North Carolina State University Athletics
Baseball Looking to Take One More Step in ?09
2/19/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
RALEIGH, N.C. The 2008 college baseball season continued a string of sucessful campaigns for NC State. With a solid nucleus of returning players and a strong recruiting class ready to step in and contribute, the goal for 2009 is to build on last year’s success.
The first step towards fulfilling that goal will be the Summit Hospitality Invitational, a four-team round-robin tournament this weekend at Doak Field at Dail Park. The Wolfpack will play Rhode Island on Friday, Xavier on Saturday and Santa Clara on Sunday. All three NC State games are scheduled for 3 p.m. The two teams not playing the Wolfpack each day will play at 11 a.m.
Sophomore righthander Jake Buchanan will take the mound for NC State on Friday. Rhode Island’s Tim Boyce, a junior righthander, will start for the Rams. Buchanan went 3-2 with a 3.28 ERA as a freshman for the Wolfpack. He made four starts, including a complete-game five-hitter at Maryland in his first college start, and was the winning pitcher in NC State’s one win at the NCAA Super Regional at Georgia last June. Boyce was 4-1 with a 0.89 ERA and five saves as the URI closer in 2008.
Junior righthander Sam Brown will start Saturday for the Pack against Xavier’s Nathan Mutsch. Brown was 4-1 with a 3.74 ERA a year ago. He made 16 appearances, seven of them starts, and was the winning pitcher in the final game of the NCAA Raleigh Regional. Mutsch is a freshman righthander.
Sunday’s pitching matchup will feature preseason All-America lefthander Jimmy Gillheeney against Santa Clara’s Cory Hall, a redshirt-sophomore and a juco transfer from Taft (Calif.) College. Gillheeney earned third-team All-America honors as a closer for NC State in 2008 when he went 2-0 with a 1.12 ERA and 10 saves. He made 21 appearances, all in relief, and struck out 42 and walked 12 in 32 innings.
Pitching carried NC State in 2008, and a significant nucleus of pitching returns from last year’s staff, which finished third in the ACC and eighth in the nation with a 3.72 staff ERA. That said, however, the pitching staff will have to reload this season after the loss of weekend starters Clayton Shunick (7-6, 2.76), Eric Surkamp (5-3, 4.89) and Eryk McConnell (4-2, 4.85). All three were drafted and signed last June.
“When you lose your entire weekend rotation, you can’t say, Wow, we’re really excited, but we are,” Wolfpack head coach Elliott Avent said. “We’re going to be a younger team, and that includes the pitching staff, and young players can be inconsistent. Still, we’re excited about this team.”
The first order of business on the pitching staff will be to build some depth. There is a solid nucleus returning to build around. In addition to this weekend’s starting trio of Buchanan, Brown and Gillheeney, junior lefthander Alex Sogard (4-2, 4.85), and senior righthanders Kyle Rutter (3-1, 4.50, 2 saves) and Joey Cutler (5-0, 2.74, 1 save) played significant roles a year ago. Rutter and Cutler will be in the bullpen. Sogard, who swung between the pen and the rotation a year ago, could figure as either a starter or reliever.
The remaining spots on the pitching staff will be determined by performances on the mound over the next few weeks. Pitching coach Tom Holliday plans to use multiple pitchers in each of the Pack’s first eight games before fitting specific pitchers into specific roles.
“I’ll let Tom Holliday make those decisions on the pitching staff,” Avent said. “Tom does such a great job with our pitchers, not just of teaching the game and the art of pitching, but of evaluating each pitcher’s strengths and fitting them into roles in which they can be successful. He likes to go into the season with as many jobs open to competition as possible. I’m sure that will be the case this year as well.”
To illustrate how Holliday’s methods work, Gillheeney began last season as a middle reliever and setup man. He did not emerge as the closer until he finshed off several wins the second and third weeks of the season.
“Our pitching staff is young and our younger guys are unproven at this point,” Avent said. “Tom has a great track record in developing pitchers, and I feel confident that as the season goes along, our staff will develop enough depth.”
Offensively, the Wolfpack may have suffered more losses from a year ago than the pitching staff did. The entire starting outfield of Jeremy Synan (.314, 8 home runs, 45 RBIs), Marcus Jones (.318-7-49, 12 steals) and Matt Payne (.322-9-50) is gone, along with first baseman-DH Ryan Pond (.330-9-48) and shortstop Tommy Foschi (.287-1-28).
The only regular position players returning are senior first baseman Pat Ferguson (.320-9-41), junior second baseman and preseason All-American Dallas Poulk (.286-8-33), senior third baseman Drew Martin (.255-4-29) and sophomore catcher Chris Schaeffer (.298-3-19).
The departed quintet of Synan, Jones, Payne, Pond and Foschi combined to hit 34 of the Pack’s 66 home runs a year ago, and accounted for 220 of the team’s 403 RBIs. Yet with only four regulars back and the bulk of last year’s offense playing professionally, Avent is adamant that this year’s team will be a stronger offensive team.
“This is a better offensive team,” Avent said. “We’re younger, and we’ll have guys with no college at-bats or with very few college at-bats replacing guys like Ryan Pond, Marcus Jones and Jeremy Synan, who were three- and four-year starters. So it may take a while before we come together offensively, but I’m confident that we will.”
