Friday, March 10
Coral Gables, Fla.
7 p.m.
NC State
at
Miami
Photo by: Brayden Holt
#Pack9 Opens ACC Road Slate at Miami
3/9/2023 11:45:00 AM | Baseball
Weekend Game Times: 7 p.m. (Friday) | 6 p.m. (Saturday) | 1 p.m. (Sunday)
RALEIGH – No. 19 NC State opens ACC play this weekend with a three-game series at Miami. This weekend's series will run Friday through Sunday with first pitch times scheduled for 7 p.m., 6 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively.
Friday's series opener at Alex Rodriguez Park will be broadcasted on ACC Network. Saturday and Sunday's games will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra. A free audio stream will be available on the Varsity Network App for all three games with Andrew Sanders on the call. All three games will also be available on the radio on WKNC 88.1.
NC State (13-0) holds a 21-37 record against the Hurricanes (8-5). The Pack, however, has won three of the past five in the series and swept Miami in a three-game series in Coral Gables, Florida, back in March 2019
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
Friday – RHP Logan Whitaker (NCSU) vs. RHP Karson Ligon (Miami)
Saturday – RHP Matt Willadsen (NCSU) vs. RHP Gage Ziehl (Miami)
Sunday – LHP Dominic Fritton (NCSU) vs. RHP Alejandro Rosario (Miami)
LAST TIME ON THE DIAMOND
The Wolfpack slugged its way to 13-0 in Tuesday's 15-13 win at UNCG. NC State never trailed in a game that featured 28 total runs and 26 total hits, jumping out to an early 10-2 lead before UNCG tied the game three different times. LuJames Groover III delivered a game-winning RBI single in the top of the ninth, while Justin Lawson earned his second pitching victory in a row with a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the ninth.
COMEBACK PACK
NC State has trailed after the second inning in just three games this season -- against Wagner on Feb. 18, against Radford on Wednesday and against NJIT on Sunday. The Wolfpack has rallied to win all three of those games, twice with multi-run team at-bats in the seventh inning and once behind Sunday's walk-off homer from Payton Green.
AND THEN THERE WERE THREE
Thirteen games into its 2023 season, NC State enters the weekend as one of three undefeated teams remaining in the NCAA Division I ranks. The Wolfpack is joined by Alabama (14-0) and Virginia (12-0) in the undefeated ranks.
SCOUTING MIAMI
Miami (8-5) opened its season with a home series victory against Penn State, winning the final two games of the series before reeling off five straight wins in week two with wins over Stetson, Indiana State and Dartmouth (three-game sweep). Miami has dropped four of its last five, recently falling 6-3 to Jacksonville during the midweek. The Hurricanes received 10 first-place votes in the Coastal Division in the ACC's Preseason Poll. Youhandy Morales leads the Hurricanes with a .458 batting average, 40 total bases and 22 hits.
AVENT'S CHASE TO 1,000 & 1,200
NC State baseball head coach Elliott Avent has reached many milestones throughout his collegiate coaching career, entering the 2023 season with a 1,186-784 overall record and a 962-571 record at NC State. With 13 straight wins to open the season, Avent (1,199-784; 975-571) sits just one win away from career victory No. 1,200 and 25 victories away from NC State career win No. 1,000.
With career win No. 1,200, Avent would become the 29th coach in NCAA history to surpass 1,200 career victories. Avent will have three chances in Coral Gables to reach the historic milestone.
PACK PROS ON THE WORLD STAGE
The 2023 World Baseball Classic got underway on Tuesday, 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.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
NC State ranks tied for first nationally in total doubles hit (39) so far this season. The Pack also ranks tied for fifth nationally in doubles per game (3.00). Eleven Wolfpack batters have recorded multiple doubles this season, highlighted by Trevor Candelaria's team-high six doubles on the year.
POWER SURGE
With 14 more home runs during week three, NC State entered the week ranked seventh nationally with 28 home runs through just 12 games. The Wolfpack had hit more home runs this past week over a five-game span than 190 Division I team had hit this entire season entering Tuesday's game at UNCG. The Pack then slugged three more homers to make it 31 on the season, which ranks fifth nationally.
In Saturday's 21-2 win over NJIT, the Pack needed only eight team at-bats to slug a season-high six homers in a single game. The last time NC State hit six or more home runs in a game was when the #Pack9 hit seven homers in a 21-0 win over Towson on May 9, 2010. The Wolfpack also scored in every inning for the first time since March 16, 2010, when the Pack scored in all nine innings in a 24-6 road victory at NC Central.
HOT START FOR PG
Sophomore shortstop Payton Green's hot start to the 2023 season continued this past week, capping off week three with a two-run walk-off homer to move NC State to 12-0. Green then knocked in four more runs in Tuesday's win at UNCG, blasting a three-run homer to left field in the second inning.
