North Carolina State University Athletics
Baseball Opens Final Week With UNC Asheville On Tuesday
5/15/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
RALEIGH, N.C. The final week of college baseball’s regular season finds NC State at home for four games, beginning Tuesday at 6 p.m. with a non-conference encounter with defending Big South champion UNC Asheville.
The Bulldogs have not enjoyed their season as defending champions. They come into Doak Field at Dail Park for Tuesday’s 6 p.m. game with a 19-35 overall record, 9-12 in the Big South. They have lost five of their last six games, and 12 of their last 14.
NC State enters play this week fresh off a weekend series win at then-third-ranked Virginia, with hopes of carrying that momentum through this week’s games Clemson will be in town on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and into next week’s Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament in Jacksonville. The Wolfpack is 33-18 overall and 14-13 in the ACC.
NC STATE VS. UNC ASHEVILLE: The Wolfpack and Bulldogs have met just three times in baseball, with NC State winning two of the three. The two teams first met for a doubleheader on March 21, 1991, in Asheville, with UNCA taking the first game 4-0 on a two-hitter by Marc Rosenbalm. The Wolfpack rebounded in the second game and walloped the Bulldogs 13-1. The two teams met for a single game the following year in Raleigh, March 12, 1992, to be exact, and NC State prevailed 12-1 behind the three-hit pitching of lefty Shawn Senior.
THE STARTING PITCHERS: Freshman righthander Nate Karns (3-2, 2.42) will make his ninth appearance of the season and his eighth start Tuesday against UNC Asheville. Karns has worked 26 innings and allowed 13 hits with 16 walks and 22 strikeouts. In his last appearance, May 5 vs. Campbell, Karns worked four hitless innings, walking three and striking out two in the Wolfpack’s 7-3 victory over the Camels. In his last three starts, Karns worked 8 2/3 innings, allowing one earned run on three hits. He walked nine and struck out six. In his seven starts, Karns is 3-1 with a 1.73 ERA. Junior righthander Alan DeRatt (5-4, 4.70) is scheduled to start for the Bulldogs. He has made 18 appearances, 13 of them starts. In 92 innings he has allowed 95 hits, walked 26 and struck out 66. In his last start, this past Friday vs. 15th-ranked Coastal Carolina, DeRatt worked seven innings, leaving after facing three batters in the eighth. He was charged with three runs on nine hits. He walked two, struck out six and got credit for the win as the Bulldogs defeated the Chanticleers 5-3.
THE VIRGINIA SERIES: NC State got solid hitting from Pat Ferguson (.444), Dallas Poulk (.438), Marcus Jones (.364) and Ryan Pond (.333), plus airtight relief pitching from Eryk McConnell (4.1 scoreless innings, 2 saves) and marched into Charlottesville and won two of three games from then-third-ranked Virginia. The Cavaliers won the first game 4-2, making Eric Surkamp (4-3) a hard-luck loser yet again (2.89 ERA in his three losses).
The Wolfpack responded by winning the remaining two games in the series by scores of 10-7 and 8-6. Ferguson came off the bench in the middle game of the series and went 2-for-2 with a three-run home run, and Jones went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs. Poulk set a career high with four hits in five at-bats, and scored three times. McConnell entered the game with two away in the seventh inning and retired six of the seven men he faced, with the one man who reached base being erased on a double play.
In the series finale, Drew Martin and Tommy Foschi made web-gem defensive plays in the bottom of the first inning, and both had two hits in three at-bats. Foschi, playing for the injured Ramon Corona, also gave NC State a boost on offense with a three-run home run in the fourth inning. Sam Brown, Andrew Taylor and McConnell combined to shut UVa down over the final five innings, and NC State won it on Pond’s two-run single in the eighth. McConnell retired all six men he faced for his second save in as many days.
Since Elliott Avent became NC State head coach in 1997, the Pack has a 30-13 record against UVa, including an 10-8 mark in Charlottesville, 12-3 at Doak Field at Dail Park, and 8-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. NC State has won eight of the last 10 meetings with Virginia, 11 of the last 14, and 20 of the last 25.
THE ACC PENNANT RACE: Florida State lost twice to Clemson this past weekend, but only needed one win in the series with the Tigers to unofficially wrap up first place in the ACC’s Atlantic Division and the No. 1 overall seed in the upcoming ACC Tournament. At 21-6, Florida State has a four-game lead over Clemson in the division with three games to play, and a three-game lead over North Carolina for the top seed. The Seminoles won the regular-season series from the Tar Heels in case a tiebreaker is needed.
Clemson is second in the Atlantic Division at 17-10, three games ahead of NC State at 14-13. Wake Forest and Boston College are both 12-15, with Maryland bringing up the rear at 7-20. In the Coastal Division, UNC is 18-9, a half-game ahead of Virginia (17-9) and 2 1/2 games ahead of Georgia Tech (15-11). Miami is fourth at 14-13, with Duke (8-19) and Virginia Tech (6-21) fifth and sixth, respectively.
In the overall conference standings, which will determine the ACC Tournament seedings, Florida State has the top seed locked up with a 21-6 record. North Carolina currently is second at 18-9, with Virginia (17-9) third , Clemson (17-10) fourth, Georgia Tech (15-11) fifth, NC State and Miami (both 14-13) tied for sixth, and Wake Forest and Boston College (both 12-15) tied for eighth. The top eight teams will qualify for the ACC Tournament the top two from each division and the next four teams in the overall standings, regardless of divisional affiliation.
