Friday, February 16
Raleigh, N.C.
3 p.m.
NC State
vs
VCU
Photo by: Mollie Mitchell
#13 NC State Opens 2024 Season Against VCU
2/15/2024 10:00:00 AM | Baseball
Weekend Game Times: 3 p.m. (Friday) | 2 p.m. (Saturday) | 1 p.m. (Sunday)
RALEIGH, N.C. – The No. 13 NC State baseball team opens its 2024 season Friday with a three-game series against VCU at Doak Field at Dail Park. This weekend's series will run Friday through Sunday with first pitch times scheduled for 3 p.m., 2 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. The games will also be available on the radio on WKNC 88.1.
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
Friday – RHP Sam Highfill (NCSU) vs. RHP Everett Vaughan (VCU)
Saturday – LHP Dominic Fritton (NCSU) vs. RHP Christian Gordon (VCU)
Sunday – LHP Ryan Marohn (NCSU) vs. RHP Zachary Peters (VCU)
THE MATCHUP: SERIES AGAINST VCU
NC State holds a 21-8 advantage in the series against VCU, winning three straight matchups dating back to April 10, 2001. More notes from the series against VCU are listed below:
• The Wolfpack's most recent matchup against the Rams came in the NCAA Tournament in 2003 when the Pack notched a 4-3 victory over VCU in Wilson, North Carolina.
• VCU's most recent victory in the series came on April 13, 1999, in Richmond when the Rams earned a narrow 5-4 win over NC State.
• Four of the past five matchups in the series have been decided by a single run.
• NC State and VCU first met on March 14, 1983, in Raleigh when head coach Sam Esposito led the Pack to an 8-1 win over the Rams. Elliott Avent finished his degree at VCU the same year as the Wolfpack's first matchup against the Rams.
THE RACE TO 1,000
Head coach Elliott Avent is chasing history in more ways than one this opening weekend against his alma mater. Avent, who sits at 998 wins at NC State, would become the fifth active Division I head coach with 1,000 wins at one school with two wins this weekend against the VCU Rams. The 28-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.
AVENT'S MILESTONE WINS AT NC STATE
1 - Charleston Southern, 6-0 (1997)
100 - Cleveland State, 9-1 (1999)
200 - Davidson, 8-2 (2002)
300 - Delaware State, 3-1 (2005)
400 - Boston College, 6-2 (2007)
500 - Virginia, 6-5 (2010)
600 - Charlotte, 5-0 (2013)
700 - Florida State, 11-7 (2015)
800 - Bowling Green, 11-1 (2018)
900 - App State, 13-2 (2021)
950 - High Point, 13-5 (2022)
FRIDAYS ARE FOR THE MAYOR
Sam Highfill, often referred to as The Mayor by his teammates, will get the second Opening Day start of his Wolfpack career in Friday's season opener against VCU. Highfill earned the win after going 5.1 innings with four strikeouts in the Pack's 24-6 Opening Day victory over Evansville on Feb. 18, 2022.
TRUE FRESHMAN GETTING THE NOD
For the second straight season, a true freshman (first-year) pitcher will start for the Wolfpack on Opening Weekend. Freshman left-hander Ryan Marohn is the projected Sunday starter for NC State. Fellow southpaw, sophomore Dominic Fritton, also made his NC State debut as a Sunday starter on Opening Weekend in 2023 against Wagner. Before Fritton, Matt Willadsen was the last true freshman starting pitcher to get the nod on Opening Weekend on Feb. 15, 2020.
NC STATE IN SEASON OPENERS (AVENT AT HELM)
In his 28th season at the helm, NC State is 20-7 in season openers under head coach Elliott Avent. The program's longest streak in winning its first game of the year under Avent is eight (2001-08). NC State can tie that streak Friday as the Pack improved its season-opener winning streak to seven games following a 14-1 victory over Wagner on Feb. 17, 2023.
READY TO MAKE AN INSTANT IMPACT
NC State checked in with the No. 12 transfer class according to D1Baseball. The Wolfpack added six transfers to its 2024 roster – Garrett Pennington, Alec Makarewicz, Brandon Butterworth, Josh Hogue, Shane Van Dam and Hollis Fanning.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
D1Baseball also tabbed NC State with the No. 5 freshman class in January. The Wolfpack will feature 13 true freshmen on its opening day roster, including three players named to Perfect Game's Top 75 Freshmen List – Alex Sosa (No. 24), Chance Mako (No. 42) and Jaxon Lucas (No. 58).
HOME SUCCESS AT THE DOAK
Welcome to our house. Doak Field at Dail Park has served as a dominant home field advantage for the Wolfpack since 1966. In 2023, the Pack finished with a 26-7 record at The Doak. Since head coach Elliott Avent returned to Raleigh to take over the #Pack9 program in 1997, NC State has posted a 600-225 (.727) record in games played at Doak Field at Dail Park. NC State has won 20 or more games at the Doak 21 times since Avent's first year as head coach in 1997.
