Saturday, February 27
Raleigh, N.C.
2 PM
NC State
vs
#15 Georgia Tech
#Pack9 Set For Top 15 Matchup With Georgia Tech In ACC Opener
2/25/2021 2:17:00 PM | Baseball
RALEIGH – No. 8 NC State baseball (2-1) is set to open ACC play this weekend with a top 15 matchup against No. 15 Georgia Tech (3-1) at Doak Field at Dail Park. The teams are slated to play a three-game series Friday at 3 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m., and all three games will be broadcast on the ACC Network Extra.
Additionally, there will be a free audio stream on WKNC 88.1 FM and the TuneIn App.
STARTING PITCHERS
Friday – LHP Evan Justice (NCSU) vs. LHP Brant Hurter (GT)
Saturday – RHP Sam Highfill (NCSU) vs. RHP Andy Archer (GT)
Sunday – LHP Chris Villaman (NCSU) vs. LHP Sam Crawford (GT)
ATTENDANCE POLICY
With an altered schedule and changes to fan attendance and stadium capacity for the 2021 baseball season, NC State Athletics will not offer season tickets. Through this weekend, the policy put in place at the beginning of the season remains in place. For each game, there will be a limited pass list for family members of both NC State and the visiting team, and tickets will be available for 100 fans outside of the family pass lists. The fan tickets will be split up between 2020 NC State baseball season ticket accounts and NC State students. Please continue to visit GoPack.com for the latest updates.
LAST TIME OUT
NC State hosted UNCG on Feb. 22 in its first midweek contest of the season. Despite tallying 18 hits, highlighted by career-best outings at the plate from Austin Murr and Luca Tresh, the Wolfpack fell to the Spartans, 16-13.
The contest was a scoring fest with a combined 29 runs and 32 hits between the teams, featuring two ties and four lead changes.
SERIES HISTORY
Heading into Friday, NC State and Georgia Tech have met a total of 133 times on the diamond, with the Yellow Jackets owning a 75-58 advantage in the all-time series.
The teams last met on May 25, 2019 in the ACC Tournament at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, N.C., and Tech won the game, 9-2.
The Pack has won seven of the last 10 meetings, as well as the last five series, between the squads.
OFFENSIVE THREAT
Heading into its first weekend of ACC play, NC State currently leads the league with a .402 batting average, .598 slugging percentage, .477 on-base percentage and 45 hits. The squad has tallied double-digit hits in all three games so far this season.
In the individual standings, Tresh (3rd, .626), J.T. Jarrett (T5th, .571) and Murr (T5th, .571) all rank in the top 10 in batting average. Additionally, Murr and Jarrett pace the conference with eight hits through the team's first three games of the season.
CAREER-HIGH OUTINGS FOR MURR AND TRESH
Murr and Tresh turned in career-best performances at the plate on Feb. 22 vs. UNCG. Murr went 5-for-6 with a double, while Tresh matched his career best as he went 4-for-5 with a double and home run.
Murr is the first player since Andrew Knizner on March 15, 2014 at Florida State to tally five hits in a single game.
FRESHMEN SHIING IN STARTING ROLE
Freshman pitchers Sam Highfill and Chris Villaman shined in their respective appearances on the mound through the first few games of the season. Highfill made his first career start on Sunday in game two versus Davidson, going five complete innings and fanning seven batters, which is one shy of his career best in strikeouts for a single game.
Villaman made just his fourth career start on the mound on Tuesday against UNCG and hurled three shutout innings while matching his career high in strikeouts with five.
CLIMBING THE RECORD BOOKS
Senior reliever Kent Klyman currently ranks T7th in program history with 79 career appearances on the mound. He is 16 away from matching the all-time record of 95, currently held by Joe O'Donnell and Grant Sasser, and 17 from becoming the all-time leader.
SCOUTING GEORGIA TECH
-The Yellow Jackets, who were picked to finish third in the Coastal Division of the 2021 ACC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll, are on a two-game win streak after taking its series on Sunday, 7-1, against Eastern Kentucky and then earning a 7-3 win over Mercer on Wednesday.
-Shortstop Luke Waddell was named to this year's USA Baseball Golden Spikes Preseason Watch List, and was featured on DI Baseball's Preseason All-America Second Team.
-Kevin Parada (No. 6) and Jake DeLeo (No. 33) were tabbed by Perfect Game as the nation's top first-year prospects. Its 2021 freshmen class was additionally ranked eighth by the publication.
-In 2020 Georgia Tech went 11-5 and won four of its last five games. Drew Compton (1B), Stephen Reid (DH) and Dalton Smith (LHP) were named Freshman All-Americans by Collegiate Baseball after the trio finished in the top five among the team and conference in multiple categories.
-At the plate, Compton leads the team with a .583 batting average, seven hits and two home runs. Meanwhile, four other players are batting over. 300 as the squad ranks first in the ACC in homers (7) and second in hits (44) and runs scored (32).
-On the mound, Sunday starter Sam Crawford collected the win in the rubber match against EKU after surrendering one unearned run in six complete innings. Additionally, Luke Bartinicki and Hugh Chapman have made a combined five appearances out of the bullpen and not yielded a hit so far in the season.
