Friday, June 2
Columbia, S.C.
1 p.m.
NC State
vs
Campbell
Photo by: Mollie Mitchell
#Pack9 Opens NCAA Columbia Regional Friday Against No. 12 Campbell
6/1/2023 6:28:00 PM | Baseball
Friday Game Time: 1 p.m. on ACC Network
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The NC State baseball team opens its 33rd NCAA Tournament appearance on Friday afternoon against No. 12 Campbell at Founders Park in Columbia, South Carolina. The third-seeded Wolfpack (35-19) will open the NCAA Columbia Regional against Big South Champion Campbell (44-13) at 1 p.m. on ACC Network.
Friday's game will be televised on ACC Network and streamed live on ESPN+. A free audio stream will be available on the Varsity Network App for each Wolfpack matchup in the Columbia Regional and will be available on WKNC 88.1.
NC State enters Friday's matchup with a 52-19-1 record against the Fighting Camels.
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
Friday – RHP Logan Whitaker (NCSU) vs. RHP Cade Kuehler (Campbell)
THE MATCHUP: SERIES AGAINST CAMPBELL
NC State enters Friday's game against second-seeded Campbell with a 52-19-1 record against the Fighting Camels. More notes from the series against Campbell are listed below:
• NC State holds a 5-5 record in the past 10 games against the Fighting Camels.
• The Wolfpack's most recent win against Campbell came on March 2, 2021, at home at Doak Field at Dail Park. NC State posted a 14-6 victory on March 2, 2021, building a 14-0 lead through the first six innings in the win.
• NC State is 0-1 against the Fighting Camels in the NCAA Tournament, falling 5-4 in its first game against Campbell in the 2019 NCAA Greenville Regional.
• NC State and Campbell first met on March 11, 1971, with the Wolfpack posting a 10-6 victory in Buies Creek. NC State won the first five matchups against the Fighting Camels.
THE MATCHUP: SERIES AGAINST SOUTH CAROLINA
NC State holds a 35-22 overall record against South Carolina in the all-time series. More notes from the series against the Gamecocks are listed below:
• NC State is 2-3 against the Gamecocks in the NCAA Tournament, winning the past two games in the series back in 2008. The Wolfpack went 3-0 in the NCAA Raleigh Regional to advance to a Super Regional matchup against Georgia, winning back-to-back games against the Gamecocks on May 31 and June 1. The Pack posted a 5-4 win before clinching the Regional title with a 2-1 win.
• The Wolfpack is 0-1 against the Gamecocks in NCAA Tournament games played in Columbia. The one matchup came over 48 years ago on May 25, 1975, when South Carolina recorded a 4-3 victory.
• NC State has only faced South Carolina three times in the 21st century. The Pack is 2-1 since 2000 against the Gamecocks.
• Head coach Elliott Avent is 2-0 all-time against former NC State and South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner.
THE MATCHUP: SERIES AGAINST CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE
NC State has never faced Central Connecticut State. A meeting in this weekend's Regional would be the first between the two teams.
• NC State swept fellow Northeast Conference (NEC) member Wagner to open its 2023 season. The Wolfpack outscored Wagner 26-3 in the three-game sweep. Central Connecticut State defeated Wagner twice to win the NEC Tournament after losing to the Seahawks earlier in the tournament 8-3.
NC STATE IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
NC State holds a 62-66 all-time record in 33 NCAA postseason appearances. The Wolfpack has advanced to the Super Regionals five times and the College World Series three times.
The Wolfpack advanced to the College World Series during its most recent NCAA Tournament appearance in 2021, posting a 7-2 record in its run to Omaha. NC State swept the NCAA Ruston Regional before storming back from a game one defeat in the Super Regionals against Arkansas to punch its ticket to Omaha.
NC State is 4-8 in NCAA Tournament games played in South Carolina, playing three prior NCAA Regionals in Columbia (1975, 2007, 2011) and one in Myrtle Beach (2010). The Pack is 4-6 in NCAA Tournament games in Columbia. The Wolfpack has only faced this weekend's hosts once in an NCAA Regional in Columbia (4-3 loss in 1975).
IN THE FIELD
NC State punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the 33rd time on Monday afternoon. A few notes concerning the Wolfpack's selection to the NCAA Tournament:
• 11th NCAA Regional appearance in the past 13 years the NCAA Tournament has been held
• 17th NCAA Regional appearance in the past 20 tournaments dating back to 2003
• 20 NCAA Regional appearances for head coach Elliott Avent at NC State
THE RACE TO 1,000
Head coach Elliott Avent is chasing history in more ways than one this weekend in Columbia. Avent, who sits at 997 wins at NC State, would become the fifth active head coach with 1,000 wins at one school with three wins in Columbia. The 27-year Wolfpack head coach would join Danny Hall (Georgia Tech), Keith Guttin (Missouri State), John Anderson (Minnesota) and Gary Gilmore (Coastal Carolina) on the active list. He would also become the 35th qualifying Division I head coach (active or inactive) to reach 1,000 wins at one school.
