North Carolina State University Athletics
TIM PEELER: Pack Hitters Pumped for ACC Tournament
5/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
BY TIM PEELER
At least that’s what two of the team’s steadiest hitters believe.
The fourth-seeded and 18th-ranked Wolfpack has relied heavily on one of the ACC’s deepest pitching staffs to compile a 37-18 record. That staff has the third best ERA in the nation at 3.36. But, to win the three games necessary to advance to Sunday’s championship game, coach Elliott Avent’s team is going to need timely hitting from a team that ranks sixth in the ACC in offense.
After nearly a week in the
Gary Hahn will broadcast NC State all games on WKNC 88.1-FM in
All 13 games in this year’s ACC Baseball Tournament will be televised for the second-straight year with Fox Sports Net South and Sports South providing live coverage. The league tournament will also be broadcast on four other networks, which includes FSN Florida, SUN Sports, Comcast Sports Mid-Atlantic and the New England Sports Network (NESN).
“I think we are a team that has had some ups and downs offensively throughout the year, but over the last couple of weeks we have kind of figured out who we are as a team and we have realized that we are one of the best teams in the ACC and around the country,” said senior outfielder/first baseman Ryan Pond, whose .335 batting average is the best on the team. “We lost a tough series at
“I think everybody is starting to believe in that and we are ready to make a run. It’s good to be playing well towards the end of the season.”
Against the third-ranked Seminoles in the final series of the regular season, the Wolfpack took the opener last Thursday, 12-2; lost the second game 1-0; and dropped the rubber game on Saturday 7-2.
Pond acknowledges that the Wolfpack hitters have been on a bit of a rollercoaster, starting slow early in the season, heating up throughout the month of April and cooling off over the last few weeks. Pond figures its time to start producing runs again.
“I think our offense is on the upswing again,” Pond said. “This weekend, we will have to work one at-bat at a time and try to get back in that groove we were in during the middle of April.”
The Pack had morning practices this week to acclimate to the early start time in the ACC opener. But the players have also had some time to relax by the pool and at the beach on their extended road trip.
“We have kept it to two-hour short workouts,” Pond said. “You want to keep your swing sharp and your body feeling good, because this
Senior outfielder/third baseman Matt Payne, who leads the team with nine home runs and 47 RBIs, says he and his teammates feel comfortable at the plate heading into the tournament.
“The offense was obviously very good that first night in
The Wolfpack has plenty on the line at the tournament, including the opportunity to strengthen its case to host an NCAA Regional at Doak Field at
“Sure, we want to keep improving and enhance our chance to host an NCAA regional,” Avent said. “But we are playing to win an ACC Championship. That is our No. 1 goal going into the weekend.”
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
