Friday, April 21
Raleigh, N.C.
6 p.m.
NC State
vs
Clemson
Photo by: Tim Cowie
#Pack9 Hosts Clemson to Open Eight-Game Homestand
4/20/2023 4:15:00 PM | Baseball
Weekend Game Times: 6 p.m. (Friday) | 4 p.m. (Saturday) | 1 p.m. (Sunday)
RALEIGH – The NC State baseball team opens an eight-game homestand this weekend with a three-game ACC series against Clemson at Doak Field. This weekend's series will run Friday through Sunday with first pitch times scheduled for 6 p.m., 4 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively.
All three 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 Tony Haynes on the call. All three games will also be available on WKNC 88.1.
NC State (25-11, 8-9 ACC) holds an 88-120-1 record against Clemson (22-16, 6-9 ACC) in the all-time series.
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
Friday – RHP Logan Whitaker (NCSU) vs. LHP Ethan Darden (Clemson)
Saturday – LHP Dominic Fritton (NCSU) vs. RHP Austin Gordon (Clemson)
Sunday – TBA (NCSU) vs. LHP Caden Grice (Clemson)
THE MATCHUP: SERIES AGAINST CLEMSON
NC State holds an 88-120-1 all-time record in the series against Clemson. Other notes on this weekend's series against the Tigers:
• NC State captured a series victory over the Tigers this past season in South Carolina, overcoming a loss in game one to win games two and three to take the series over Clemson on April 1-3, 2022. The Pack posted a 5-2 win on Saturday to even the series before winning 9-7 on Sunday to clinch the series.
• In this past season's series finale, NC State trailed 6-4 after the fifth inning but scored five of the game's final six runs to post a 9-7 win. LuJames Groover III, Dominic Pilolli and Devonte Brown each drove in runs to help complete the comeback.
• NC State is 6-4 in its past 10 matchups against the Tigers. The Pack has won four of its past five series against Clemson but dropped two games out of three the last time the two teams met in Raleigh. NC State's most recent home series win over the Tigers came on May 10-12, 2019, with victories on Friday and Sunday at The Doak.
• Head coach Erik Bakich holds a 3-7 all-time record against the Wolfpack. Bakich was 3-6 against NC State during his time at Maryland and 0-1 against the Pack at Michigan.
LAST TIME ON THE DIAMOND
NC State scored a season-high 22 runs in its 22-7 victory over Davidson on Tuesday night in Charlotte. Despite facing an early 5-0 deficit at Truist Field, the Pack scored the game's next 20 runs to blow past the Wildcats. NC State posted its season-high tally for runs in a single inning with 10 runs in the bottom of the fourth, flipping a 5-4 deficit into a 14-5 lead. The Pack drew a season-high 12 walks in the victory and needed just 10 hits to record four multi-run frames at the plate. On the mound, NC State pitchers combined to tie a season-high with 15 strikeouts, including a career-high four punchouts for winning pitcher Rio Britton.
STRONG MARK IN THE RPI
NC State ranks No. 8 in Thursday's RPI poll. Since the first RPI poll released on March 6, the Wolfpack has been as high as No. 1 and has not fallen lower than No. 15 in the RPI rankings. The Pack's strength of schedule ranks 10th in the country, playing 17 of its 36 games this season against teams currently ranked in the RPI Top 25. NC State is also a perfect 19-0 against opponents with a current RPI ranking below No. 50 (51-100+). The Pack will play just its second game against a team currently ranked between 26-50 in the RPI when Clemson (No. 46) comes to town on Friday.
GINO'S IN A GROOVE
Junior LuJames "Gino" Groover III had a breakout season for the Pack in 2022, making 55 starts and 57 total appearances in his first season in Raleigh. Groover III led NC State with a .364 batting average, 86 hits, 16 doubles and a .440 on-base percentage this past season. The junior tallied at least one hit in 48 of the Pack's 57 games this past season, reaching base safely in 50 contests. Recently, Groover III has caught fire, batting .611 with during NC State's five-game winning streak. Groover III has struck out just once over his past five games and has punched out multiple times in just one game the entire season. He has also scored two runs in each of the past five games. Groover III's hot streak resulted in the junior winning ACC Player of the Week honors and Perfect Game National Player of the Week honors on Monday afternoon.
WILLADSEN, FRITTON: PITCHER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
Matt Willadsen and Dominic Fritton were named to the 2023 College Baseball Foundation's Pitcher of the Year Watch List on Wednesday afternoon. Willadsen and Fritton represent two of just 61 pitchers nationally named to the 2023 watch list and are two of only nine pitchers from the Atlantic Coast Conference honored on the list. NC State (two) and Wake Forest (three) are the only two ACC programs with multiple honorees.
WALK THIS WAY
For the first time since April 6, 2019 at Boston College, NC State drew 12 walks off opposing pitchers when the Pack walked 12 times in Tuesday's 22-7 win over Davidson at Truist Field. During its five-game winning streak, NC State has drawn an average of 8.8 walks per game, recording 11 or more free passes three times in the past five victories.
SCOUTING CLEMSON
Clemson (22-16, 6-9 ACC) has won back-to-back ACC series over Florida State and Notre Dame to open the month of April. The Tigers have also notched midweek victories over Coastal Carolina and Georgia this month. As a team, the Tigers like to take chances on the basepaths, ranking first in the ACC with 61 stolen bases on the season. The Tigers rank 11th in both scoring (6.7 runs per game) and slugging percentage (.434). Cam Cannarella leads the Tigers in batting average (.411), total bases (82), RBI (30) and doubles (11). On the mound, Clemson ranks ninth in the ACC in WHIP (1.43), eighth in ERA (4.55) and seventh in walks allowed per nine innings (3.93).