WOLFPACK COACHING LEGENDS
Current South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner has been connected to NC State for over 40 years. Tanner, a former NC State player and head coach, held a 395-173-3 record in nine seasons (1988-96) at his alma mater. Tanner earned Second Team All-ACC honors as a player and ACC Coach of the Year accolades in 1990. Tanner finished his career with a 1133-489-3 record in 25 combined seasons between NC State and South Carolina. Tanner was 11-14 at NC State in the NCAA Tournament, while head coach Elliott Avent was 2-0 against Tanner during Tanner's tenure in Columbia. The two spent one year on the same staff at NC State when Avent served as an assistant coach for Tanner during Tanner's first year as head coach in 1988.
"THE METRICS"
NC State earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament on Monday and did not fall on the list of the "Last Four In". The Wolfpack finished the season with the No. 23 ranking in the NCAA RPI. The Pack was one of only four teams in the nation to finish the year without a loss to a team over No. 100 in the final RPI poll. The other three teams in the group (Virginia, Wake Forest and Kentucky) all earned host site bids in this year's NCAA Regionals. NC State's strength of schedule ranked No. 19, while the Pack's adjusted nonconference RPI ranked No. 7 in the country.
THE MAYOR'S NCAA TOURNAMENT SUCCESS
Sam Highfill, often referred to as The Mayor by his teammates, has shined brightest on the biggest stages. Highfill has made three NCAA postseason starts in his career (all in 2021), pitching a total of 19 innings while allowing just nine hits and five walks with 16 strikeouts. The right-hander gave up just three earned runs during the 2021 postseason to post a 1.42 ERA over those three starts.
• at Louisiana Tech (6/5/21) -- 5.1 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K [Regionals]
• at Arkansas (6/12/21) -- 6.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 5 K [Super Regionals]
• vs. Vanderbilt (6/21/21) -- 7.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K [College World Series]
LAST TIME ON THE DIAMOND: ACC TOURNAMENT
NC State (35-19) split a pair of games at the ACC Tournament this past week in Durham, defeating Duke 8-7 in 11 innings to open pool play before falling 4-2 to ACC Tournament runner-up Miami. In the win against Duke, Cannon Peebles delivered a game-winning RBI single up the middle in the top of the 11th before Logan Whitaker retired the Blue Devils in order to secure the victory.
#Pack9 | @NCStateBaseball
Friday's game will be televised on ACC Network and streamed live on ESPN+. A free audio stream will be available on the Varsity Network App for each Wolfpack matchup in the Columbia Regional and will be available on WKNC 88.1.
NC State enters Friday's matchup with a 52-19-1 record against the Fighting Camels.
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
Friday – RHP Logan Whitaker (NCSU) vs. RHP Cade Kuehler (Campbell)
THE MATCHUP: SERIES AGAINST CAMPBELL
NC State enters Friday's game against second-seeded Campbell with a 52-19-1 record against the Fighting Camels. More notes from the series against Campbell are listed below:
• NC State holds a 5-5 record in the past 10 games against the Fighting Camels.
• The Wolfpack's most recent win against Campbell came on March 2, 2021, at home at Doak Field at Dail Park. NC State posted a 14-6 victory on March 2, 2021, building a 14-0 lead through the first six innings in the win.
• NC State is 0-1 against the Fighting Camels in the NCAA Tournament, falling 5-4 in its first game against Campbell in the 2019 NCAA Greenville Regional.
• NC State and Campbell first met on March 11, 1971, with the Wolfpack posting a 10-6 victory in Buies Creek. NC State won the first five matchups against the Fighting Camels.
THE MATCHUP: SERIES AGAINST SOUTH CAROLINA
NC State holds a 35-22 overall record against South Carolina in the all-time series. More notes from the series against the Gamecocks are listed below:
• NC State is 2-3 against the Gamecocks in the NCAA Tournament, winning the past two games in the series back in 2008. The Wolfpack went 3-0 in the NCAA Raleigh Regional to advance to a Super Regional matchup against Georgia, winning back-to-back games against the Gamecocks on May 31 and June 1. The Pack posted a 5-4 win before clinching the Regional title with a 2-1 win.
• The Wolfpack is 0-1 against the Gamecocks in NCAA Tournament games played in Columbia. The one matchup came over 48 years ago on May 25, 1975, when South Carolina recorded a 4-3 victory.
