#Pack9 Travels to UNCW on Tuesday

Tuesday, March 21

Wilmington, N.C.

6 p.m.

NC State

UNCW

Photo by: Jaylynn Nash

3/20/2023 6:00:00 PM | Baseball

Watch ($)Varsity Network App Live Stats Game Program NC State Game Notes

Midweek Game Time: 6 p.m.

RALEIGH – The NC State baseball team opens a four-game road swing Tuesday night at UNCW (13-7, 5-1 CAA). First pitch for Tuesday's game is set for 6 p.m. at Brooks Field.

Tuesday's game will stream live on FloBaseball. This is a subscription-based service. A free audio stream will be available on the Varsity Network App and the game will be available on the radio on WKNC 88.1 with Andrew Sanders on the call.

NC State (15-5, 2-4 ACC) holds a 1-1 record against in-state midweek opponents this season, earning a road victory at UNCG before dropping a home matchup to Elon this past Tuesday.

PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
Tuesday – LHP P.J. Labriola (NCSU) vs. LHP Case Stroup (UNCW)

THE MATCHUP: SERIES AGAINST UNCW
NC State holds a 75-20 all-time advantage in the series against UNC Wilmington. Other notes on this week's midweek matchup against the Seahawks:

• The Pack and Seahawks first met back in 1971 when NC State posted a 3-1 victory under head coach Sam Esposito.
• The two teams met twice in 2022. NC State earned a 7-6 victory over UNCW on April 12 as the Pack scored five unanswered runs, including three in the bottom of the ninth, to secure the midweek triumph. Josh Hood lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to score LuJames Groover III for the winning run in the comeback win.
• UNCW avenged its defeat to the Wolfpack later in the season on May 10, defeating NC State 13-11 in Wilmington.
• UNCW's win over NC State on May 10 snapped the Pack's nine-game winning streak over the Seahawks in the series.

LAST TIME ON THE DIAMOND
NC State erased a 4-2 deficit in the bottom of the ninth inning to walk off Virginia 5-4 on Saturday at Doak Field at Dail Park, avoiding the sweep to the Cavaliers and handing Virginia just its second loss of the season. The Pack entered the top of the ninth with a 2-1 lead before Virginia slugged two homers to take a 4-2 advantage into the final frame of the game. Base hits from Chase Nixon, Kalae Harrison, LuJames Groover III and then a two-out, two-RBI single from Cannon Peebles helped the Pack complete the comeback. Harrison scored the tying run from third base before pinch runner Michael Gupton slid headfirst into home plate for the winning run.

SCOUTING UNCW
UNCW (13-7, 5-1 CAA) completed a perfect 4-0 week this past week when the Seahawks defeated Towson 12-2 on the road in Colonial Athletic Association action. The 10-run victory at Towson also polished off a three-game sweep over the Tigers. UNCW outscored Towson 34-13 in three games over the weekend. In midweek action, the Seahawks defeated No. 10 East Carolina 8-5 in Wilmington this past Tuesday, scoring three in the second, four in the fourth and one in the sixth. UNCW has averaged 10.5 runs per game during its four-game winning streak. The Diamond Hawks were picked to finish second in the CAA during the preseason, trailing only College of Charleston in the CAA Preseason Poll.

STELLAR STARTERS
NC State starting pitchers Logan Whitaker, Matt Willadsen and Dominic Fritton exceled in this weekend's series against Virginia, combining to pitch 18 innings while allowing just 10 hits and four runs (just two earned). Wolfpack starting pitchers struck out 19 batters and allowed just five walks throughout the weekend. No NC State starting pitcher allowed more than four hits in their respective outings against a talented Cavaliers' lineup.

WINNING ON SUNDAY (AND A SATURDAY, TOO)
An often mentioned adage said during postgame baseball press conferences stresses the importance of "winning on Sunday" in weekend series. After Saturday's comeback over Virginia in the series finale, NC State improved to 5-0 in weekend series finales this season. The Pack is 4-0 on Sunday this season and 1-0 on series finales played on Saturday.

PACK PROS ON THE WORLD STAGE
The 2023 World Baseball Classic got underway on March 7, and the #Pack9 is represented well on the world stage with four former members of the Pack competing for three separate countries in this year's tournament. Trea Turner (United States), Evan Mendoza (Colombia), Vojtech Mensik (Czech Republic) and Marek Chlup (Czech Republic) will all be competing in the World Baseball Classic. NC State ranks tied for first with four California schools (UCLA, USC, Stanford and Long Beach State) for the most representatives at the WBC from a single school.

Trea Turner put together back-to-back sensational performances for the United States over the weekend as Team USA advanced to the WBC Championship game on Tuesday night in Miami. Turner belted a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning to turn a 7-5 deficit into a 9-7 lead for Team USA in Saturday's quarterfinal matchup against Venezuela. Team USA held its 9-7 lead and advanced to the semifinals against Cuba on Sunday, which is when Turner hit two more home runs as Team USA routed Team Cuba 14-2. Over his past two games, Turner has gone 4-for-8 (.500) with three home runs, eight RBI and three runs scored.

DOUBLE TROUBLE
NC State ranks tied for second nationally in total doubles hit (56) so far this season. The Pack also ranks fourth nationally in doubles per game (2.80). The Wolfpack hit a season-high six doubles in its 14-4 victory over Miami on March 12.

POWER SURGE
NC State ranks tied for 12th nationally with 41 home runs on the season. The Wolfpack has slugged multiple homers in 12 of its 20 games this season, hitting three or more home runs in nine of its 20 games in 2023.

UP NEXT
NC State heads North to take on No. 16 Boston College in its third ACC series of the season. This weekend's three-game series begins on Friday at 4 p.m. at Harrington Athletics Village. All three games this weekend will stream live on ACC Network Extra.

#Pack9 | @NCStateBaseball