DOUBLE TROUBLE
NC State ranks tied for 10th nationally in total doubles hit (91) so far this season. The Pack also ranks seventh nationally in doubles per game (2.53). The Wolfpack tied its previous season-high of six doubles in a game with six two-baggers in April 11's 12-3 victory over UNCW.
#Pack9 | @NCStateBaseball
All three 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 Tony Haynes on the call. All three games will also be available on WKNC 88.1.
NC State (25-11, 8-9 ACC) holds an 88-120-1 record against Clemson (22-16, 6-9 ACC) in the all-time series.
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
Friday – RHP Logan Whitaker (NCSU) vs. LHP Ethan Darden (Clemson)
Saturday – LHP Dominic Fritton (NCSU) vs. RHP Austin Gordon (Clemson)
Sunday – TBA (NCSU) vs. LHP Caden Grice (Clemson)
THE MATCHUP: SERIES AGAINST CLEMSON
NC State holds an 88-120-1 all-time record in the series against Clemson. Other notes on this weekend's series against the Tigers:
• NC State captured a series victory over the Tigers this past season in South Carolina, overcoming a loss in game one to win games two and three to take the series over Clemson on April 1-3, 2022. The Pack posted a 5-2 win on Saturday to even the series before winning 9-7 on Sunday to clinch the series.
• In this past season's series finale, NC State trailed 6-4 after the fifth inning but scored five of the game's final six runs to post a 9-7 win. LuJames Groover III, Dominic Pilolli and Devonte Brown each drove in runs to help complete the comeback.
• NC State is 6-4 in its past 10 matchups against the Tigers. The Pack has won four of its past five series against Clemson but dropped two games out of three the last time the two teams met in Raleigh. NC State's most recent home series win over the Tigers came on May 10-12, 2019, with victories on Friday and Sunday at The Doak.
• Head coach Erik Bakich holds a 3-7 all-time record against the Wolfpack. Bakich was 3-6 against NC State during his time at Maryland and 0-1 against the Pack at Michigan.
LAST TIME ON THE DIAMOND
NC State scored a season-high 22 runs in its 22-7 victory over Davidson on Tuesday night in Charlotte. Despite facing an early 5-0 deficit at Truist Field, the Pack scored the game's next 20 runs to blow past the Wildcats. NC State posted its season-high tally for runs in a single inning with 10 runs in the bottom of the fourth, flipping a 5-4 deficit into a 14-5 lead. The Pack drew a season-high 12 walks in the victory and needed just 10 hits to record four multi-run frames at the plate. On the mound, NC State pitchers combined to tie a season-high with 15 strikeouts, including a career-high four punchouts for winning pitcher Rio Britton.
STRONG MARK IN THE RPI
NC State ranks No. 8 in Thursday's RPI poll. Since the first RPI poll released on March 6, the Wolfpack has been as high as No. 1 and has not fallen lower than No. 15 in the RPI rankings. The Pack's strength of schedule ranks 10th in the country, playing 17 of its 36 games this season against teams currently ranked in the RPI Top 25. NC State is also a perfect 19-0 against opponents with a current RPI ranking below No. 50 (51-100+). The Pack will play just its second game against a team currently ranked between 26-50 in the RPI when Clemson (No. 46) comes to town on Friday.
GINO'S IN A GROOVE
Junior LuJames "Gino" Groover III had a breakout season for the Pack in 2022, making 55 starts and 57 total appearances in his first season in Raleigh. Groover III led NC State with a .364 batting average, 86 hits, 16 doubles and a .440 on-base percentage this past season. The junior tallied at least one hit in 48 of the Pack's 57 games this past season, reaching base safely in 50 contests. Recently, Groover III has caught fire, batting .611 with during NC State's five-game winning streak. Groover III has struck out just once over his past five games and has punched out multiple times in just one game the entire season. He has also scored two runs in each of the past five games. Groover III's hot streak resulted in the junior winning ACC Player of the Week honors and Perfect Game National Player of the Week honors on Monday afternoon.
WILLADSEN, FRITTON: PITCHER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
Matt Willadsen and Dominic Fritton were named to the 2023 College Baseball Foundation's Pitcher of the Year Watch List on Wednesday afternoon. Willadsen and Fritton represent two of just 61 pitchers nationally named to the 2023 watch list and are two of only nine pitchers from the Atlantic Coast Conference honored on the list. NC State (two) and Wake Forest (three) are the only two ACC programs with multiple honorees.
WALK THIS WAY
For the first time since April 6, 2019 at Boston College, NC State drew 12 walks off opposing pitchers when the Pack walked 12 times in Tuesday's 22-7 win over Davidson at Truist Field. During its five-game winning streak, NC State has drawn an average of 8.8 walks per game, recording 11 or more free passes three times in the past five victories.
SCOUTING CLEMSON
Clemson (22-16, 6-9 ACC) has won back-to-back ACC series over Florida State and Notre Dame to open the month of April. The Tigers have also notched midweek victories over Coastal Carolina and Georgia this month. As a team, the Tigers like to take chances on the basepaths, ranking first in the ACC with 61 stolen bases on the season. The Tigers rank 11th in both scoring (6.7 runs per game) and slugging percentage (.434). Cam Cannarella leads the Tigers in batting average (.411), total bases (82), RBI (30) and doubles (11). On the mound, Clemson ranks ninth in the ACC in WHIP (1.43), eighth in ERA (4.55) and seventh in walks allowed per nine innings (3.93).
DOUBLE TROUBLE
NC State ranks tied for 10th nationally in total doubles hit (91) so far this season. The Pack also ranks seventh nationally in doubles per game (2.53). The Wolfpack tied its previous season-high of six doubles in a game with six two-baggers in April 11's 12-3 victory over UNCW.
#Pack9 | @NCStateBaseball
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