Saturday, April 8
Winston-Salem, N.C.
4 p.m.
NC State
at
Wake Forest
Photo by: Jaylynn Nash
#Pack9 Travels to No. 2 Wake Forest This Weekend
4/6/2023 4:30:00 PM | Baseball
New Game Times: Friday (6 p.m.) | Sunday (Noon & 45 minutes after Game 1)
RALEIGH – The NC State baseball team continues its four-game road swing this weekend at No. 2 Wake Forest. This weekend's ACC series at David F. Couch Ballpark has an updated schedule with a game on Friday night and a doubleheader on Sunday. Friday's matchup will remain at 6 p.m., while Sunday's doubleheader will begin at noon with game two to follow 45 minutes after the conclusion of the first contest.
All three games will now stream live on ACC Network Extra. Any further updates on TV designations will be announced as needed.
A free audio stream will still 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 (20-9, 5-7 ACC) is 126-66 against Wake Forest in the all-time series.
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
Friday – RHP Logan Whitaker (NCSU) vs. RHP Rhett Lowder (Wake Forest)
Sunday (Game 1) – RHP Matt Willadsen (NCSU) vs. LHP Sean Sullivan (Wake Forest)
Sunday (Game 2) – LHP Dominic Fritton (NCSU) vs. LHP Josh Hartle (Wake Forest)
THE MATCHUP: SERIES AGAINST WAKE FOREST
NC State enters this weekend's matchup against Wake Forest with a 126-66 advantage in the all-time series, winning the most recent matchup 11-8 at the ACC Tournament. More notes from the series against Wake Forest are listed below:
• Despite dropping three of four games to Wake Forest in 2022, NC State recorded an 11-8 win over the Demon Deacons to open the ACC Tournament on May 24. The Pack rallied from a 4-0 deficit with a six-run fifth inning. NC State never trailed again in the contest, scoring five more runs in the top of the seventh to put the game out of reach.
• NC State secured a series win at Wake Forest the last time the two teams met at David F. Couch Ballpark. NC State opened the weekend with a 13-7 win before Wake Forest bounced back with a 14-11 win on Saturday. The Pack won the finale 15-8 to take two games out of three from April 30-May 2, 2021.
• NC State and Wake Forest are an even 5-5 in the past 10 matchups. All five of NC State's wins during that stretch have come on the road or at the ACC Tournament.
LAST TIME ON THE DIAMOND
NC State fell 13-9 at No. 12 ECU on Tuesday night. Despite a 13-11 advantage in hits, the Pirates' six home runs proved to be the difference in the midweek victory. The Wolfpack rallied twice to take a one-run lead at 2-1 and 7-6, respectively. Carter Trice and Parker Nolan combined to go 7-for-9 with four RBI, a home run, a double and three runs scored in the setback.
COZART NAMED TO GOLDEN SPIKES MIDSEASON WATCH LIST
Sophomore catcher Jacob Cozart was named to USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List on Wednesday. He is one of just 45 student-athletes featured on the list and is one of 24 players to play their way onto the watch list since the announcement of the Preseason Watch List on Feb. 10. In conference play, Cozart leads all NC State batters in batting average (.410), hits (16), doubles (five), RBI (10), total bases (30) and on-base percentage (.510). He ranks seventh among all ACC batters with a .410 batting average in ACC play, fifth with a .769 slugging percentage and sixth with a .510 on-base percentage. He is also just the eighth NC State player since 2012 to be named to the Midseason Watch List.
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
For the first time since April 17-29, 2018, NC State will play at least seven straight games against a ranked opponent during the regular season. The Wolfpack is 2-2 so far in its stretch of games against teams in D1Baseball's top-12. During the eight-game stretch in 2018, each opponent (North Carolina, Duke and East Carolina) was ranked inside the top 10. NC State's longest stretch in recent memory against a ranked opponent (regular season/postseason) came during its run to the College World Series in 2021, playing eight straight games against teams inside the top 25.
PUTTING UP CROOKED NUMBERS
The Wolfpack offense has scored runs in bunches this season, posting 66 multi-run innings through just 29 games (2.28 per game). NC State's single-game high for runs scored in one inning was seven runs in the bottom of the seventh against Radford. NC State's single-game high for the number of multi-run innings is five, scoring multiple runs in a game five times in three different matchups.
STRIKE FIRST, STRIKE HARD, NO MERCY
NC State holds a 15-1 record when scoring first this season. The Pack has scored in the first inning 12 times and has scored in either the first or second inning 16 times in 2023.
SCOUTING WAKE FOREST
No. 2 Wake Forest (26-4, 10-2 ACC) has been dominant on the mound this season, posting the lowest team ERA (2.28) and highest strikeouts per nine innings mark (12.6) in the nation. The Demon Deacons will carry a six-game winning streak in ACC play into Friday night's matchup against the Wolfpack. Wake Forest has not dropped an ACC series this season after being picked second place in the Atlantic Division with six first-place votes in the 2023 ACC Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll. All three of its projected weekend starters hold an ERA under 1.80, highlighted by Friday night starter Rhett Lowder, who holds a 1.40 ERA with 54 strikeouts to just eight walks. Offensively, Tommy Hawke has started all 30 games and leads the team in batting average (.397), doubles (13) and stolen bases (seven).
RECORD AGAINST IN-STATE OPPONENTS
The Wolfpack finished with a 13-9 record against in-state opponents in 2022, including a 9-2 record against in-state nonconference opponents. NC State is 3-2 against in-state opponents this season, completing the season sweep of UNCG on March 28 while also earning an 11-8 win in extra innnings at UNCW. The Pack's only nonconference losses came to in-state opponents Elon (March 14) and No. 12 East Carolina (April 4).
