagles two runs, six hits and a walk in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out four. For the season, he has allowed 30 hits, walked nine and struck out 29 in 35 innings. Junior righthander Ryan Strauss (7-0, 2.08) will get the start on Sunday for FSU.
400 WINS AND COUNTING: NC State’s 6-2 win April 1 at Boston College was Wolfpack head coach Elliott Avent’s 400th win in his 10-plus seasons at NC State. Avent is the second NC State baseball coach to win 400 games or more, joining Sam Esposito, who went 513-253 from 1967-87. Avent’s record at NC State now stands at 401-243. His career record in 18-plus seasons is 626-454. Avent spent nine seasons at New Mexico State prior to becoming NC State’s head coach in 1997.
HOME TURF: Since Doak Field underwent a $5 million renovation during the 2003-04 seasons, NC State has been tough to beat at home. Although the Wolfpack played 10 games at the Doak in 2003 and 27 more in 2004, those games were played while the ballpark was under construction.
The 2005 season was the first for the new Doak Field at Dail Park, and the Pack protected its home field well, posting a 27-5 record at home, the fifth best home record since Doak Field first opened in 1966. The Pack went 24-7 at home a year ago and is 15-3 at the Doak this season. That makes NC State 66-15 at home since Doak Field at Dail Park re-opened in 2005, an .815 winning percentage.
STATISTICAL ODDITIES: In the for what it’s worth dept., NC State’s five hits Wednesday night was the fewest hits in a game by the Wolfpack this season, and the fewest in an NC State victory since getting five hits in a 3-0 win at East Carolina on April 20, 2005. The last time the Wolfpack had fewer than five hits in a game and won was a 1-0 shutout at Virginia on April 10, 2005. NC State had four hits in that game … NC State’s unbeaten streak in games in which it hit at least one home run came to an end March 24 in Wake Forest’s 16-3 rout of the Pack. After sweeping Boston College this past weekend, NC State now is 17-1 when it hits at least one home run … The Wolfpack is 8-1 when the opponent does not make an error (Virginia Tech on March 18 managed to snap the Wolfpack’s six-game winning streak in this category) … The Pack is 8-4 when its opponent scores first, and 5-1 when its opponent scores in the first inning … The Wolfpack is 17-5 when the opponent starts a righthander and 6-3 when the other team’s starter is a lefty … NC State is 5-0 in shutouts.
ONE-RUN GAMES: NC State is 3-1 in its only one-run games of 2007. Based on recent history, the Wolfpack probably needs to play more one-run games. From 2003-06, NC State had a 39-18 record in games decided by one run, including a 12-3 mark in 2003 and an 8-3 mark in 2005. Counting this year’s one-run games, NC State is 42-19 in one-run games dating back to the beginning of the 2003 season.
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