North Carolina State University Athletics
Baseball To Host Maryland In ACC Showdown
3/12/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
RALEIGH, N.C. - Having snapped its longest losing streak in four years at four games with Wednesday’s 16-3 defeat of North Carolina A&T, NC State now looks ahead to a big weekend Atlantic Coast Conference series vs. Maryland.
The Terps come to Doak Field at Dail Park for games at 3 p.m. on Friday, 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Junior lefthander Jimmy Gillheeney (2-0, 2.25) will start on Friday for the Wolfpack. He will oppose freshman lefthander Matt Fullerton (2-0, 3.46) from Maryland.
Sophomore righthander Jake Buchanan (1-1, 2.70) will get the start for NC State on Saturday, Maryland will counter with junior righthander Scott Swinson (1-2, 4.02).
NC State will send junior lefthander Alex Sogard (1-1, 6.92) to the mound for Sunday’s finale. Maryland will start sophomore lefthander Eric Potter (1-0, 3.60).
Both teams enter the series looking for their first ACC victories of the season, having been swept in their season-opening series a week ago. NC State dropped three games at Miami by scores of 7-6 in 12 innings, 4-0 and 9-7. Following Wednesday’s 16-3 win over North Carolina A&T, the Pack is 8-6 for the season. Maryland was rolled at Georgia Tech last weekend to the tune of 39-11, losing 5-1, 24-3 and 10-7. Maryland is 6-7 overall.
The Series vs. Maryland
The Wolfpack holds a 94-50-2 overall lead in the series against the Terrapins. The two teams have split the last two series, with each winning on the other’s home field. NC State is 24-13 against Maryland since Elliott Avent became head coach in 1997. Overall, NC State has won 11 of the last 15 games in the series, but Maryland has won five of the last nine played at Doak Field at Dail Park. NC State has won eight of the last nine played at Maryland.
NC State took two of three from Maryland last year at Shipley Field. After a rainout on Friday, the series kicked off with a Saturday doubleheader that the two teams split. The Terps won the first game 6-2, but the Pack bounced back to thump Maryland 12-1 in the nightcap in Jake Buchanan’s first career start. Buchanan tossed a complete-game five-hitter and carried a shutout into the bottom of the ninth inning before a leadoff homer by Mike Murray put Maryland on the board. Buchanan needed just 98 pitches to go the distance. Jeremy Synan hit a three-run homer and Washington, D.C., native Marcus Jones went 4-for-6 in his final homecoming in a Wolfpack uniform. NC State came back and won the Sunday finale 17-8 behind a home run and five RBIs from Pat Ferguson.
In 2007, the last time the two teams played at Doak Field at Dail Park, Maryland took two of three games from the Wolfpack, taking the first two games of the series by scores of 6-3 and 4-2. The Wolfpack rebounded and won the finale 20-3.
The Wolfpack on the Air
WKNC-FM (88.1) will broadcast all three games of the Maryland series, all three broadcasts will be available on-line at gopack.com through the Pack Pass package, and the entire seires can be viewed live on-line through the ACC Select broadcast.
Devo and the Big Rig
If freshman first baseman Harold Riggins keeps this up, he’ll become a folk hero at Doak Field at Dail Park. Riggins had the biggest day of his career March 11 vs. North Carolina A&T, going 4-for-5 with two doubles, a home run, five RBIs and four runs scored, all career highs. In his last three games heading into the Maryland series, Riggins is hitting .714 (5-for-7) with seven RBIs. Riggins has been especially comfortable at home, batting .533 (8-for-15) with three doubles, a homer and nine RBIs in six games at the Doak. He has two or more RBIs in three home starts this season. Riggins is hitting .500 (14-for-28) with four doubles, a home run and 10 RBIs.
Cartwright has been every bit as hot as Riggins. He enters the Maryland series 6-for-9 with two home runs and eight RBIs in his last three games. He leads the team with a .529 average (10-for-17) with two doubles, two homers and 10 RBIs with runners on base, and is hitting a team-best .571 (4-for-7) with a double, a home run and eight RBIs with runners in scoring position. Cartwright drove in five runs with a single and a grand-slam home run in four at-bats in the series finale March 8 at Miami. He had a pinch-hit single in his only plate appearance March 10 vs. George Mason, then went off again Wednesday night vs. N.C. A&T, going 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Cartwright is hitting .355 (11-for-31) with two doubles, two home runs and 10 RBIs.
Bullish on the Bullpen
NC State had one of the most dominant bullpens in the country a year ago, and while the stats this year don’t match those of 2008 just yet, the 2009 pen is putting together an excellent season. Four Wolfpack relievers have yet to allow an earned run, and five have ERAs of less than 1.00. The bullpen is holding opposing hitters to a .225 average and has allowed 62 hits and 26 walks in 71 innings while striking out 79. Relievers have stranded 21 of 29 inherited baserunners.
