NC State baseball weekend recap: Clean sweep to start the season
NC State baseball much-anticipated return to Doak Field started with a bang over the weekend, a sweep of Evansville by a combined score of 37-10.
The Wolfpack had been favored to win the series. A year ago, Evansville went 28-27 overall and 11-16 in the competitive mid-major Missouri Valley Conference, but the Aces were picked to finish seventh in the eight-team league in the preseason.
NC State head coach Elliott Avent however is not buying that Evansville is in a rebuilding year.
“I think that is a good team,” Avent said Sunday. “They’re coming from up North with some disadvantages with a ten-hour bus ride. I think they played outstanding, and if they stay together they can have some good fortune.
“That’s a team that can do well in a tough league. So, I think that’s a very competitive team to open the season with.”
At The Plate For NC State Baseball
His name is Tommy White, a freshman first baseman from St. Pete Beach, Fla. Some may confuse him for Roy Hobbs from the famous baseball movie, “The Natural.”
White homered in his first career at bat, and he was only getting started. White would hit two more bombs in the season opener, come back with a grand slam Saturday and then for good measure made it three straight games when he went yard Sunday.
For the series, White went 9 of 14 at the plate, scored seven runs and drove in 12 while drawing a couple of walks, one of them intentional.
White was considered a blue chip prospect when he signed with NC State. Perfect Game rated White the No. 18 overall prospect nationally in the 2021 class, and many considered him to be a potential top MLB Draft prospect.
The Wolfpacker will have more on White later Monday.
Avent went with the same lineup every game of the series, starting six newcomers, including a trio of freshman. The other rookies joining White were catcher Jacob Cozart and shortstop Payton Green.
In addition, three transfers made their NC State baseball debut: redshirt junior third baseman Josh Hood (Penn), sophomore left fielder LuJames Groover III (Charlotte) and sophomore designated hitter Dominic Pilolli (Charlotte). Pilolli had two homers in his Wolfpack debut, while Hood had four doubles among his six hits over the weekend. Groover added three doubles during the series.
On The Mound
Two of the Pack’s starters did not allow an earned run over the weekend, highlighted by six strong innings from senior lefty David Harrison on Sunday in what would be a 7-0 victory. Harrison allowed four hits and two walks while striking out four in his return to the mound after missing almost all of last season due to an off-the-field incident.
“It was amazing,” Harrison said of his return. “I worked hard all offseason just to get back to where I was today.”
Avent added he was “extremely impressed” with Harrison.
“Not only extremely impressed, but extremely happy,” Avent added. “I thought how he handed last year showed the maturity in him and the levelheadedness, and I was very happy with how he came back.
“He worked harder than he’s every worked, and was very pleased with David Harrison.”
Third-year sophomore Matt Willadsen had issues with control Saturday with four walks and a pair of wild pitches, but he allowed only one hit in 4.2 innings Saturday and struck out six.
Friday starter Sam Highfill cruised through five scoreless innings before allowing three earned runs in the sixth.
Avent was also able to see a lot of bullpen arms, not including expected closer third-year sophomore Chris Villaman, who did not make an appearance over the weekend.
“We are searching for bullpen guys, and I don’t think any team is going to be any good without a good bullpen,” Avent noted. “We’ve managed to have very good bullpens. It’s been the story of our success, and this year we have to develop one.”
One feel-good story from the weekend was redshirt sophomore righty Logan Whitaker, who has battled injuries throughout his career since arriving in 2019. Whitaker threw 1.1 innings Saturday to close out the 6-4 win, allowing a hit and a walk while surrendering a pair of unearned runs and getting a strikeout in what was his Wolfpack debut.
“He’s a great pitcher we signed out of high school, Ledford High School, and he’s battled so many injuries throughout his career,” Whitaker said. “A lot of us thought his career might be over. The only person who didn’t think it was over was Logan Whitaker.
“That goes to show that if you can believe in yourself, no matter what happens and no matter what’s going on, if you keep believing in yourself and you keep working, then good things could happen. It was good not only to see him out there throwing well, but to finish that game.”
One Area Of Concern
Sunday was a clean day in the field, but games one and two were not. The young Wolfpack squad had a combined seven errors and a pair of passed balls in the first pair of contests of the series.
Midweek Action Ahead For NC State Baseball
Fans should have incredible weather to enjoy a pair of midweek games if the rain holds off with temperatures in the low-70s.
NC State will host High Point on Tuesday and Longwood on Wednesday, both of them scheduled for 3 p.m. starts.
High Point was swept over the weekend at Jacksonville, while Longwood swept Maryland-Eastern Shore at home.
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