NC State baseball weekend preview: ACC play begins

NC State baseball is one of three undefeated teams left. The 13-0 Wolfpack though will face the toughest test of the season, beginning conference play by traveling to Miami for a three-game set. First pitch Friday is at 7 p.m. and can be viewed on ACC Network.

Saturday’s game starts at 6 p.m., and the finale is Sunday at 1 p.m. Those two games can be seen online with ACC Network Extra.

Here is a preview of the NC State baseball series at Miami.

NC State Baseball In The Polls

Collegiate Baseball: 11th (up from 19th)

NCBWA: 14th (up from 20th)

USA Today Sports baseball coaches: 15th (up from 20th)

Perfect Game: 16th (up from 17th)

D1Baseball.com: 19th (up from 21st)

Baseball America: 21st (up from 24th)

Midweek Recap

With a 10-2 lead going into the bottom of the second at UNC Greensboro, another easy win appeared in NC State’s future.

Not so fast.

UNCG would score 1 in the second, 4 in the third and 3 in the fourth to tie the game. Then the Spartans would answer every Wolfpack run until the ninth, where NC State broke open a 13-13 tie by plating a pair. NC State junior righty Justin Lawson worked a perfect ninth to lock down the win.

NC State Baseball Weekend Rotation

NC State baseball coach Elliott Avent is going with the same rotation he has used in his first three series of the year.

Redshirt junior righty Logan Whitaker has thrown 16.0 innings in three Friday starts, surrendering 14 hits and 5 earned runs without issuing a walk and fanning 12.

Junior righthander Matt Willadsen will go Saturday. In 3 starts, Willadsen has given up just 11 hits and 2 walks over a team-high 18.0 innings while allowing 4 earned runs and striking out a staff-best 19.

Sunday starter is freshman lefty Dominic Fritton. He has tossed 15.2 innings over 3 starts, allowing 8 hits and just 2 earned runs for a 1.15 earned run average (ERA). He’s walked five and fanned 13.

Scouting Miami

Miami was a heavy preseason favorite in the Coastal Division, picked to win by 10 of the league’s 14 coaches, although no one had the Canes winning the conference title. However, after a midweek loss to Jacksonville at home on Wednesday, Miami comes into the NC State series with an 8-5 overall record. They have lost 4 of 5.

These are also Miami’s first conference games.

The Canes are expected to start a trio of righties against NC State, led by Karson Ligon on Friday. Ligon has gone 2-0 in 3 starts with a 3.20 ERA, allowing only 10 hits in 19.2 innings while giving up just 4 walks and striking out 12.

The other two starters however have been hit hard. Saturday starter Gage Ziehl has given up 23 hits in 12.0 innings, including 7 extra base hits, and has a 11.25 ERA. Alejandro Rosario has a 7.82 ERA in 12.2 innings, giving up 12 hits and 8 walks while striking out 15.

Miami third baseman Yohandy Morales is off to a hot start, batting .458 with 5 homers in 48 at bats. Overall, eight of the normal lineup for the Canes have players who have multiple home runs.