The NC State baseball team will travel to U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis Feb. 28-March 1 as a part of the Cambria College Classic. In this three-game tournament, the Wolfpack will play Iowa, Purdue and Minnesota.
The No. 13 Pack (8-0) is coming off a win against UNC-Wilmington this past Tuesday, Feb. 25. Led by junior infielder/outfielder Devonte Brown’s three-run home run in the first inning, NC State secured the 8-0 win. Five pitchers were a part of the shutout victory, including junior David Harrison, who pitched the first 4.2 innings and recorded six strikeouts. Combined, the pitching staff struck out 11 batters, making this the fifth game this season there’s been double-digit strikeouts in a single game.
NC State’s offense has been stellar this year, outscoring its opponents 74-15. Brown has been leading the way with a .448 batting average, including 13 hits, 16 RBIs and four home runs. Another important mention is junior infielder Austin Murr. With an OBP of .500 and nine runs scored so far, he’s been a crucial part of what makes this offense so great.
The strength of NC State’s offense has been its ability to crush home runs. The game against the Seahawks on Tuesday was the third time this season that the Wolfpack has hit multiple homers in a single game, making this ability a very big threat for the Pack.
Junior righty Reid Johnston will take the mound Friday afternoon for NC State against Iowa, while junior lefty Nick Swiney and freshman Chris Villaman will earn the starts Saturday and Sunday, respectively. In just one start, Johnston has recorded a 5.06 ERA with seven strikeouts. Swiney has a 1.38 ERA while fanning 22 batters in 13 innings pitched, while Villaman has struck out seven and recorded a 1.59 ERA in 5.2 innings. With a solid defense behind them, these pitchers have the opportunity to really shine this upcoming weekend.
Iowa (3-3) hasn’t had the same start to its season the Wolfpack has. With inconsistent pitching, especially from the bullpen, the Hawkeyes have had trouble stringing together wins. Recently they beat No. 18 Arizona on the road in California, but they struggled against San Diego on Sunday. With only 52 hits as a team this season compared to the Pack’s 88, and three homers compared to NC State’s 12, Iowa’s offense just isn’t as consistent as it needs to be.
Purdue (6-1) has had a better start to its season, with only one loss, which was back in its first series against Hofstra. While its defense started off rocky, it has shut down teams as of late, letting up only three runs in its last two games. Scoring 54 runs in its first seven games, Purdue’s offense is not to be messed with. Senior catcher Bryce Bonner leads the Boilermakers with a .400 ERA, including six hits and seven RBIs. Sophomore infielder Evan Albrecht has also had a large impact, with 10 RBIs of his own.
Minnesota (3-4) hasn’t had a strong start to its season either. Both the defense and offense have struggled so far for the Gophers. The defense has struggled the most, with 11 errors as a team and letting up 56 runs, while the offense has only managed to score 35 in its first seven games. The Gophers have a few key batters though, including redshirt freshman outfielder Otto Grimm and sophomore outfielder Andrew Wilhite, who both have a .417 ERA to start the season.
The Wolfpack will start the weekend Friday at noon against Iowa. It’ll take on Purdue Saturday at noon and conclude the weekend against Minnesota Sunday at 7 p.m.
