NC State baseball regional preview

NC State baseball starts NCAA Regional action on Friday at 1 p.m. The Pack plays Campbell on the ACC Network. The regional is a double-elimination format. Host and top seed South Carolina and Central Connecticut State will play Friday evening to set the Saturday lineup.

Campbell

The lone known opponent this weekend for NC State baseball is Campbell. Many projected that the Fighting Camels would be hosting a regional vs. being a No. 2 seed. The NCAA’s selection committee that clearly put a heavy focus on RPI rankings went against its own grain by not picking Campbell. The Fighting Camels were the loan team in the top 16 of the RPI not landing a hosting assignment.

Campbell’s season was worthy of a host. It enters the Columbia regional against NC State with a 44-13 overall record and dominated the Big South, going 22-5 in league action and sweeping its way to a tournament title.

Among its noteworthy results include beating East Carolina all three times they played, winning at North Carolina, sweeping two games vs. tournament-bound UNC Wilmington, and taking 2 of 3 on the road at Louisiana, who received an at-large berth.

Campbell also went winless in two games against Duke and 1-2 vs. Coastal Carolina, a regional host.

NC State won its lone games against Duke and Coastal Carolina, both away from home, and like Campbell beat UNCW twice. The Pack split two games with East Carolina and were swept at North Carolina.

Among other common opponents, Campbell split two games with Elon and NC State lost its lone showdown with the Phoenix.

Campbell is likely to throw ace Cade Kuehler against the Pack. He went 8-0 in 12 starts, giving up just 47 hits and 24 walks in 67.0 innings while fanning 87 for a 2.82 earned run average (ERA). MLB.com ranks Kuehler the No. 54 overall prospect in the upcoming draft in July, which projects to be top 2-3 rounds.

However, the lineup is where Campbell is most feared. Six regulars have double-digit home runs and six hit .300 or better. Furthermore, the Fighting Camels have speed, with three players having stolen at least 18 bases. All three are also a combined 75 of 80 on stolen base attempts.

South Carolina

There was a time where South Carolina looked certain to be a national seed (top eight). After sweeping Florida, who is the overall No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, in Columbia, the Gamecocks were 34-6 overall and 13-4 in the powerful Southeastern Conference (SEC).

South Carolina rose to No. 3 in the polls, but stumbled since then down the stretch. The Gamecocks lost its final four conference series and went 1-2 in the SEC Tournament. Overall, South Carolina enters the regional having gone 5-13 in its last 18 games.

The Gamecocks went 26-7 at home this season.

Like Campbell, South Carolina has pop in its lineup. Five regulars have double-digit homers and a sixth has eight. Pitching, however, has been more inconsistent.

South Carolina has two starters in Jack Mahoney and Will Sanders who are projected to be drafted. Mahoney has failed to make through the fifth inning in three of his list five starts and allowed at least four runs in each.

There are hints that Mahoney will be held for game two against NC State or Campbell.

Sanders has not pitched since May 5 and had a 5.75 ERA through 11 starts. He is expected to return from what was termed a leg injury for the regional but likely to come out of the bullpen.

Central Connecticut State

Central Connecticut State went 36-12 during the season, dominating the Northeast Conference with a 25-5 mark. However, in two games against then-No. 1 LSU in Baton Rouge, CCSU was outscored 39-4, with each game called after seven innings.

NC State baseball and Central Connecticut State had one common opponent in Wagner, with the Pack earning a sweep in its season-opening series while CCSU went 2-1 on the road.

Wagner and CCSU then met three more times to decide the Northeast Conference Tournament. Wagner opened the tournament with an upset win, but the Blue Devils won twice with the title on the line.

Staff ace Dominic Niman posted impressive numbers, tossing 97.2 innings over 14 starts and having a 2.76 ERA while giving up 82 hits and 24 walks and striking out 90.

Closer Luke Garofalo has a 2.09 ERA and 11 saves and also threw a complete game in his one start.