• NC State has only faced South Carolina three times in the 21st century. The Pack is 2-1 since 2000 against the Gamecocks.
• Head coach Elliott Avent is 2-0 all-time against former NC State and South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner.
THE MATCHUP: SERIES AGAINST CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE
NC State has never faced Central Connecticut State. A meeting in this weekend's Regional would be the first between the two teams.
• NC State swept fellow Northeast Conference (NEC) member Wagner to open its 2023 season. The Wolfpack outscored Wagner 26-3 in the three-game sweep. Central Connecticut State defeated Wagner twice to win the NEC Tournament after losing to the Seahawks earlier in the tournament 8-3.
NC STATE IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
NC State holds a 62-66 all-time record in 33 NCAA postseason appearances. The Wolfpack has advanced to the Super Regionals five times and the College World Series three times.
The Wolfpack advanced to the College World Series during its most recent NCAA Tournament appearance in 2021, posting a 7-2 record in its run to Omaha. NC State swept the NCAA Ruston Regional before storming back from a game one defeat in the Super Regionals against Arkansas to punch its ticket to Omaha.
NC State is 4-8 in NCAA Tournament games played in South Carolina, playing three prior NCAA Regionals in Columbia (1975, 2007, 2011) and one in Myrtle Beach (2010). The Pack is 4-6 in NCAA Tournament games in Columbia. The Wolfpack has only faced this weekend's hosts once in an NCAA Regional in Columbia (4-3 loss in 1975).
IN THE FIELD
NC State punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the 33rd time on Monday afternoon. A few notes concerning the Wolfpack's selection to the NCAA Tournament:
• 11th NCAA Regional appearance in the past 13 years the NCAA Tournament has been held
• 17th NCAA Regional appearance in the past 20 tournaments dating back to 2003
• 20 NCAA Regional appearances for head coach Elliott Avent at NC State
THE RACE TO 1,000
Head coach Elliott Avent is chasing history in more ways than one this weekend in Columbia. Avent, who sits at 997 wins at NC State, would become the fifth active head coach with 1,000 wins at one school with three wins in Columbia. The 27-year Wolfpack head coach would join Danny Hall (Georgia Tech), Keith Guttin (Missouri State), John Anderson (Minnesota) and Gary Gilmore (Coastal Carolina) on the active list. He would also become the 35th qualifying Division I head coach (active or inactive) to reach 1,000 wins at one school.
WOLFPACK COACHING LEGENDS
Current South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner has been connected to NC State for over 40 years. Tanner, a former NC State player and head coach, held a 395-173-3 record in nine seasons (1988-96) at his alma mater. Tanner earned Second Team All-ACC honors as a player and ACC Coach of the Year accolades in 1990. Tanner finished his career with a 1133-489-3 record in 25 combined seasons between NC State and South Carolina. Tanner was 11-14 at NC State in the NCAA Tournament, while head coach Elliott Avent was 2-0 against Tanner during Tanner's tenure in Columbia. The two spent one year on the same staff at NC State when Avent served as an assistant coach for Tanner during Tanner's first year as head coach in 1988.
"THE METRICS"
NC State earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament on Monday and did not fall on the list of the "Last Four In". The Wolfpack finished the season with the No. 23 ranking in the NCAA RPI. The Pack was one of only four teams in the nation to finish the year without a loss to a team over No. 100 in the final RPI poll. The other three teams in the group (Virginia, Wake Forest and Kentucky) all earned host site bids in this year's NCAA Regionals. NC State's strength of schedule ranked No. 19, while the Pack's adjusted nonconference RPI ranked No. 7 in the country.
THE MAYOR'S NCAA TOURNAMENT SUCCESS
Sam Highfill, often referred to as The Mayor by his teammates, has shined brightest on the biggest stages. Highfill has made three NCAA postseason starts in his career (all in 2021), pitching a total of 19 innings while allowing just nine hits and five walks with 16 strikeouts. The right-hander gave up just three earned runs during the 2021 postseason to post a 1.42 ERA over those three starts.
• at Louisiana Tech (6/5/21) -- 5.1 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K [Regionals]
• at Arkansas (6/12/21) -- 6.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 5 K [Super Regionals]
• vs. Vanderbilt (6/21/21) -- 7.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K [College World Series]
LAST TIME ON THE DIAMOND: ACC TOURNAMENT
NC State (35-19) split a pair of games at the ACC Tournament this past week in Durham, defeating Duke 8-7 in 11 innings to open pool play before falling 4-2 to ACC Tournament runner-up Miami. In the win against Duke, Cannon Peebles delivered a game-winning RBI single up the middle in the top of the 11th before Logan Whitaker retired the Blue Devils in order to secure the victory.
#Pack9 | @NCStateBaseball
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