N.C. State baseball opponents will be up against one of the most terrifying and utterly intimidating pitchers in the game on Fridays this season. They know the game is coming and they have it marked on their schedules as C-Day.
Just the name of sophomore pitcher Carlos Rodon is enough to make opponents shudder, and for good reason.
A pair of writers from Baseball America selected Rodon as the preseason 2013 pitcher of the year Tuesday afternoon.
Clearly, the Wolfpack’s ace has gained an immense amount of respect from Baseball America, as the publication also named him to its preseason All-American first team, along with fellow sophomore teammate, shortstop Trea Turner.
Undoubtedly, he played factor in the team’s predicted success by Baseball America, which has the team ranked No. 8 in the nation in its preseason poll, higher than any other major college baseball poll.
Who is to blame the writers?
The 6-foot-3-inch southpaw is a machine. Weighing in at 234 pounds, Rodon has put on a significant amount of bulk since leaving Holly Springs High School, allowing him to remain consistent in late game situations.
His fastball has the ability to reach upwards of 100 miles per hour, and he has a mean low-90s cutter that keeps hitters wary. He has also worked on commanding his changeup during the offseason and anticipates adding it to his arsenal, making him all the more dangerous.
His arm spits fire and his freshman statistics and accolades back it up.
Rodon led the ACC in earned run average (1.57), innings pitched (114.2), complete games (2) and opponents batting average (.176).
He also finished second in strikeouts with 135, just one behind former Duke standout Marcus Stroman who was taken 22nd overall by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2012 MLB Draft.
Additionally, he was fourth in ERA and tied for third in strikeouts nationally.
These numbers earned him honors such as ACC Freshman of the Year, ACC Pitcher of the year (the first freshman presented with the award), Louisville Slugger’s National Freshman Pitcher of the Year and consensus first team All-America credits.
He was even named as one of three finalists for the Golden Spikes Award, which is presented to college baseball’s national player of the year.
The bottom line is that Rodon is a natural born winner. From the moment he stepped foot on the mound for N.C. State, he made every person aware of that fact as he fanned the first three batters of his collegiate career.
But Rodon’s monster of an arm itself is not the most important feature of the lefty. Instead, his ability to win games can be attributed to the monster within.
Rodon is a competitor. When he crosses the boundary from the dugout to the field, the game becomes a job.
That competitiveness gives him the strength and momentum to carry the Wolfpack into late game situations and remain constant through 8 or 9 innings. Ninety-eight miles per hour for 90 pitches — over and over and over.
That spirit was seen last season against State’s archrivals, Duke and North Carolina, as he went the distance and fanned 12 batters in both games.
Make no mistake, Rodon was born to throw a baseball, but opponents need not blame his arm but his drive deep within.
When C-Day arrives for opponents, Rodon — the machine, the monster, the man — will pitch to compete and pitch to win.