Those numbers are excellent, but heading into the Maryland series, Wolfpack relievers are 4-5 with a 4.44 ERA. Why don’t those primary numbers match the secondary stats? Because the bullpen’s overall stats are badly skewed by three bad appearances, one each by Kyle Rutter, Alex Sogard and John Lambert, three of the more reliable performers on the staff. Those three outings add up to four innings pitched, 15 hits, 14 runs, all earned, and two losses. Take those off the bullpen’s season totals and the bullpen’s stats look like this: 4-3, 67 innings pitched, 47 hits allowed, 23 walks and 75 strikeouts with a 2.82 ERA.
Stable Starters
While the bullpen’s numbers are a bit deceptive, the stats for the starting rotation tell the story quite clearly. Wolfpack starters are 4-1 with a 2.92 ERA. Starters have worked 64 2/3 innings and allowed 25 runs, 21 earned, on 56 hits, walking 24 and striking out 64. The lefty-righty 1-2 punch of Jimmy Gillheeney and Jake Buchanan has been especially lethal to opposing offenses. In six combined starts between them, Gillheeney and Buchanan have combined for a 3-1 record and a 2.54 ERA covering 39 innings. They have allowed 27 hits, walked 11 and struck out 44 in those 39 innings. Opposing hitters are batting a combined .191 (27-for-141) against Gillheeney and Buchanan.
Rutter Mows Em Down
Wolfpack reliever Kyle Rutter has been on a roll recently. In his last 10 innings pitched, Rutter has allowed just three runs on two hits and a walk. The two hits were home runs on consecutive pitches -- a walk-off by Miami’s Jason Hagerty, and a first-pitch bomb by North Carolina A&T’s Lester Rivenbark on March 11. Sandwiched around the consecutive-pitch home runs was a stretch of sheer dominance by Rutter. Before a walk to Ryan Jackson that preceded the Hagerty homer, Rutter had retired 18 consecutive batters, seven of them on strikes, including five strikeouts in a row vs. Villanova and Akron on March 4, and seven of nine batters during the Villanova, Akron and Miami games. Following the homer by Rivenbark, Rutter set down 12 consecutive Aggies, including five on strikeouts in a span of seven batters.
Rutter also has picked up where he left off the last two years, cleaning up for others. So far this year, Rutter has inherited five baserunners and has stranded them all. Rutter led the team in stranding inherited runners each of the last two years and has proven adept at stranding baserunners throughout his career in Raleigh. A year ago, he stranded 23 of 27 inherited baserunners, and in 2007 he stranded 19 of 23. As a redshirt-freshman in 2006, Rutter inherited 23 baserunners and stranded 14. For his career, including 2009, Rutter has inherited 78 baserunners and stranded 61 of them, 78.2 percent.
The Terps come to Doak Field at Dail Park for games at 3 p.m. on Friday, 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Junior lefthander Jimmy Gillheeney (2-0, 2.25) will start on Friday for the Wolfpack. He will oppose freshman lefthander Matt Fullerton (2-0, 3.46) from Maryland.
Sophomore righthander Jake Buchanan (1-1, 2.70) will get the start for NC State on Saturday, Maryland will counter with junior righthander Scott Swinson (1-2, 4.02).
NC State will send junior lefthander Alex Sogard (1-1, 6.92) to the mound for Sunday’s finale. Maryland will start sophomore lefthander Eric Potter (1-0, 3.60).
Both teams enter the series looking for their first ACC victories of the season, having been swept in their season-opening series a week ago. NC State dropped three games at Miami by scores of 7-6 in 12 innings, 4-0 and 9-7. Following Wednesday’s 16-3 win over North Carolina A&T, the Pack is 8-6 for the season. Maryland was rolled at Georgia Tech last weekend to the tune of 39-11, losing 5-1, 24-3 and 10-7. Maryland is 6-7 overall.
The Series vs. Maryland
The Wolfpack holds a 94-50-2 overall lead in the series against the Terrapins. The two teams have split the last two series, with each winning on the other’s home field. NC State is 24-13 against Maryland since Elliott Avent became head coach in 1997. Overall, NC State has won 11 of the last 15 games in the series, but Maryland has won five of the last nine played at Doak Field at Dail Park. NC State has won eight of the last nine played at Maryland.
NC State took two of three from Maryland last year at Shipley Field. After a rainout on Friday, the series kicked off with a Saturday doubleheader that the two teams split. The Terps won the first game 6-2, but the Pack bounced back to thump Maryland 12-1 in the nightcap in Jake Buchanan’s first career start. Buchanan tossed a complete-game five-hitter and carried a shutout into the bottom of the ninth inning before a leadoff homer by Mike Murray put Maryland on the board. Buchanan needed just 98 pitches to go the distance. Jeremy Synan hit a three-run homer and Washington, D.C., native Marcus Jones went 4-for-6 in his final homecoming in a Wolfpack uniform. NC State came back and won the Sunday finale 17-8 behind a home run and five RBIs from Pat Ferguson.