PRESEASON RECOGNITION FOR ZART
Draft boards for 2024 aren't the only places Jacob Cozart's name are being discussed prior to the 2024 campaign. Cozart earned Preseason All-America honors from four major publications, highlighted by First Team Preseason All-America accolades from Perfect Game. Cozart also earned second team recognition from D1Baseball and third team honors from both the NCBWA and Baseball America. Cozart's battery partner, Dominic Fritton, also earned Third Team Preseason All-America accolades from D1Baseball.
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. The games will also be available on the radio on WKNC 88.1.
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
Friday – RHP Sam Highfill (NCSU) vs. RHP Everett Vaughan (VCU)
Saturday – LHP Dominic Fritton (NCSU) vs. RHP Christian Gordon (VCU)
Sunday – LHP Ryan Marohn (NCSU) vs. RHP Zachary Peters (VCU)
THE MATCHUP: SERIES AGAINST VCU
NC State holds a 21-8 advantage in the series against VCU, winning three straight matchups dating back to April 10, 2001. More notes from the series against VCU are listed below:
• The Wolfpack's most recent matchup against the Rams came in the NCAA Tournament in 2003 when the Pack notched a 4-3 victory over VCU in Wilson, North Carolina.
• VCU's most recent victory in the series came on April 13, 1999, in Richmond when the Rams earned a narrow 5-4 win over NC State.
• Four of the past five matchups in the series have been decided by a single run.
• NC State and VCU first met on March 14, 1983, in Raleigh when head coach Sam Esposito led the Pack to an 8-1 win over the Rams. Elliott Avent finished his degree at VCU the same year as the Wolfpack's first matchup against the Rams.
THE RACE TO 1,000
Head coach Elliott Avent is chasing history in more ways than one this opening weekend against his alma mater. Avent, who sits at 998 wins at NC State, would become the fifth active Division I head coach with 1,000 wins at one school with two wins this weekend against the VCU Rams. The 28-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.
AVENT'S MILESTONE WINS AT NC STATE
1 - Charleston Southern, 6-0 (1997)
100 - Cleveland State, 9-1 (1999)
200 - Davidson, 8-2 (2002)
300 - Delaware State, 3-1 (2005)
400 - Boston College, 6-2 (2007)
500 - Virginia, 6-5 (2010)
600 - Charlotte, 5-0 (2013)
700 - Florida State, 11-7 (2015)
800 - Bowling Green, 11-1 (2018)
900 - App State, 13-2 (2021)
950 - High Point, 13-5 (2022)
FRIDAYS ARE FOR THE MAYOR
Sam Highfill, often referred to as The Mayor by his teammates, will get the second Opening Day start of his Wolfpack career in Friday's season opener against VCU. Highfill earned the win after going 5.1 innings with four strikeouts in the Pack's 24-6 Opening Day victory over Evansville on Feb. 18, 2022.
TRUE FRESHMAN GETTING THE NOD
For the second straight season, a true freshman (first-year) pitcher will start for the Wolfpack on Opening Weekend. Freshman left-hander Ryan Marohn is the projected Sunday starter for NC State. Fellow southpaw, sophomore Dominic Fritton, also made his NC State debut as a Sunday starter on Opening Weekend in 2023 against Wagner. Before Fritton, Matt Willadsen was the last true freshman starting pitcher to get the nod on Opening Weekend on Feb. 15, 2020.
NC STATE IN SEASON OPENERS (AVENT AT HELM)
In his 28th season at the helm, NC State is 20-7 in season openers under head coach Elliott Avent. The program's longest streak in winning its first game of the year under Avent is eight (2001-08). NC State can tie that streak Friday as the Pack improved its season-opener winning streak to seven games following a 14-1 victory over Wagner on Feb. 17, 2023.
READY TO MAKE AN INSTANT IMPACT
NC State checked in with the No. 12 transfer class according to D1Baseball. The Wolfpack added six transfers to its 2024 roster – Garrett Pennington, Alec Makarewicz, Brandon Butterworth, Josh Hogue, Shane Van Dam and Hollis Fanning.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
D1Baseball also tabbed NC State with the No. 5 freshman class in January. The Wolfpack will feature 13 true freshmen on its opening day roster, including three players named to Perfect Game's Top 75 Freshmen List – Alex Sosa (No. 24), Chance Mako (No. 42) and Jaxon Lucas (No. 58).
HOME SUCCESS AT THE DOAK
Welcome to our house. Doak Field at Dail Park has served as a dominant home field advantage for the Wolfpack since 1966. In 2023, the Pack finished with a 26-7 record at The Doak. Since head coach Elliott Avent returned to Raleigh to take over the #Pack9 program in 1997, NC State has posted a 600-225 (.727) record in games played at Doak Field at Dail Park. NC State has won 20 or more games at the Doak 21 times since Avent's first year as head coach in 1997.
PRESEASON RECOGNITION FOR ZART
Draft boards for 2024 aren't the only places Jacob Cozart's name are being discussed prior to the 2024 campaign. Cozart earned Preseason All-America honors from four major publications, highlighted by First Team Preseason All-America accolades from Perfect Game. Cozart also earned second team recognition from D1Baseball and third team honors from both the NCBWA and Baseball America. Cozart's battery partner, Dominic Fritton, also earned Third Team Preseason All-America accolades from D1Baseball.
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