Green leads the Wolfpack with 46 total bases, 26 RBI, seven home runs and six stolen bases. Green has also impressed in the field at shortstop, putting away all 49 of his defensive chances so far this season. Green ranks fifth nationally with 26 RBI and tied for 11th nationally with 46 total bases.
#Pack9 | @NCStateBaseball
Friday's series opener at Alex Rodriguez Park will be broadcasted on ACC Network. Saturday and Sunday's games will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra. A free audio stream will be available on the Varsity Network App for all three games with Andrew Sanders on the call. All three games will also be available on the radio on WKNC 88.1.
NC State (13-0) holds a 21-37 record against the Hurricanes (8-5). The Pack, however, has won three of the past five in the series and swept Miami in a three-game series in Coral Gables, Florida, back in March 2019
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
Friday – RHP Logan Whitaker (NCSU) vs. RHP Karson Ligon (Miami)
Saturday – RHP Matt Willadsen (NCSU) vs. RHP Gage Ziehl (Miami)
Sunday – LHP Dominic Fritton (NCSU) vs. RHP Alejandro Rosario (Miami)
LAST TIME ON THE DIAMOND
The Wolfpack slugged its way to 13-0 in Tuesday's 15-13 win at UNCG. NC State never trailed in a game that featured 28 total runs and 26 total hits, jumping out to an early 10-2 lead before UNCG tied the game three different times. LuJames Groover III delivered a game-winning RBI single in the top of the ninth, while Justin Lawson earned his second pitching victory in a row with a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the ninth.
COMEBACK PACK
NC State has trailed after the second inning in just three games this season -- against Wagner on Feb. 18, against Radford on Wednesday and against NJIT on Sunday. The Wolfpack has rallied to win all three of those games, twice with multi-run team at-bats in the seventh inning and once behind Sunday's walk-off homer from Payton Green.
AND THEN THERE WERE THREE
Thirteen games into its 2023 season, NC State enters the weekend as one of three undefeated teams remaining in the NCAA Division I ranks. The Wolfpack is joined by Alabama (14-0) and Virginia (12-0) in the undefeated ranks.
SCOUTING MIAMI
Miami (8-5) opened its season with a home series victory against Penn State, winning the final two games of the series before reeling off five straight wins in week two with wins over Stetson, Indiana State and Dartmouth (three-game sweep). Miami has dropped four of its last five, recently falling 6-3 to Jacksonville during the midweek. The Hurricanes received 10 first-place votes in the Coastal Division in the ACC's Preseason Poll. Youhandy Morales leads the Hurricanes with a .458 batting average, 40 total bases and 22 hits.
AVENT'S CHASE TO 1,000 & 1,200
NC State baseball head coach Elliott Avent has reached many milestones throughout his collegiate coaching career, entering the 2023 season with a 1,186-784 overall record and a 962-571 record at NC State. With 13 straight wins to open the season, Avent (1,199-784; 975-571) sits just one win away from career victory No. 1,200 and 25 victories away from NC State career win No. 1,000.
With career win No. 1,200, Avent would become the 29th coach in NCAA history to surpass 1,200 career victories. Avent will have three chances in Coral Gables to reach the historic milestone.
PACK PROS ON THE WORLD STAGE
The 2023 World Baseball Classic got underway on Tuesday, 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.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
NC State ranks tied for first nationally in total doubles hit (39) so far this season. The Pack also ranks tied for fifth nationally in doubles per game (3.00). Eleven Wolfpack batters have recorded multiple doubles this season, highlighted by Trevor Candelaria's team-high six doubles on the year.
POWER SURGE
With 14 more home runs during week three, NC State entered the week ranked seventh nationally with 28 home runs through just 12 games. The Wolfpack had hit more home runs this past week over a five-game span than 190 Division I team had hit this entire season entering Tuesday's game at UNCG. The Pack then slugged three more homers to make it 31 on the season, which ranks fifth nationally.
In Saturday's 21-2 win over NJIT, the Pack needed only eight team at-bats to slug a season-high six homers in a single game. The last time NC State hit six or more home runs in a game was when the #Pack9 hit seven homers in a 21-0 win over Towson on May 9, 2010. The Wolfpack also scored in every inning for the first time since March 16, 2010, when the Pack scored in all nine innings in a 24-6 road victory at NC Central.
HOT START FOR PG
Sophomore shortstop Payton Green's hot start to the 2023 season continued this past week, capping off week three with a two-run walk-off homer to move NC State to 12-0. Green then knocked in four more runs in Tuesday's win at UNCG, blasting a three-run homer to left field in the second inning.
Green leads the Wolfpack with 46 total bases, 26 RBI, seven home runs and six stolen bases. Green has also impressed in the field at shortstop, putting away all 49 of his defensive chances so far this season. Green ranks fifth nationally with 26 RBI and tied for 11th nationally with 46 total bases.
#Pack9 | @NCStateBaseball
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