ON DECK
Tuesday, March 2 • vs. Campbell • 3 PM
Additionally, there will be a free audio stream on WKNC 88.1 FM and the TuneIn App.
STARTING PITCHERS
Friday – LHP Evan Justice (NCSU) vs. LHP Brant Hurter (GT)
Saturday – RHP Sam Highfill (NCSU) vs. RHP Andy Archer (GT)
Sunday – LHP Chris Villaman (NCSU) vs. LHP Sam Crawford (GT)
ATTENDANCE POLICY
With an altered schedule and changes to fan attendance and stadium capacity for the 2021 baseball season, NC State Athletics will not offer season tickets. Through this weekend, the policy put in place at the beginning of the season remains in place. For each game, there will be a limited pass list for family members of both NC State and the visiting team, and tickets will be available for 100 fans outside of the family pass lists. The fan tickets will be split up between 2020 NC State baseball season ticket accounts and NC State students. Please continue to visit GoPack.com for the latest updates.
LAST TIME OUT
NC State hosted UNCG on Feb. 22 in its first midweek contest of the season. Despite tallying 18 hits, highlighted by career-best outings at the plate from Austin Murr and Luca Tresh, the Wolfpack fell to the Spartans, 16-13.
The contest was a scoring fest with a combined 29 runs and 32 hits between the teams, featuring two ties and four lead changes.
SERIES HISTORY
Heading into Friday, NC State and Georgia Tech have met a total of 133 times on the diamond, with the Yellow Jackets owning a 75-58 advantage in the all-time series.
The teams last met on May 25, 2019 in the ACC Tournament at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, N.C., and Tech won the game, 9-2.
The Pack has won seven of the last 10 meetings, as well as the last five series, between the squads.
OFFENSIVE THREAT
Heading into its first weekend of ACC play, NC State currently leads the league with a .402 batting average, .598 slugging percentage, .477 on-base percentage and 45 hits. The squad has tallied double-digit hits in all three games so far this season.
In the individual standings, Tresh (3rd, .626), J.T. Jarrett (T5th, .571) and Murr (T5th, .571) all rank in the top 10 in batting average. Additionally, Murr and Jarrett pace the conference with eight hits through the team's first three games of the season.
CAREER-HIGH OUTINGS FOR MURR AND TRESH
Murr and Tresh turned in career-best performances at the plate on Feb. 22 vs. UNCG. Murr went 5-for-6 with a double, while Tresh matched his career best as he went 4-for-5 with a double and home run.
Murr is the first player since Andrew Knizner on March 15, 2014 at Florida State to tally five hits in a single game.
FRESHMEN SHIING IN STARTING ROLE
Freshman pitchers Sam Highfill and Chris Villaman shined in their respective appearances on the mound through the first few games of the season. Highfill made his first career start on Sunday in game two versus Davidson, going five complete innings and fanning seven batters, which is one shy of his career best in strikeouts for a single game.
Villaman made just his fourth career start on the mound on Tuesday against UNCG and hurled three shutout innings while matching his career high in strikeouts with five.
CLIMBING THE RECORD BOOKS
Senior reliever Kent Klyman currently ranks T7th in program history with 79 career appearances on the mound. He is 16 away from matching the all-time record of 95, currently held by Joe O'Donnell and Grant Sasser, and 17 from becoming the all-time leader.
SCOUTING GEORGIA TECH
-The Yellow Jackets, who were picked to finish third in the Coastal Division of the 2021 ACC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll, are on a two-game win streak after taking its series on Sunday, 7-1, against Eastern Kentucky and then earning a 7-3 win over Mercer on Wednesday.
-Shortstop Luke Waddell was named to this year's USA Baseball Golden Spikes Preseason Watch List, and was featured on DI Baseball's Preseason All-America Second Team.
-Kevin Parada (No. 6) and Jake DeLeo (No. 33) were tabbed by Perfect Game as the nation's top first-year prospects. Its 2021 freshmen class was additionally ranked eighth by the publication.
-In 2020 Georgia Tech went 11-5 and won four of its last five games. Drew Compton (1B), Stephen Reid (DH) and Dalton Smith (LHP) were named Freshman All-Americans by Collegiate Baseball after the trio finished in the top five among the team and conference in multiple categories.
-At the plate, Compton leads the team with a .583 batting average, seven hits and two home runs. Meanwhile, four other players are batting over. 300 as the squad ranks first in the ACC in homers (7) and second in hits (44) and runs scored (32).
-On the mound, Sunday starter Sam Crawford collected the win in the rubber match against EKU after surrendering one unearned run in six complete innings. Additionally, Luke Bartinicki and Hugh Chapman have made a combined five appearances out of the bullpen and not yielded a hit so far in the season.
ON DECK
Tuesday, March 2 • vs. Campbell • 3 PM
Players Mentioned
RHP/INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
INF/OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
C/OF
/ Baseball
LHP/INF
/ BaseballAuburn Regional Preview: Elliott Avent on ACC PM
Thursday, May 29
Game Three Press Conference: Athens Super Regional
Tuesday, June 11
Game Two Press Conference: Athens Super Regional
Sunday, June 09
Game One Press Conference - Athens Super Regional
Saturday, June 08