North Carolina State University Athletics
That's Cory With a K
4/15/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 15, 2011
NC State Hosts North Carolina This Weekend
Game Notes
RALEIGH, N.C. – NC State’s Cory Mazzoni should probably consider a slight name change: Make it Cory with a K.
That’s because the junior righthanded pitcher has struck out at least 10 hitters in each of his last three games and four times in his last six outings. He’s the first Wolfpack pitcher since at least 1978 to hit double-figure strikeouts in three consecutive games.
He fanned a career-high 13 batters in seven innings against Penn State on March 4 and 11 against Miami in his most recent outing. In his last six starts, he has struck out 56 batters in 42 innings. Heading into Friday night’s scheduled start against fifth-ranked North Carolina, Mazzoni (2.4, 4.07 ERA) has struck out a team-high 65, tied for second in the ACC behind Virginia’s Danny Hultzen, who has 90.
“Right now, I just have great command of all my pitches,” Mazzoni said. “Everything seems to be working for me.”
The NCAA did change the specifications for the aluminum bats college batters use this year, which has dropped offensive numbers around the country. But Mazzoni, who had never recorded double-digit strikeouts in his first two seasons at NC State, attributes his success less to that change than to the improvement made in the Wolfpack’s defense.
He’s so confident at the support behind him – especially with sophomores Chris Diaz and Matt Bergquist up the middle – he’s not as worried about where the hitters might put the ball in play. He pitches to specific spots more often and gets ahead in the count. And that has allowed him to be exceptionally successful at missing bats so far this season.
“With the guys I have behind me, I’m more comfortable going right after hitters,” said the native of Evans City, Pa. “I can pound the zone and get to some good pitchers’ counts and that has allowed me to get more strikeouts. I can throw the pitch I want more often than throw what hitters want to see.”
He also has an excellent bullpen working behind him, so he knows he can give a little extra, even if it means he doesn’t go a full nine innings.
“If I can just go five to seven innings, I know have help in the bullpen,” Mazzoni said. “Last year, the bullpen was kind of shaky. You felt like you had to go seven or eight innings. This year, with the bullpen we have, it’s been lights out.”
Mazzoni didn’t need any help in the Wolfpack’s series-opener against Clemson on March 25. He had one of the most dominating pitching performances in recent years for a Wolfpack pitcher. He allowed just four hits in the complete-game shutout, striking out 10. Against Miami last weekend, he struck out 11 but fell 4-1 to the Hurricanes.
Mazzoni moved into the starting rotation at the beginning of last season, making 15 starts in 16 appearances. His only relief stint was during the Wolfpack’s run to the ACC title game in Greensboro, throwing one inning in the 13-8 win over Clemson. He finished the season with a 7-3 record as the team’s No. 1 starter.
As a freshman, Mazzoni made just four midweek starts in 17 appearances, finishing with a 1-5 mark.
“I know it appears that he’s pitching better this year,” said Wolfpack head coach Elliott Avent. “But I thought he pitched well last year and as a freshman too. He just got off to a slow start, never got his confidence. He struggled a little bit early.
“My thing with Cory is to always let him know how good he is. He was just as good last year as he is this year. He just needs to know how good he can be.”
With Mazzoni on the mound, the Wolfpack would like to get off to a strong start in this weekend’s important ACC series against the Tar Heels. He will face UNC’s unbeaten Patrick Johnson (6-0, 2.77 ERA) in Friday’s 6:30 p.m. opener at Doak Field at Dail Park.
“This is a really big series for us,” Mazzoni said. “It’d be nice to get a sweep or win the series. I think we’re going to be tough to beat.”
Mazzoni can certainly sure of that by sending hitters straight from the batter’s box to the dugout without making contact.
• By Tim Peeler, tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
