#Pack9 Opens 2020 Season With James Madison In Nonconference Series

RALEIGH – No. 16 NC State baseball is set to open its 2020 season this weekend when it welcomes James Madison to Doak Field at Dail Park. Friday marks the start of eight consecutive home games to kick off the campaign.

First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday, and all three games will be broadcast on the ACC Network Extra. There will additionally be a free audio stream on WKNC 88.1 FM each game, but the series finale will only be available digitally on GoPack.com.

STARTING PITCHERS
Friday – LHP Nick Swiney (NCSU) vs. RHP Nick Stewart (JMU)
Saturday – RHP Matt Willadsen (NCSU) vs. RHP Michael Bechtold (JMU)
Sunday – LHP Chris Villaman (NCSU) vs. LHP Chase DeLauter (JMU)

SERIES HISTORY
NC State leads the all-time series with James Madison, 4-2. The last time the Dukes came to Raleigh was for a pair of games on May 8-9, 2018, and the Pack earned 6-4 and 15-2 wins.

NC State has won the last four matchups with the Dukes.

SEASON OPENERS
If NC State earns a win vs. James Madison Friday, it would mark the fourth time in the last five years that the Wolfpack has opened its season with a win under head coach Elliott Avent.

Through his 23 seasons at the helm, the Pack is 16-7 in season openers. The program's longest streak in winning its first game of the year under Avent is eight (2001-08).

15 AND COUNTING
Dating back to the 2012 season, NC State has won its last 15 nonconference series. Last season, the Pack swept its nonconference series versus Bucknell, Minnesota and Radford.

SCOUTING JMU
-The Dukes compiled a 31-26 record last season and finished sixth in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) standings with an 11-13 ledger. Their season ended with a pair of losses to William and Mary and Northeastern in the CAA Championship.
-JMU was picked to finish sixth in its league this season, while senior Brett Ayer and sophomores Trevon Dabney and Kyle Novak were named to the Preseason All-CAA Team.
-Ayer was one of 70 pitchers in the nation named to National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association's (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List. Last season, he made 16 appearances and compiled a 2.52 earned-run average and 4-1 record in 35.2 innings pitched.
-JMU returns six of its top seven hitters who had at least 100 at bats last year, including Dabney (.306/.457/.494) and Novak (.303/.389/.378).
-From the pitching staff, the Dukes also return starter Nick Stewart who made 15 starts and threw 72.1 innings, the second-most on the team. He finished the 2019 season with a 2.74 ERA and fanned 61 batters.

TEXT MESSAGE ALERTS
In an effort to continue to get fans the most up to date information when it comes to potential delays or time changes, NC State baseball has partnered with campus once again to send text message alerts to fans that sign up to receive them.

BEER SALES
NC State has announced the addition of beer sales for the 2020 baseball season at Doak Field at Dail Park.

GAME DAY PARKING
NC State Athletics has partnered with the NC State Transportation Office once again to utilize a system for parking in the West Deck and West Lot that scans the license plates of vehicles for games starting before 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Fans, parents, as well as media, will need to obtain a free virtual event permit to park in these lots.

UP NEXT
Tuesday, Feb. 18 • vs. Longwood • 3 p.m.

#Pack9 Opens 2020 Season With James Madison In Nonconference Series

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Nick Swiney

Chris Villaman

Matt Willadsen