#14 Wolfpack Opens Four-Game Series Against Towson on Friday

Saturday, March 2

Raleigh, N.C.

Noon

NC State

Towson

Photo by: Mollie Mitchell

#14 Wolfpack Opens Four-Game Series Against Towson on Friday

2/29/2024 5:09:00 PM | Baseball

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First Pitch Times: Friday (Noon) | Saturday (Noon & DH2) | Sunday (1 p.m.)

RALEIGH, N.C. – The No. 14 NC State baseball team opens a four-game series against Towson on Friday at Doak Field at Dail Park. This weekend's series will run Friday through Sunday with first pitch times scheduled for noon and 1 p.m. on Friday and Sunday, respectively. Friday's first pitch was moved up three hours from 3 p.m. to noon due to inclement weather.

The Pack and Tigers will play a doubleheader on Saturday. Game one of the doubleheader is set for noon, while game two is slated to begin at 4:30 p.m.

All four games will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra. A free audio stream will be available on the Varsity Network App for all four games. The games will also be available on the radio on WKNC 88.1.

PROJECTED STARTING PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday – RHP Sam Highfill (NCSU) vs. RHP Max Simpson (Towson)
Saturday (Game 1) – LHP Dominic Fritton (NCSU) vs. LHP Tyler Russo (Towson)
Saturday (Game 2) – TBD (NCSU) vs. RHP Nate Nabholz (Towson)
Sunday – Ryan Marohn (NCSU) vs. TBD (Towson)

THE MATCHUP: SERIES AGAINST TOWSON
NC State holds a 9-0 advantage in the series against Towson. More notes from the series against the Tigers are listed below:

• NC State and Towson first met on April 16, 1977, when Wolfpack head coach Sam Esposito's team swept a doubleheader against Towson in Raleigh. NC State won game one 8-2 before posting a 10-3 victory in game two.
• The Wolfpack's largest margin of victory over Towson came on May 9, 2010, when the Wolfpack shut out the Tigers 21-0 at the Doak.
• In its most recent matchup against Towson, NC State notched an 11-1 win over the Tigers on March 19, 2019. Jonny Butler and Will Wilson combined to go 7-for-9 with six RBI, six runs scored, two doubles and a homer in the win.
• Towson has twice come within one run of taking down the Pack. The Tigers fell 6-5 on May 8, 2010, and 4-3 on March 18, 2008.
• All nine games in the series have been played in Raleigh.

SCOUTING TOWSON
Towson (1-6) has dropped five straight after posting a 14-3 victory over Bucknell on Feb. 17. The Tigers dropped all three games of their series at Florida Atlantic this past weekend in Boca Raton, Florida. Elijah Dickerson leads the Tigers with a .367 batting average, 11 hits and four doubles. The Tigers' pitching staff has posted an 8.79 staff ERA over its first seven games with a 2.13 WHIP, ranking 246th and 256th in the nation, respectively.

HANG 10
A trip to Hawaii not only served as a memorable trip for the Pack9, but it also gave the Wolfpack offense a spark heading into a 10-game homestand. NC State's offense pushed 32 runs across home plate in the series victory at Hawaii, hitting double digits twice with 17 runs on Friday and 10 runs on Sunday. NC State smacked 45 hits, including 12 for extra bases, in the offensive outburst at Les Murakami Stadium. NC State's momentum at the plate carried over to Wednesday's win over Queens, smacking 14 hits and drawing 11 walks in the 17-2 victory.

A-MAK ATTACK
Transfer and starting third baseman Alec Makarewicz had an outstanding weekend in Hawaii this past weekend, batting .462 with a team high eight RBI, two homers and 12 total bases. Makarewicz homered from both sides of the plate in Friday's win over the Rainbow Warriors, marking the fourth multi-home run game of his career. Makarewicz followed up his Hawaii weekend performance with a 3-for-4 day at the plate against Queens, scoring three times with four RBI and a homer.

NEWCOMERS SHINE ON THE MOUND
NC State's pitching staff has many new, young faces in 2024. Those young faces got valuable experience on opening weekend against VCU as five new Wolfpack pitchers made their debuts. Freshmen Ryan Marohn, Jacob Dudan and Jaxon Lucas each made the first appearances of their college careers, while sophomore Shane Van Dam and senior Hollis Fanning each made their first pitching appearances in a Wolfpack uniform. NC State's freshman trio of Marohn, Dudan and Lucas combined to toss nine innings while allowing just one run, five hits, four walks with 13 strikeouts. Van Dam dominated in his Division I debut, tossing four scoreless innings with five strikeouts to close out the Pack's Opening Day victory.

In Wednesday's win over Queens, freshmen arms Chance Mako and Camden Wimbish each made their Wolfpack debuts with scoreless frames out of the bullpen.

TRUE FRESHMAN SHINES IN WOLFPACK DEBUT
For the second straight season, a true freshman (first-year) pitcher started for the Wolfpack on Opening Weekend. Freshman left-hander Ryan Marohn exceled in his first collegiate start on Feb. 18, earning the victory after tossing five scoreless innings with eight strikeouts. Marohn escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fifth with a three-pitch strikeout, tipping his cap as he walked off the mound on his 89th and final pitch of the afternoon. Marohn allowed just two hits and three walks in the start. 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.

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 603-226 (.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.

COMEBACK PACK
NC State rallied to win 11 times (30.6% or 11/36 of its wins in 2023) this past season after going behind first. The Wolfpack is 3-1 so far this season when falling behind first.