North Carolina State University Athletics
Weekend Baseball Schedule vs. Hofstra Adjusted
2/26/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
RALEIGH, N.C. With heavy rain expected for much of the day Saturday, NC State has changed the schedule for its weekend series vs. Hofstra. The Wolfpack and Pride will play a doubleheader on Friday, with the first game beginning at 2 p.m. at Doak Field at Dail Park.
The remainder of the weekend’s schedule remains unchanged, weather permitting, with games set for 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Prior to Saturday’s game, the initial class of inductees to the NC State Baseball Hall of Fame will be honored in a ceremony on the field. Sam Esposito, Mike Caldwell and Chris Cammack were officially inducted into the NC State Baseball Hall of Fame this past October 16 at halftime of the NC State-Florida State football game. All three will be honored again Saturday.
The Wolfpack (3-2) will be looking to add to its current three-game winning streak. After season-opening losses to Rhode Island and Xavier, the Pack has defeated Santa Clara, High Point and Elon, defeating a strong Phoenix team 3-1 on Wednesday at Elon.
NC State will start junior lefthander Jimmy Gillheeney (1-0, 1.50) in the first game of the series against Hofstra’s Brody Fontaine (0-1, 12.27), a senior lefthander.
Redshirt-junior Alex Sogard (0-1, 23.14) will start the second game of the series for the Wolfpack. Junior righthande Rob Kumbatovic (0-1, 3.38) will start the second game for the Pride.
Pitching plans are TBA for both teams after the first two games of the series.
Hofstra comes into the weekend 0-4 after dropping a four-game series at No. 6 Florida State a week ago. The Pride lost by scores of 9-3, 21-7, 3-2 and 10-4. Junior infielder Matt Prokopowicz (.375), senior infielder Adam Pero (.375) and senior outfielder Mark Stuckless (.353) lead Hofstra offensively through the first four games of the series.
NC State has relied on pitching, especially its starting pitching, to carry the load in the early going. The Wolfpack improved to 3-2 Wednesday at Elon despite getting just three hits, two of which were grounders that found holes in the infield. Sophomore righthander Jake Buchanan (1-0, 1.64), sophomore lefty Grant Sasser (0-0, 0.00) and junior righthander Sam Brown (0-0, 2.35, 1 save) combined to limit a veteran Elon lineup to a run on six hits.
Wolfpack Notebook: Through five games, NC State’s starting pitchers have a 1.78 ERA. In 25 1/3 innings, the starters have allowed 23 hits, walked three and struck out 22 while holding opposing hitters to a .245 batting average.
After a horrific start to the season in the first two games, the Wolfpack’s bullpen has settled down and has a 1-2 record with 7.78 ERA. During the current three-game winning streak, the bullpen is 1-0 with a save and a 2.31 ERA. In 11 2/3 innings, relievers have allowed three runs, all earned, on nine hits while walking four and striking out 12.
So far Grant Sasser, Joey Cutler, Jason Zinser, Vance Williams, Mike Russo and Jake Kensmoe have combined to make nine appearances out of the bullpen without allowing a run. They have pitched a combined eight innings and allowed six hits, walked three and struck out 10.
Ten NC State pitchers have earned-run averages below 3.00. Gillheeney, Jake Buchanan (1-0, 1.64) and Brown lead the way, but seven other pitchers have ERAs of less than 3.00, including six who have not allowed a run, albeit in limited action.
Jake Buchanan’s two starts this season are almost cabon copies of one another. Against both Rhode Island on February 20 and Elon on February 25, Buchanan retired the first 10 batters he faced before allowing a single up the middle. So far this season, Buchanan has set down 33 of the 42 batters he has faced.
Drew Poulk currently has a team-longest four-game hitting streak and is hitting .385 (5-for-13) during the streak. The streak began when he moved to the three spot in the batting order. He batted fourth in the opener vs. Rhode Island and went hitless.
Pratt Maynard leads the team with a .444 batting average, and is hitting .500 (6-for-12) with a home run and four RBIs since moving to the cleanup spot the second game of the year.
Outfielders Devon Cartwright and Brian Bello have provided a spark for the Wolfpack, as much with their gloves as with their bats. Cartwright is hitting .300 with a double and two RBIs since getting his first start February 22 vs. Santa Clara. He made a terrific diving catch Wednesday at Elon. Bello is hitless in six at-bats, but has been fabulous in the outfield. He ran from left-center field to make a running catch in right-center against High Point, then made outstanding catches in center field and in left on Wednesday at Elon.
Drew Martin is hitting just .286 (4-for14) but all four of his hits came with runners in scoring position and resulted in five RBIs.
There are many reasons for Jake Buchanan’s effectiveness this season. For one thing, he usually retires the first batter of an inning. Leadoff hitters are 3-for-11 against Buchanan. He has yet to walk a leadoff hitter. Buchanan has not allowed a hit all season with runners in scoring position. Opposing hitters are 0-for-10 against him when runners are on second and/or third. And Buchanan has held hitters to a .214 average (3-for-14) with runners on first base.
