NC State baseball weekend preview: Pack tries to keep momentum

NC State baseball was just 2-9 through the first 11 games of the month of March. Since then, the Wolfpack has won 6 of 7, the one loss a 17-inning marathon at Florida State. Last weekend, NC State swept No. 12 Georgia Tech. Then, it continued its recent momentum with a 2-0 win at in-state rival East Carolina on Tuesday.

The Wolfpack’s record stands at 16-8 overall and 4-4 in the ACC as it heads to a three-game series at Clemson on April 1. First pitch Friday and Saturday are both at 6 p.m., while Sunday is 1 p.m. Games one and three can be viewed online with ACC Network Extra, while Saturday’s contest will be televised by ACC Network.

Here’s a look at the weekend ahead for NC State baseball.

Looking At Clemson

The Tigers, looking to make last season’s 25-27 overall record an aberration, came out of the starting blocks hot. Clemson began 14-0, including a sweep of rival South Carolina in which two games were played in Columbia.

In the past 10 games, however, Clemson is 3-7. That includes a 1-4 mark in the ACC. The Tigers lost 2 of 3 at home to Miami and then were swept in a doubleheader at Pittsburgh in the only two games played last weekend. Two of those three Clemson victories in the past 10 contests have been against Winthrop.

Clemson is 11th out of 14 ACC teams in team batting average (.282) and slugging average (.469). They will take walks, fourth most in the ACC, but also strike out frequently, second most in the conference behind Florida State.

Weekend Pitching

NC State baseball is changing up its weekend rotation for the third straight weekend.

Sophomore right hander Matt Willadsen will start Friday for the first time this year. He is 1-1 in six starts with a 3.94 earned run average (ERA) while allowing 30 hits in 32.0 innings. He has surrendered 17 walks while fanning 34. Willadsen had gone at least six innings in three straight starts until piling up the pitches in 4.2 innings last Saturday vs. Georgia Tech. Willadsen has thrown at least 117 pitches in his last three starts.

Clemson is countering with sophomore Mack Anglin, who returned after being drafted in the 13th round last year by the Washington Nationals. Anglin is 3-2 with a 4.55 ERA in six starts but has allowed just 16 hits in 27.2 innings. Opponents are hitting only .170 off Anglin, but he has struggled with command, surrendering 23 walks compared to 29 strikeouts.

NC State feel-good story redshirt sophomore Logan Whitaker, a righty, will go Saturday. Having not thrown a pitch in his first three years in Raleigh due to injuries, Whitaker has elevated himself into the weekend rotation for the third straight start. In 21.2 innings, Whitaker has allowed only 11 hits and a .147 batting average. He’s walked eight while striking out 20.

Clemson will throw redshirt sophomore righty Nick Hoffman, one of its best bullpen pitchers a year ago who is now a full-time starter. Hoffman has been hit hard, however. He’s given up 36 hits, including five homers, in 28.1 innings and has a 5.08 ERA. Batters are hitting .310 off Hoffman.

Moving to Sunday for NC State is sophomore right hander Sam Highfill, who is looking to rediscover his magic from last season. Highfill skipped a turn in the rotation at Florida State and was hit hard last Friday by Georgia Tech. Highfill allowed eight hits and six earned runs in 4.0 innings, ballooning his season ERA to 6.20 in 24.2 innings pitched.

Clemson counters with redshirt sophomore righty Nick Clayton, who has a 0-1 record in six games (five starts) and a 4.87 ERA.

NC State Baseball Midweek Review

Sophomore right-hander Garrett Payne, super senior lefty Canaan Silver, junior righty Baker Nelson and sophomore southpaw Chris Villaman combined to pitch a three-hitter in leading NC State baseball over East Carolina.

Taking advantage of an aggressive East Carolina approach, NC State needed just 107 pitches to complete the shutout and walked only two batters.

Three NC State hitters had multiple hits, including senior second baseman J.T. Jarrett, who drove in both runs.

ACC Standings And Schedule

Atlantic Division

Team	ACC W-L	Pct.	Overall W-L	Pct.
Louisville	6-0	1.000	20-5	.800
Florida State	6-3	.667	16-8	.667
NC State	4-4	.500	16-8	.667
Wake Forest	4-5	.444	19-6	.760
Notre Dame	2-4	.333	13-5	.722
Clemson	1-4	.200	17-7	.708
Boston College	1-8	.111	11-14	.440

Coastal Division

Team	ACC W-L	Pct.	Overall W-L	Pct.
Virginia	7-2	.778	23-2	.920
Miami	7-2	.778	18-6	.750
North Carolina	5-4	.556	19-6	.760
Georgia Tech	4-5	.444	17-9	.654
Virginia Tech	3-4	.429	15-6	.714
Pittsburgh	3-5	.375	13-10	.565
Duke	3-6	.333	12-13	.480

Weekend Schedule

NC State at Clemson

Louisville at Pittsburgh

Wake Forest at Boston College

Georgia Tech at Virginia

Miami at Duke

Virginia Tech at North Carolina

Notre Dame at Florida State

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