Since taking over the NC State baseball program in 1997, head coach Elliott Avent has led the Pack to a 348-173 (.668) record against in-state opponents.
#Pack9 | @NCStateBaseball
All three games will now stream live on ACC Network Extra. Any further updates on TV designations will be announced as needed.
A free audio stream will still 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 (20-9, 5-7 ACC) is 126-66 against Wake Forest in the all-time series.
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
Friday – RHP Logan Whitaker (NCSU) vs. RHP Rhett Lowder (Wake Forest)
Sunday (Game 1) – RHP Matt Willadsen (NCSU) vs. LHP Sean Sullivan (Wake Forest)
Sunday (Game 2) – LHP Dominic Fritton (NCSU) vs. LHP Josh Hartle (Wake Forest)
THE MATCHUP: SERIES AGAINST WAKE FOREST
NC State enters this weekend's matchup against Wake Forest with a 126-66 advantage in the all-time series, winning the most recent matchup 11-8 at the ACC Tournament. More notes from the series against Wake Forest are listed below:
• Despite dropping three of four games to Wake Forest in 2022, NC State recorded an 11-8 win over the Demon Deacons to open the ACC Tournament on May 24. The Pack rallied from a 4-0 deficit with a six-run fifth inning. NC State never trailed again in the contest, scoring five more runs in the top of the seventh to put the game out of reach.
• NC State secured a series win at Wake Forest the last time the two teams met at David F. Couch Ballpark. NC State opened the weekend with a 13-7 win before Wake Forest bounced back with a 14-11 win on Saturday. The Pack won the finale 15-8 to take two games out of three from April 30-May 2, 2021.
• NC State and Wake Forest are an even 5-5 in the past 10 matchups. All five of NC State's wins during that stretch have come on the road or at the ACC Tournament.
LAST TIME ON THE DIAMOND
NC State fell 13-9 at No. 12 ECU on Tuesday night. Despite a 13-11 advantage in hits, the Pirates' six home runs proved to be the difference in the midweek victory. The Wolfpack rallied twice to take a one-run lead at 2-1 and 7-6, respectively. Carter Trice and Parker Nolan combined to go 7-for-9 with four RBI, a home run, a double and three runs scored in the setback.
COZART NAMED TO GOLDEN SPIKES MIDSEASON WATCH LIST
Sophomore catcher Jacob Cozart was named to USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List on Wednesday. He is one of just 45 student-athletes featured on the list and is one of 24 players to play their way onto the watch list since the announcement of the Preseason Watch List on Feb. 10. In conference play, Cozart leads all NC State batters in batting average (.410), hits (16), doubles (five), RBI (10), total bases (30) and on-base percentage (.510). He ranks seventh among all ACC batters with a .410 batting average in ACC play, fifth with a .769 slugging percentage and sixth with a .510 on-base percentage. He is also just the eighth NC State player since 2012 to be named to the Midseason Watch List.
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
For the first time since April 17-29, 2018, NC State will play at least seven straight games against a ranked opponent during the regular season. The Wolfpack is 2-2 so far in its stretch of games against teams in D1Baseball's top-12. During the eight-game stretch in 2018, each opponent (North Carolina, Duke and East Carolina) was ranked inside the top 10. NC State's longest stretch in recent memory against a ranked opponent (regular season/postseason) came during its run to the College World Series in 2021, playing eight straight games against teams inside the top 25.
PUTTING UP CROOKED NUMBERS
The Wolfpack offense has scored runs in bunches this season, posting 66 multi-run innings through just 29 games (2.28 per game). NC State's single-game high for runs scored in one inning was seven runs in the bottom of the seventh against Radford. NC State's single-game high for the number of multi-run innings is five, scoring multiple runs in a game five times in three different matchups.
STRIKE FIRST, STRIKE HARD, NO MERCY
NC State holds a 15-1 record when scoring first this season. The Pack has scored in the first inning 12 times and has scored in either the first or second inning 16 times in 2023.
SCOUTING WAKE FOREST
No. 2 Wake Forest (26-4, 10-2 ACC) has been dominant on the mound this season, posting the lowest team ERA (2.28) and highest strikeouts per nine innings mark (12.6) in the nation. The Demon Deacons will carry a six-game winning streak in ACC play into Friday night's matchup against the Wolfpack. Wake Forest has not dropped an ACC series this season after being picked second place in the Atlantic Division with six first-place votes in the 2023 ACC Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll. All three of its projected weekend starters hold an ERA under 1.80, highlighted by Friday night starter Rhett Lowder, who holds a 1.40 ERA with 54 strikeouts to just eight walks. Offensively, Tommy Hawke has started all 30 games and leads the team in batting average (.397), doubles (13) and stolen bases (seven).
RECORD AGAINST IN-STATE OPPONENTS
The Wolfpack finished with a 13-9 record against in-state opponents in 2022, including a 9-2 record against in-state nonconference opponents. NC State is 3-2 against in-state opponents this season, completing the season sweep of UNCG on March 28 while also earning an 11-8 win in extra innnings at UNCW. The Pack's only nonconference losses came to in-state opponents Elon (March 14) and No. 12 East Carolina (April 4).
Since taking over the NC State baseball program in 1997, head coach Elliott Avent has led the Pack to a 348-173 (.668) record against in-state opponents.
#Pack9 | @NCStateBaseball
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