Early on, Avent figures to platoon at several positions, especially in the outfield, where the Wolfpack has more options, before settling into a more set lineup as the conference season gets underway in March.
“I like to platoon early in the year,” Avent said. “That gives more players a chance to contribute and get some at-bats. Some guys play better just hitting against lefthanded or righthanded pitching. Others can hit lefties or righties and should be playing every day. Players usually let you know, by their performance on the field, who should play every day and who should platoon.”
Avent has as many as eight outfielders vying for playing time, but one, junior outfielder Drew Poulk, won’t be platooning. Poulk, Dallas Poulk’s cousin and a transfer from St. Petersburg (Fla.) Community College, emerged in preseason practices as a middle-of-the-lineup impact player, a difference-maker.
Poulk played at North Carolina as a freshman in 2007 before transferring to St. Petersburg. He will start in right field and should bat third or fourth in the lineup.
“Drew Poulk is just an outstanding baseball player,” Avent said. “He makes good decisions on the baseball field, plays within himself, and makes good things happen. He’s a good outfielder, and he can really hit. He might be the best hitter we’ve had since Aaron Bates.”
Around the infield, Ferguson, Dallas Poulk and Martin should start at first, second and third base, respectively, but Ferguson is being pushed hard by hard-hitting freshman Harold Riggins, and Martin could have company at third as freshman Andrew Ciencin continues to adapt to college and as Russell Wilson comes back from the knee injury he suffered in the papajohns.com Bowl.
Ferguson, Dallas Poulk and Martin combined to start 155 games a year ago and are easily the most seasoned players returning to the everyday lineup. At shortstop, juco transfer Kyle Wilson moves in after transferring from Hill (Texas) College. The infield will get a boost when Wilson is cleared medically to play.
“We’re more settled in the infield, but we have less depth there,” Avent said. “I’d like to have another infielder or two, and Russell Wilson could make a difference when he’s ready.”
NC State has participated in the last six NCAA Tournaments and 15 of the last 17. The talent is there to keep that streak alive in 2009. The goal, however, is not to make it to the NCAA Tournament, but to win the national championship.
“This is a team without a significant weakness,” Avent said when asked to assess his team. “We’d like to develop some more depth on the pitching staff or on the infield and I’m confident we will. The players are there. They just need seasoning. So there’s no one area you can point to on this team and say, that’s a weakness.’
“We have a nice blend of youth and experience, and there’s always a high energy level when you have young players. These guys really love to play the game and really seem to enjoy being around one another. That’s important. We have enough guys back from last year that they remember what that experience was like and know what it takes. Now we have to go out and do it on the field.”
The first step towards fulfilling that goal will be the Summit Hospitality Invitational, a four-team round-robin tournament this weekend at Doak Field at Dail Park. The Wolfpack will play Rhode Island on Friday, Xavier on Saturday and Santa Clara on Sunday. All three NC State games are scheduled for 3 p.m. The two teams not playing the Wolfpack each day will play at 11 a.m.
Sophomore righthander Jake Buchanan will take the mound for NC State on Friday. Rhode Island’s Tim Boyce, a junior righthander, will start for the Rams. Buchanan went 3-2 with a 3.28 ERA as a freshman for the Wolfpack. He made four starts, including a complete-game five-hitter at Maryland in his first college start, and was the winning pitcher in NC State’s one win at the NCAA Super Regional at Georgia last June. Boyce was 4-1 with a 0.89 ERA and five saves as the URI closer in 2008.
Junior righthander Sam Brown will start Saturday for the Pack against Xavier’s Nathan Mutsch. Brown was 4-1 with a 3.74 ERA a year ago. He made 16 appearances, seven of them starts, and was the winning pitcher in the final game of the NCAA Raleigh Regional. Mutsch is a freshman righthander.
Sunday’s pitching matchup will feature preseason All-America lefthander Jimmy Gillheeney against Santa Clara’s Cory Hall, a redshirt-sophomore and a juco transfer from Taft (Calif.) College. Gillheeney earned third-team All-America honors as a closer for NC State in 2008 when he went 2-0 with a 1.12 ERA and 10 saves. He made 21 appearances, all in relief, and struck out 42 and walked 12 in 32 innings.
Pitching carried NC State in 2008, and a significant nucleus of pitching returns from last year’s staff, which finished third in the ACC and eighth in the nation with a 3.72 staff ERA. That said, however, the pitching staff will have to reload this season after the loss of weekend starters Clayton Shunick (7-6, 2.76), Eric Surkamp (5-3, 4.89) and Eryk McConnell (4-2, 4.85). All three were drafted and signed last June.
“When you lose your entire weekend rotation, you can’t say, Wow, we’re really excited, but we are,” Wolfpack head coach Elliott Avent said. “We’re going to be a younger team, and that includes the pitching staff, and young players can be inconsistent. Still, we’re excited about this team.”