The Bulldogs have not enjoyed their season as defending champions. They come into Doak Field at Dail Park for Tuesday’s 6 p.m. game with a 19-35 overall record, 9-12 in the Big South. They have lost five of their last six games, and 12 of their last 14.
NC State enters play this week fresh off a weekend series win at then-third-ranked Virginia, with hopes of carrying that momentum through this week’s games Clemson will be in town on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and into next week’s Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament in Jacksonville. The Wolfpack is 33-18 overall and 14-13 in the ACC.
NC STATE VS. UNC ASHEVILLE: The Wolfpack and Bulldogs have met just three times in baseball, with NC State winning two of the three. The two teams first met for a doubleheader on March 21, 1991, in Asheville, with UNCA taking the first game 4-0 on a two-hitter by Marc Rosenbalm. The Wolfpack rebounded in the second game and walloped the Bulldogs 13-1. The two teams met for a single game the following year in Raleigh, March 12, 1992, to be exact, and NC State prevailed 12-1 behind the three-hit pitching of lefty Shawn Senior.
THE STARTING PITCHERS: Freshman righthander Nate Karns (3-2, 2.42) will make his ninth appearance of the season and his eighth start Tuesday against UNC Asheville. Karns has worked 26 innings and allowed 13 hits with 16 walks and 22 strikeouts. In his last appearance, May 5 vs. Campbell, Karns worked four hitless innings, walking three and striking out two in the Wolfpack’s 7-3 victory over the Camels. In his last three starts, Karns worked 8 2/3 innings, allowing one earned run on three hits. He walked nine and struck out six. In his seven starts, Karns is 3-1 with a 1.73 ERA. Junior righthander Alan DeRatt (5-4, 4.70) is scheduled to start for the Bulldogs. He has made 18 appearances, 13 of them starts. In 92 innings he has allowed 95 hits, walked 26 and struck out 66. In his last start, this past Friday vs. 15th-ranked Coastal Carolina, DeRatt worked seven innings, leaving after facing three batters in the eighth. He was charged with three runs on nine hits. He walked two, struck out six and got credit for the win as the Bulldogs defeated the Chanticleers 5-3.
THE VIRGINIA SERIES: NC State got solid hitting from Pat Ferguson (.444), Dallas Poulk (.438), Marcus Jones (.364) and Ryan Pond (.333), plus airtight relief pitching from Eryk McConnell (4.1 scoreless innings, 2 saves) and marched into Charlottesville and won two of three games from then-third-ranked Virginia. The Cavaliers won the first game 4-2, making Eric Surkamp (4-3) a hard-luck loser yet again (2.89 ERA in his three losses).
The Wolfpack responded by winning the remaining two games in the series by scores of 10-7 and 8-6. Ferguson came off the bench in the middle game of the series and went 2-for-2 with a three-run home run, and Jones went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs. Poulk set a career high with four hits in five at-bats, and scored three times. McConnell entered the game with two away in the seventh inning and retired six of the seven men he faced, with the one man who reached base being erased on a double play.
In the series finale, Drew Martin and Tommy Foschi made web-gem defensive plays in the bottom of the first inning, and both had two hits in three at-bats. Foschi, playing for the injured Ramon Corona, also gave NC State a boost on offense with a three-run home run in the fourth inning. Sam Brown, Andrew Taylor and McConnell combined to shut UVa down over the final five innings, and NC State won it on Pond’s two-run single in the eighth. McConnell retired all six men he faced for his second save in as many days.
Since Elliott Avent became NC State head coach in 1997, the Pack has a 30-13 record against UVa, including an 10-8 mark in Charlottesville, 12-3 at Doak Field at Dail Park, and 8-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. NC State has won eight of the last 10 meetings with Virginia, 11 of the last 14, and 20 of the last 25.
THE ACC PENNANT RACE: Florida State lost twice to Clemson this past weekend, but only needed one win in the series with the Tigers to unofficially wrap up first place in the ACC’s Atlantic Division and the No. 1 overall seed in the upcoming ACC Tournament. At 21-6, Florida State has a four-game lead over Clemson in the division with three games to play, and a three-game lead over North Carolina for the top seed. The Seminoles won the regular-season series from the Tar Heels in case a tiebreaker is needed.
Clemson is second in the Atlantic Division at 17-10, three games ahead of NC State at 14-13. Wake Forest and Boston College are both 12-15, with Maryland bringing up the rear at 7-20. In the Coastal Division, UNC is 18-9, a half-game ahead of Virginia (17-9) and 2 1/2 games ahead of Georgia Tech (15-11). Miami is fourth at 14-13, with Duke (8-19) and Virginia Tech (6-21) fifth and sixth, respectively.
In the overall conference standings, which will determine the ACC Tournament seedings, Florida State has the top seed locked up with a 21-6 record. North Carolina currently is second at 18-9, with Virginia (17-9) third , Clemson (17-10) fourth, Georgia Tech (15-11) fifth, NC State and Miami (both 14-13) tied for sixth, and Wake Forest and Boston College (both 12-15) tied for eighth. The top eight teams will qualify for the ACC Tournament the top two from each division and the next four teams in the overall standings, regardless of divisional affiliation.
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