North Carolina State University Athletics
NCAA Raleigh Regional Notes
5/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Head Coach Elliott Avent Entering the 2008 NCAA Raleigh Regional, NC State’s Elliott Avent holds a 453-278 record in his 11-plus seasons at NC State. Avent is the second-winningest coach in school history, trailing Sam Esposito, who went 513-253 from 1967-87. Counting his eight years at New Mexico State, Avent is 678-489 in 19-plus seasons as a head coach. NC State In The NCAA Tournament NC State’s appearance in this year’s NCAA Raleigh Regional marks the Wolfpack’s 22nd trip to the NCAA Tournament, its sixth in a row, and its 18th in the last 23 years. NC State’s all-time record in the NCAA Tournament is 31-43. NC State has made one trip to the College World Series, in 1968, and finished third. The Wolfpack has made one appearance in the NCAA Super Regionals, in 2003, after winning the Wilson Regional and advancing to Coral Gables to face Miami. The Hurricanes won the Super Regional in two games, winning the first game in the bottom of the ninth inning and the second in extra innings. Elliott Avent In The NCAA Tournament NC State coach Elliott Avent is 12-16 for his career in NCAA Tournament play. This year’s NCAA Raleigh Regional marks Avent’s ninth NCAA Tournament appearance in 12 years in Raleigh. He won the 2003 Wilson Regional, and his Wolfpack team was the last unbeaten team in the 1998 West Regional in Palo Alto, Calif. NC State went 5-8 the last four years in the NCAA Tournament. NC State's Problem With No. 3 Seeds As the No. 1 seed in the 2008 NCAA Raleigh Regional, NC State may finally break a lengthy string of futility against No. 3 seeds in the NCAA Regionals. A No. 2 seed each of the last four NCAA Tournaments, the Wolfpack has lost seven consecutive games to No. 3 seeds. NC State’s last victory over a No. 3 seed was a 6-5 thriller over Florida Atlantic in the first round of the 2004 Coral Gables Regional. FAU got the Wolfpack’s seven-game losing streak against No. 3 seeds started two days later, eliminating the Pack 10-2 in the third round. NC State Vs. The Field In The Raleigh Regional If this seems like deja vu all over again, you’re 75 percent correct. NC State, South Carolina and Charlotte did this a year ago in Columbia, S.C., only with the Gamecocks as the host and No. 1 seed. The Wolfpack and Gamecocks did not play one another in that regional, however. NC State lost to third-seeded Charlotte in the opening round and played fourth-seeded Wofford in the second round of the tournament before being eliminated by the 49ers in a third-round rematch.
NC State has a lengthy baseball history with both South Carolina and Charlotte. The Gamecocks were members of the Atlantic Coast Conference until leaving after the 1971season. NC State leads the series with USC by a 33-21 mark, but the two teams have not met in the regular season since a two-game series in Columbia at the start of the 1972 season. NC State lost 6-0 to USC in the 1974 NCAA District 6 Championships played in Starkville, Miss., then lost 4-3 in the finals of the 1975 NCAA Atlantic Regional in Columbia. The last time NC State and South Carolina played in baseball was in 1992 at the NCAA Atlantic Regional in Coral Gables, Fla., with the Gamecocks defeating the Wolfpack 9-6. South Carolina has won the last four meetings with NC State.
NC State has played Charlotte, formerly UNC Charlotte, 28 times over the years and holds a 21-7 record against the 49ers. As previously stated, the 49ers defeated the Wolfpack twice a year ago in Columbia. In the tournament opener, Charlotte ace Adam Mills won his 15th game of the season, allowing two runs, none earned, on six hits in seven innings of a 6-3 win. Mills did not allow an NC State baserunner to reach scoring position until the Pack scored an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth inning. In seven innings of work, Mills only allowed two runners to reach scoring position. In the tournament finale for the Wolfpack, Kris Rochelle and Chris Taylor each hit home runs in a seven-run second inning, and reliever Bryan Hamilton limited NC State to three runs over the final four innings of a 12-10 victory for the Niners. Prior last year’s regional in Columbia, NC State last played Charlotte on May 14, 2002, in Charlotte, a 16-6 romp for the Wolfpack, which has won six of the last eight meetings with Charlotte, and 12 of the last 15.