The remainder of the weekend’s schedule remains unchanged, weather permitting, with games set for 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Prior to Saturday’s game, the initial class of inductees to the NC State Baseball Hall of Fame will be honored in a ceremony on the field. Sam Esposito, Mike Caldwell and Chris Cammack were officially inducted into the NC State Baseball Hall of Fame this past October 16 at halftime of the NC State-Florida State football game. All three will be honored again Saturday.
The Wolfpack (3-2) will be looking to add to its current three-game winning streak. After season-opening losses to Rhode Island and Xavier, the Pack has defeated Santa Clara, High Point and Elon, defeating a strong Phoenix team 3-1 on Wednesday at Elon.
NC State will start junior lefthander Jimmy Gillheeney (1-0, 1.50) in the first game of the series against Hofstra’s Brody Fontaine (0-1, 12.27), a senior lefthander.
Redshirt-junior Alex Sogard (0-1, 23.14) will start the second game of the series for the Wolfpack. Junior righthande Rob Kumbatovic (0-1, 3.38) will start the second game for the Pride.
Pitching plans are TBA for both teams after the first two games of the series.
Hofstra comes into the weekend 0-4 after dropping a four-game series at No. 6 Florida State a week ago. The Pride lost by scores of 9-3, 21-7, 3-2 and 10-4. Junior infielder Matt Prokopowicz (.375), senior infielder Adam Pero (.375) and senior outfielder Mark Stuckless (.353) lead Hofstra offensively through the first four games of the series.
NC State has relied on pitching, especially its starting pitching, to carry the load in the early going. The Wolfpack improved to 3-2 Wednesday at Elon despite getting just three hits, two of which were grounders that found holes in the infield. Sophomore righthander Jake Buchanan (1-0, 1.64), sophomore lefty Grant Sasser (0-0, 0.00) and junior righthander Sam Brown (0-0, 2.35, 1 save) combined to limit a veteran Elon lineup to a run on six hits.
Wolfpack Notebook: Through five games, NC State’s starting pitchers have a 1.78 ERA. In 25 1/3 innings, the starters have allowed 23 hits, walked three and struck out 22 while holding opposing hitters to a .245 batting average.
After a horrific start to the season in the first two games, the Wolfpack’s bullpen has settled down and has a 1-2 record with 7.78 ERA. During the current three-game winning streak, the bullpen is 1-0 with a save and a 2.31 ERA. In 11 2/3 innings, relievers have allowed three runs, all earned, on nine hits while walking four and striking out 12.
So far Grant Sasser, Joey Cutler, Jason Zinser, Vance Williams, Mike Russo and Jake Kensmoe have combined to make nine appearances out of the bullpen without allowing a run. They have pitched a combined eight innings and allowed six hits, walked three and struck out 10.
Ten NC State pitchers have earned-run averages below 3.00. Gillheeney, Jake Buchanan (1-0, 1.64) and Brown lead the way, but seven other pitchers have ERAs of less than 3.00, including six who have not allowed a run, albeit in limited action.
Jake Buchanan’s two starts this season are almost cabon copies of one another. Against both Rhode Island on February 20 and Elon on February 25, Buchanan retired the first 10 batters he faced before allowing a single up the middle. So far this season, Buchanan has set down 33 of the 42 batters he has faced.
Drew Poulk currently has a team-longest four-game hitting streak and is hitting .385 (5-for-13) during the streak. The streak began when he moved to the three spot in the batting order. He batted fourth in the opener vs. Rhode Island and went hitless.
Pratt Maynard leads the team with a .444 batting average, and is hitting .500 (6-for-12) with a home run and four RBIs since moving to the cleanup spot the second game of the year.
Outfielders Devon Cartwright and Brian Bello have provided a spark for the Wolfpack, as much with their gloves as with their bats. Cartwright is hitting .300 with a double and two RBIs since getting his first start February 22 vs. Santa Clara. He made a terrific diving catch Wednesday at Elon. Bello is hitless in six at-bats, but has been fabulous in the outfield. He ran from left-center field to make a running catch in right-center against High Point, then made outstanding catches in center field and in left on Wednesday at Elon.
Drew Martin is hitting just .286 (4-for14) but all four of his hits came with runners in scoring position and resulted in five RBIs.
There are many reasons for Jake Buchanan’s effectiveness this season. For one thing, he usually retires the first batter of an inning. Leadoff hitters are 3-for-11 against Buchanan. He has yet to walk a leadoff hitter. Buchanan has not allowed a hit all season with runners in scoring position. Opposing hitters are 0-for-10 against him when runners are on second and/or third. And Buchanan has held hitters to a .214 average (3-for-14) with runners on first base.
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