North Carolina State University Athletics
TIM PEELER: Payne Puts Hurting on Opposing Pitchers
3/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
BY TIM PEELER
Payne arrived here four years ago as an All-State pitcher who had helped
But as a sophomore, something happened to Payne’s fastball, and his effectivenesse waned, even has he matched his previous year’s ERA of 4.26 and had a 2-0 record.
“I felt like I threw the ball pretty well as a freshman and had some success,” Payne said. “Coming back as a sophomore, I couldn’t seem to get anything to work. They seem to hit me pretty well. My fast ball got kind of flat and straight and that doesn’t match up very well with college hitters in the ACC.”
Always a good hitter, he started logging more time in the batting cages and picked up some at-bats throughout his sophomore year. He proved he could hit right away. He slammed the first pitch he ever saw in a college baseball game out of Doak Field at Dail Park for a two-run homer against Delaware State.
“Some of he coaches wanted me to try doing both pitching and playing in the field, and I started working on my hitting a little more,” Payne said. “That seemed to be my best way to contribute to the team.
“It’s not easy to make that switch, but with hard work you can get better at anything. Last year, I had a chance to hit against left-handers a lot. That was my way to help the team and I definitely enjoyed doing it.”
As a sophomore, he hit .333 in 20 games. Last year, he was inserted into the lineup against left-handed pitchers. In 52 games, he hit .329 with one home run and 12 RBIs.
Heading into this year, Payne was penciled in as a reserve outfielder, who could also see time at third base or as the designated hitter. But head coach Elliott Avent has juggled his lineup trying to find the right combination of bats. Payne’s hitting in the series against
Against the Hurricanes, Payne had seven hits and four RBIs, including the game-winning home run in an 11-10 victory that was shortened to eight innings.
“I had a couple hits early in that series (going 4-for-7, with one RBI), and that helped build my confidence,” Payne said. “The better you are hitting the ball, the more relaxed you are and the better chance you have at getting on a hot streak. You just try to make it last as long as you can.”
Payne, whose .382 batting average is the highest of any regular player in the Wolfpack lineup, has been trying to make it in baseball as long as he can remember. Growing up in the small town of
“There wasn’t anything else to do,” Payne said. “We didn’t have any water parks or beaches or anything like that. So we played baseball, in the spring, summer and fall. When we didn’t have anything to do in the summer, we got a bunch of people together with a tennis ball in the backyard and played whiffle ball all day long.”
Payne chose to come NC State on the heels of the Wolfpack’s appearance in the NCAA Super Regional at
But he is still trying to reach the ultimate goal.
“I want to help us get to
For now, however, Clemson is the next obstacle in the way. The Wolfpack (12-5 overall, 3-3 ACC) will face the Tigers at 6 p.m. today, 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. Payne, who has hit safely in four of the Wolfpack’s last five games, is excited about the prospect of playing at one of the ACC’s most raucous venues.
“It’s going to be hard to win down there, because they pack the stadium out,” Payne said. “They get a little wild and crazy, but it’s a fun place to play.”
Of course, when you’re riding a hot streak, every park is a fun place to play.
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