NC State is 0-2 all time vs. James Madison. The Wolfpack and Dukes have never met in postseason play. The two teams last met in February 2001 at Riley Park in Charleston, S.C., with JMU taking a 5-2 decision from the Pack. NC State As A Regional Host The 2008 NCAA Raleigh Regional marks the first time that NC State has hosted an NCAA baseball regional on campus. The Wolfpack hosted the 2003 NCAA Wilson Regional, but was unable to host on campus due to the then-ongoing renovations at Doak Field at Dail Park. The field for the Wilson Regional included Virginia Commonwealth (seeded No. 2), Western Carolina (No. 3) and Le Moyne (No. 4). NC State advanced by defeating Le Moyne 8-2 in the opening round, VCU 4-3 in 11 innings in the second round, and Western Carolina 6-4 in 13 innings in the finals. NC State Vs. The Field In The NCAA Tournament During the course of the 2008 season, NC State played 20 games against 10 teams selected for the field for the 2008 NCAA Baseball Championship Tournament. The Wolfpack went 9-11 in those 20 games: 1-3 vs. No. 1 seed Miami; 1-1 vs. No. 2 seed Miami; 1-2 vs. No. 4 seed Florida State; 0-1 vs. Louisville; 0-1 vs. Georgia Tech; 1-0 vs. Elon; 1-1 vs. UNC Wilmington; and 2-0 vs. East Carolina. NC State Vs. The Other 15 Regional Hosts NC State has played 10 games against four of the other 15 NCAA regional hosts, posting a 3-7 record in those games. The Wolfpack is 1-1 vs. North Carolina, 1-2 vs. Florida State, 1-3 vs. Miami and 0-1 vs. Coastal Carolina. NC State Players In The NCAA Tournament Most of the current players and pitchers on the NC State roster have experience in the postseason. The Wolfpack’s most experienced player in postseason play is senior outfielder Ryan Pond, who has a .333 average, three doubles, a homer and seven RBIs in 10 NCAA regional games.
Following are abbreviated stats (Games, AB, AVG-HR-RBIs) for NC State’s current position players in past NCAA regional play: Ryan Pond (10 games, 33 AB, .333-1-7) Marcus Jones (5 games, 14 AB, .286-0-1) Dallas Poulk (3 games, 13 AB, .462-0-2) Jeremy Synan (3 games, 12 AB, .333-1-3) Pat Ferguson (3 games, 11 AB, .182-0-0) Drew Martin (6 games, 9 AB, .111-0-0) Tommy Foschi (1 games, 3 AB, .333-0-0) Matt Payne (2 games, 0 plate appearances) Stats for the current pitchers on the NC State roster (APP, IP, W-L, ERA): Eryk McConnell (2 appearances, 11.1 IP, 0-0, 7.15) Eric Surkamp (3 appearances, 8.1 IP, 0-1, 8.64) Clayton Shunick (1 appearance, 6.0 IP, 1-0, 7.50) Joey Cutler (4 appearances, 5.0 IP, 0-0, 0.00) Sam Brown (1 appearance, 2.1 IP, 0-0, 0.00) Kyle Rutter (5 appearances, 2.0 IP, 0-0, 9.00) Jimmy Gillheeney (1 appearance, 1.1 IP, 33.75) Drew Taylor (1 appearance, 0.2 IP, 0-0, 0.00) Jeff Stallings (1 appearance, 0-0, 0.2 IP, 27.00) The ACC Tournament NC State went 1-2 in the 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, held last weekend at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville, Fla. The Wolfpack began the tournament by giving away a disappointing 10-9 loss to Georgia Tech in the opener, then shut out Clemson 10-0 in the second round before bowing out with a 5-2 loss to eventual champion Miami.
The loss to the Yellow Jackets was espcially dispiriting considering the Wolfpack led 7-3 after seven innings and 9-8 after eight innings. The game featured 19 runs, 28 hits, eight errors, four lead changes, four blown saves, an ejection and near-brawl, four strikeouts in one inning by the third pitcher of the inning, and no 1-2-3 innings from either pitching staff. Ugghh! The NC State bullpen, which had blown only two save opportunities all season, blew two save opportunities in a span of three innings in this game alone. The game’s turning point came when shortstop Tommy Foschi was ejected in the bottom of the eighth inning for bolwing over Tech catcher Jason Haniger. Drew Martin, the Wolfpack's backup at shortstop, started the game at third base but already had been lifted for a pinch-hitter earlier in the inning, so Foschi’s ejection forced Wolfpack coach Elliott Avent to move Dallas Poulk from second base to shortstop, with Russell Wilson entering the game to play second base. Reliever Eryk McConnell induced routine ground balls from each of the first three Yellow Jacket batters in the ninth, and each was booted for an error, including one by Poulk and one by Wilson. The third error of the inning allowed the tying and winning runs to score.
Clayton Shunick, named All-ACC two days earlier, took care of Clemson in the middle game of the tournament, retiring the first 13 men he faced and 21 of 24 as he tossed a complete-game two-hitter at the Tigers in a game shortened to seven innings by the tournament’s mercy rule. Foschi hit a two-run homer and Pat Ferguson drove in three runs.
The Wolfpack pitching staff held Miami to a season-low five hits in the third round, but the offense managed just two runs in a 5-2 loss. Jemile Weeks hit a three-run homer that left the ballpark completely, and Enrique Garcia held the Pack to three hits in seven innings. Foschi, Martin Make All-Tournament Team The left side of NC State’s infield earned spots on the 2008 ACC Tournament’s all-tournament team. Shortstop Tommy Foschi and third baseman Drew Martin were named to the all-tournament team in voting by the media covering the event.
Foschi led the team in batting at the tournament, hitting .636 (7-for-11) with two doubles, a home run and three RBIs. Martin went 4-for-7 with a double and two RBIs in the three games that the Wolfpack played, and Four Make All-ACC NC State had four players earn all-conference honors in 2008, two on the first team and two on the second team. Righthanded starting pitcher Clayton Shunick and lefty reliever Jimmy Gillheeney were named to the first team, while outielders Matt Payne and Marcus Jones were second-team all-conference honorees.