The first order of business on the pitching staff will be to build some depth. There is a solid nucleus returning to build around. In addition to this weekend’s starting trio of Buchanan, Brown and Gillheeney, junior lefthander Alex Sogard (4-2, 4.85), and senior righthanders Kyle Rutter (3-1, 4.50, 2 saves) and Joey Cutler (5-0, 2.74, 1 save) played significant roles a year ago. Rutter and Cutler will be in the bullpen. Sogard, who swung between the pen and the rotation a year ago, could figure as either a starter or reliever.
The remaining spots on the pitching staff will be determined by performances on the mound over the next few weeks. Pitching coach Tom Holliday plans to use multiple pitchers in each of the Pack’s first eight games before fitting specific pitchers into specific roles.
“I’ll let Tom Holliday make those decisions on the pitching staff,” Avent said. “Tom does such a great job with our pitchers, not just of teaching the game and the art of pitching, but of evaluating each pitcher’s strengths and fitting them into roles in which they can be successful. He likes to go into the season with as many jobs open to competition as possible. I’m sure that will be the case this year as well.”
To illustrate how Holliday’s methods work, Gillheeney began last season as a middle reliever and setup man. He did not emerge as the closer until he finshed off several wins the second and third weeks of the season.
“Our pitching staff is young and our younger guys are unproven at this point,” Avent said. “Tom has a great track record in developing pitchers, and I feel confident that as the season goes along, our staff will develop enough depth.”
Offensively, the Wolfpack may have suffered more losses from a year ago than the pitching staff did. The entire starting outfield of Jeremy Synan (.314, 8 home runs, 45 RBIs), Marcus Jones (.318-7-49, 12 steals) and Matt Payne (.322-9-50) is gone, along with first baseman-DH Ryan Pond (.330-9-48) and shortstop Tommy Foschi (.287-1-28).
The only regular position players returning are senior first baseman Pat Ferguson (.320-9-41), junior second baseman and preseason All-American Dallas Poulk (.286-8-33), senior third baseman Drew Martin (.255-4-29) and sophomore catcher Chris Schaeffer (.298-3-19).
The departed quintet of Synan, Jones, Payne, Pond and Foschi combined to hit 34 of the Pack’s 66 home runs a year ago, and accounted for 220 of the team’s 403 RBIs. Yet with only four regulars back and the bulk of last year’s offense playing professionally, Avent is adamant that this year’s team will be a stronger offensive team.
“This is a better offensive team,” Avent said. “We’re younger, and we’ll have guys with no college at-bats or with very few college at-bats replacing guys like Ryan Pond, Marcus Jones and Jeremy Synan, who were three- and four-year starters. So it may take a while before we come together offensively, but I’m confident that we will.”
Early on, Avent figures to platoon at several positions, especially in the outfield, where the Wolfpack has more options, before settling into a more set lineup as the conference season gets underway in March.
“I like to platoon early in the year,” Avent said. “That gives more players a chance to contribute and get some at-bats. Some guys play better just hitting against lefthanded or righthanded pitching. Others can hit lefties or righties and should be playing every day. Players usually let you know, by their performance on the field, who should play every day and who should platoon.”
Avent has as many as eight outfielders vying for playing time, but one, junior outfielder Drew Poulk, won’t be platooning. Poulk, Dallas Poulk’s cousin and a transfer from St. Petersburg (Fla.) Community College, emerged in preseason practices as a middle-of-the-lineup impact player, a difference-maker.
Poulk played at North Carolina as a freshman in 2007 before transferring to St. Petersburg. He will start in right field and should bat third or fourth in the lineup.
“Drew Poulk is just an outstanding baseball player,” Avent said. “He makes good decisions on the baseball field, plays within himself, and makes good things happen. He’s a good outfielder, and he can really hit. He might be the best hitter we’ve had since Aaron Bates.”
Around the infield, Ferguson, Dallas Poulk and Martin should start at first, second and third base, respectively, but Ferguson is being pushed hard by hard-hitting freshman Harold Riggins, and Martin could have company at third as freshman Andrew Ciencin continues to adapt to college and as Russell Wilson comes back from the knee injury he suffered in the papajohns.com Bowl.
Ferguson, Dallas Poulk and Martin combined to start 155 games a year ago and are easily the most seasoned players returning to the everyday lineup. At shortstop, juco transfer Kyle Wilson moves in after transferring from Hill (Texas) College. The infield will get a boost when Wilson is cleared medically to play.
“We’re more settled in the infield, but we have less depth there,” Avent said. “I’d like to have another infielder or two, and Russell Wilson could make a difference when he’s ready.”
NC State has participated in the last six NCAA Tournaments and 15 of the last 17. The talent is there to keep that streak alive in 2009. The goal, however, is not to make it to the NCAA Tournament, but to win the national championship.
“This is a team without a significant weakness,” Avent said when asked to assess his team. “We’d like to develop some more depth on the pitching staff or on the infield and I’m confident we will. The players are there. They just need seasoning. So there’s no one area you can point to on this team and say, that’s a weakness.’
“We have a nice blend of youth and experience, and there’s always a high energy level when you have young players. These guys really love to play the game and really seem to enjoy being around one another. That’s important. We have enough guys back from last year that they remember what that experience was like and know what it takes. Now we have to go out and do it on the field.”
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