NC State baseball series preview: Rivalry showdown

NC State baseball needs to finish strong to get on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble and qualify for the ACC Tournament. After taking 2 of 3 at Notre Dame, the Pack travels to archrival North Carolina for another crucial 3-game set in Chapel Hill.

First pitch Thursday is 7 p.m. on ACC Network Extra. Game 2 on Friday is also at 7 p.m. and on ACC Network. Saturday’s finale is at 2 p.m and can be seen online via ACC Network Extra.

Here is a preview of the NC State baseball (31-15 overall, 10-13 ACC) series at North Carolina (30-17, 11-11).

NC State Baseball Weekend Rotation

Redshirt junior righty Logan Whitaker remains in his normal game one role. Whitaker has thrown 63.2 innings in 12 starts, surrendering 65 hits and 34 earned runs with just 10 walks and fanning 61. He has a 4.81 earned run average (ERA).

Going in game 2 will be junior righthander Matt Willadsen. He has also had 12 starts, typically on game twos. Willadsen has given up 58 hits and 20 walks over a team-high 65.2 innings while allowing 20 earned runs (2.74 ERA) and striking out 67, also a staff-best.

No announcement has been made for game 3 yet.

Freshman lefty Dominic Fritton had previously started every series thus far this season that went three games, but redshirt junior righty Sam Highfill replaced him at Notre Dame. Highfill also started the midweek win over ECU in April. In his 2 starts this year, the ace of the 2021 College World Series team has thrown 9 innings, allowing 1 earned run on 6 hits and 4 walks while striking out seven.

Overall, Highfill has a 3.63 ERA in 18 appearances, giving up 35 hits in 39.2 innings with 14 walks and 38 strikeouts.

Fritton had been primarily a Sunday, game three starter, but his last 4 appearance have come out of the pen. He has tossed 54.1 innings over 14 games, including 9 starts, allowing 37 hits and 16 earned runs for a 2.65 ERA. He’s walked 20 and fanned 62. Last Sunday, Fritton threw the final 4 scoreless innings in relief of Highfill in a 6-1 win over the Irish.

Scouting North Carolina

North Carolina and NC State have very similar NCAA Tournament resumes going into the weekend.

The Pack has an advantage in RPI, No. 20 compared to No. 32, but the Heels are credited with playing a stronger strength of schedule (No. 18 overall and No. 72 in non-conference compared to No. 24 overall and No. 117 non-con).

NC State is 5-12 against top 25 RPI teams, UNC is 5-13. The Pack is 4-2 vs. 25-50 in the RPI, the Heels are 2-1. Expanding to 51-100, NC State is 5-1 and UNC is 8-2.

Outside the top 100 of RPI, the Wolfpack is 17-0 (with no games remaining). The Heels are 15-1.

Against similar conference opponents, both NC State and UNC lost 2 of 3 to Virginia at home and won 2 of 3 at Notre Dame. Each lost 2 of 3 to Miami, although the Pack was on the road and the Heels in Chapel Hill. NC State lost 2 of 3 at Boston College on the road after blowing a late lead and losing in extra innings in game three, while North Carolina was swept at home by the Eagles.

Out of conference, NC State split a pair of games vs. East Carolina while the Heels went 1-2. The Pack beat UNC Wilmington in both games of a home-and-home, and UNC trounced the Seahawks in their lone meeting in Chapel Hill. The Wolfpack took a decisive win on the road at Coastal Carolina, while UNC lost at home to the same team.

North Carolina has a potent lineup with 5 regulars hitting 8 or more homers thus far this year, including Mac Horvath, a junior infielder who is second in the conference with 20 home runs and considered a potential high-round MLB Draft pick.

Consistency with starting pitching has been an issue for the Heels, but UNC does boast some shutdown relievers in the bullpen. Junior righty Matt Poston has 4 saves while compiling a 1.50 ERA in 36.0 innings, allowing only 16 hits while striking out 40. Penn grad transfer Kevin Eaise, another righthanded pitcher, has 5 saves and a 2.72 ERA in 43.0 innings, striking out 51 in the process. He was the 2022 Ivy League Pitcher of the Year.

ACC Standings And Weekend Schedule

Atlantic Division

Team	Overall Record	Conference Record
Wake Forest	40-7	18-5
Clemson	31-17	14-10
Boston College	30-16	14-13
Notre Dame	26-19	14-13
NC State	31-15	10-13
Louisville	29-19	9-15
Florida State	19-28	6-18

Coastal Division

Team	Overall Record	Conference Record
Duke	32-14	14-9
Miami	31-16	14-10
Virginia	38-11	13-11
North Carolina	30-17	11-11
Virginia Tech	28-16	11-12
Georgia Tech	28-19	10-14
Pittsburgh	21-24	9-13

Weekend Series Schedule:

NC State at North Carolina

Miami at Pittsburgh

Louisville at Virginia

Wake Forest at Florida State

Georgia Tech at Duke

Clemson at Virginia Tech

Akron at Notre Dame

Villanova at Boston College

NC State Baseball In The Polls

USA Today Sports baseball coaches: Receiving votes (previously receiving votes)

NCBWA: Receiving votes (previously unranked)

Collegiate Baseball: Unranked (previously unranked)

Perfect Game: Unranked (previously unranked)

D1Baseball.com: Unranked (previously unranked)

Baseball America: Unranked (previously unranked)