Despite the adversity the Wolfpack (29-19, 15-11 ACC) has faced this season, NC State baseball has put itself in position to host an NCAA regional after taking the series over No. 10 Virginia (37-14, 15-12 ACC) with a 13-5 win on Sunday at Davenport Field in Charlottesville, Virginia.
It would be hard-pressed to find a more resilient team in college baseball than No. 23 NC State.
The Wolfpack has suffered season-ending injuries to key players such as senior right-handed pitcher Matt Willadsen, sophomore outfielder Josh Hogue and sophomore right-handed pitcher Shane Van Dam. Many players have missed extended time like redshirt senior right-handed pitcher Logan Whitaker and senior right fielder Noah Soles each missing over a month. On top of the injuries, NC State has faced some of the best teams in the country and its fair share of tough midweek games.
There’s no better example of the Wolfpack’s resilience than what it did at the plate against the Cavaliers. Ten of NC State’s 13 runs came with two outs.
In the top of the first inning, junior shortstop Brandon Butterworth knocked a three-run home run with two outs to take an early 3-0 lead. Sophomore center fielder Eli Serrano III led off the inning with a fly out and junior catcher Jacob Cozart popped out for the first two outs. Before Cozart popped out, graduate first baseman Garrett Pennington was hit by a pitch and graduate third baseman Alec Makarewicz walked to set up Butterworth’s two-out blast.
Then after losing its early 3-0 lead, the Wolfpack put four runs on the board in the fourth inning all coming with two outs. Sophomore second baseman Matt Heavner started the inning with a single but Soles and Serrano recorded two quick outs immediately after. With ice in his veins, Pennington drove in a run and Makarewicz followed with an RBI double. The Pack went on to score two more runs in the inning off Virginia errors to regain a 7-4 lead it wouldn’t give up.
Pennington started the fourth inning two-out rally. The first baseman punished the Cavaliers’ pitching all three games, hitting a home run in each game, collecting nine hits and recording seven RBIs.
On the mound to start for NC State was Whitaker who was making his first start since March 29. Whitaker missed over a month and lost 25 pounds due to an illness.
Whitaker missed his freshman season due to injury, came down with an illness this season and started the season out of the bullpen after being the Friday night starter the previous season. Through it all Whitaker has stayed consistent on the mound.
“I always say Logan Whitaker exemplifies what a college athlete is all about,” Avent said after Whitaker made his first start of the season in March. “What he’s done personally, to get back after injuries early in his career and just always persevere and never giving up and never not believing in himself and what he’s done has been tremendous … that takes a great mentality, but that’s who he is.”
After giving up four runs in the second inning, Whitaker went 2.2 more innings while giving up just one run to keep NC State in the lead.
The extra innings Whitaker gave the Wolfpack allowed freshman left-handed pitcher Cooper Consiglio to come in and shut down the Cavaliers. Consiglio was untouchable as he went the rest of the game, giving up zero runs and just one hit.
With the win over Virginia, NC State has now won four series’ over ranked opponents and collected its sixth and seventh win over a top-10 opponent. If the Wolfpack hasn’t already moved into a spot where it would host an NCAA Regional, it will have the opportunity to cement it with a series win over No. 12 Wake Forest this week.
The series against Wake Forest is set to begin on May 16. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.