In 2007, the last time the two teams played at Doak Field at Dail Park, Maryland took two of three games from the Wolfpack, taking the first two games of the series by scores of 6-3 and 4-2. The Wolfpack rebounded and won the finale 20-3.
The Wolfpack on the Air
WKNC-FM (88.1) will broadcast all three games of the Maryland series, all three broadcasts will be available on-line at gopack.com through the Pack Pass package, and the entire seires can be viewed live on-line through the ACC Select broadcast.
Devo and the Big Rig
If freshman first baseman Harold Riggins keeps this up, he’ll become a folk hero at Doak Field at Dail Park. Riggins had the biggest day of his career March 11 vs. North Carolina A&T, going 4-for-5 with two doubles, a home run, five RBIs and four runs scored, all career highs. In his last three games heading into the Maryland series, Riggins is hitting .714 (5-for-7) with seven RBIs. Riggins has been especially comfortable at home, batting .533 (8-for-15) with three doubles, a homer and nine RBIs in six games at the Doak. He has two or more RBIs in three home starts this season. Riggins is hitting .500 (14-for-28) with four doubles, a home run and 10 RBIs.
Cartwright has been every bit as hot as Riggins. He enters the Maryland series 6-for-9 with two home runs and eight RBIs in his last three games. He leads the team with a .529 average (10-for-17) with two doubles, two homers and 10 RBIs with runners on base, and is hitting a team-best .571 (4-for-7) with a double, a home run and eight RBIs with runners in scoring position. Cartwright drove in five runs with a single and a grand-slam home run in four at-bats in the series finale March 8 at Miami. He had a pinch-hit single in his only plate appearance March 10 vs. George Mason, then went off again Wednesday night vs. N.C. A&T, going 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Cartwright is hitting .355 (11-for-31) with two doubles, two home runs and 10 RBIs.
Bullish on the Bullpen
NC State had one of the most dominant bullpens in the country a year ago, and while the stats this year don’t match those of 2008 just yet, the 2009 pen is putting together an excellent season. Four Wolfpack relievers have yet to allow an earned run, and five have ERAs of less than 1.00. The bullpen is holding opposing hitters to a .225 average and has allowed 62 hits and 26 walks in 71 innings while striking out 79. Relievers have stranded 21 of 29 inherited baserunners.
Those numbers are excellent, but heading into the Maryland series, Wolfpack relievers are 4-5 with a 4.44 ERA. Why don’t those primary numbers match the secondary stats? Because the bullpen’s overall stats are badly skewed by three bad appearances, one each by Kyle Rutter, Alex Sogard and John Lambert, three of the more reliable performers on the staff. Those three outings add up to four innings pitched, 15 hits, 14 runs, all earned, and two losses. Take those off the bullpen’s season totals and the bullpen’s stats look like this: 4-3, 67 innings pitched, 47 hits allowed, 23 walks and 75 strikeouts with a 2.82 ERA.
Stable Starters
While the bullpen’s numbers are a bit deceptive, the stats for the starting rotation tell the story quite clearly. Wolfpack starters are 4-1 with a 2.92 ERA. Starters have worked 64 2/3 innings and allowed 25 runs, 21 earned, on 56 hits, walking 24 and striking out 64. The lefty-righty 1-2 punch of Jimmy Gillheeney and Jake Buchanan has been especially lethal to opposing offenses. In six combined starts between them, Gillheeney and Buchanan have combined for a 3-1 record and a 2.54 ERA covering 39 innings. They have allowed 27 hits, walked 11 and struck out 44 in those 39 innings. Opposing hitters are batting a combined .191 (27-for-141) against Gillheeney and Buchanan.
Rutter Mows Em Down
Wolfpack reliever Kyle Rutter has been on a roll recently. In his last 10 innings pitched, Rutter has allowed just three runs on two hits and a walk. The two hits were home runs on consecutive pitches -- a walk-off by Miami’s Jason Hagerty, and a first-pitch bomb by North Carolina A&T’s Lester Rivenbark on March 11. Sandwiched around the consecutive-pitch home runs was a stretch of sheer dominance by Rutter. Before a walk to Ryan Jackson that preceded the Hagerty homer, Rutter had retired 18 consecutive batters, seven of them on strikes, including five strikeouts in a row vs. Villanova and Akron on March 4, and seven of nine batters during the Villanova, Akron and Miami games. Following the homer by Rivenbark, Rutter set down 12 consecutive Aggies, including five on strikeouts in a span of seven batters.
Rutter also has picked up where he left off the last two years, cleaning up for others. So far this year, Rutter has inherited five baserunners and has stranded them all. Rutter led the team in stranding inherited runners each of the last two years and has proven adept at stranding baserunners throughout his career in Raleigh. A year ago, he stranded 23 of 27 inherited baserunners, and in 2007 he stranded 19 of 23. As a redshirt-freshman in 2006, Rutter inherited 23 baserunners and stranded 14. For his career, including 2009, Rutter has inherited 78 baserunners and stranded 61 of them, 78.2 percent.
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