Postseason baseball is in the air as NC State baseball is headed to the Auburn Regional to open the NCAA Tournament.
The Wolfpack is the No. 2 seed in the Auburn Regional, which features Auburn, Stetson, and Central Connecticut State. With an SEC power and two conference champions in the mix, the Wolfpack faces a challenging path to advance to the Super Regionals for a second straight season.
The Pack will open postseason play against Stetson on Friday, May 30, at 2 p.m. at Auburn’s Plainsman Park.
Auburn
As the No. 4 seed nationally and one of the top teams in the country, the Tigers enter the Auburn Regional as the clear favorites.
At 38-18, Auburn won seven of its ten SEC series this season to build an impressive resume. With the No. 1 strength of schedule in the country, Auburn is battle tested and will be a tough out for any opponent.
The Tigers are led by right fielder Ike Irish — a potential first round pick in this year’s MLB draft. He leads the Tigers with a .352 batting average and 16 home runs.
Irish is always a threat to go deep, forcing teams to be extra careful about leaving pitches over the plate. Irish is also dangerous on the base path with his speed, stealing ten bases this year. The first team All-SEC star will be one of the X factors for the regional.
On the mound, Samuel Dutton is a seasoned pitcher with four years of SEC experience at LSU and now Auburn. Dutton posted a 3.58 ERA across his 14 starts this year.
Dutton forces hitters to earn every base, demonstrated by his 89 strikeouts and 15 walks. If the Tigers and the Wolfpack win their Friday matchups to set up a Saturday matchup, there’s a strong possibility that NC State faces Dutton.
Another pitcher that the Pack could face if they run into the Tigers is Cam Tilly. The righty has started a game each of the last five weeks, including in the SEC Tournament against Texas A&M.
Allowing just a .179 batting average, Tilly is a proven talent and would be a challenging matchup. One notable weakness for Tilly is that he walks batters relatively frequently, with 26 this season.
The Tigers are one of the strongest performers at home this season, compiling a 25-6 record at Plainsman Park this year. Auburn didn’t drop a single series at home, showing how strong the Tigers are in their own park. However, the Tigers are suffering a late season slump, losing three of their last four games, although all were away from Plainsman Park.
If there is a window for a team to beat Auburn, the time is now.
Stetson
NC State’s first opponent in the NCAA Tournament is Stetson.
Earning the automatic qualifier as the ASUN champions, Stetson is a dangerous opponent. With its 40-20 record, the Hatters have more wins than any other team in the Auburn Regional. Featuring a strong pitching staff, Stetson should not be overlooked.
The Hatters will likely start Jonathan Gonzalez, a true ace on the mound, against NC State. The senior southpaw posted an impressive 9-2 record.
With a 2.26 ERA and 101 strikeouts, Gonzalez is playing his best baseball after missing last season due to injury. Expect Gonzalez to go deep into the game as he averages over six innings of action per outing.
Once Stetson turns to its bullpen, the Hatters remain strong on the mound. Right-handed pitcher Ty Van Dyke is the top arm in the pen for the Hatters, with an impressive 1.45 ERA and 7-0 record. Allowing a .179 batting average, Van Dyke is one of the best relievers in the regional, capable of trading punches with NC State’s plethora of talented arms in the bullpen.
Offensively, Stetson is led by third baseman Isaiah Barkett, who has a .380 batting average and just eight walks throughout the year. However, neither Barkett nor his team offers a lot of power at the plate.
What the Hatters lack in power, though, they make up for with their speed on the bases. Barkett leads Stetson with 30 stolen bases this year, while multiple other players have over 20 stolen bases.
Clean fielding and smart throws will be crucial against the Hatters — especially for NC State in Friday’s matchup.
Central Connecticut State
For the second time in three years, NC State and Central Connecticut State will be in the same regional.
This year’s Blue Devil squad finished at 31-15 and won the NEC Tournament to earn the conference title. Making their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017, Central Connecticut is a well-coached team looking to break through. Head coach Charlie Hickey is now in his 26th year leading the Blue Devils, and will be prepared for any situation.
While the Blue Devils don’t have a ton of power at the plate, they are excellent at finding ways to get on base. Central Connecticut has several players hitting above .300, including star second baseman Aidan Redahan with a nation-leading .458 batting average. Central Connecticut also maintains strong plate discipline, with no players recording 30 or more strikeouts.
On the mound, the Blue Devils’ top two starters are Vincent Borghese and Drew Munn, with ERA’s of 4.22 and 4.34 respectively. Borghese leads the Blue Devils with 89 strikeouts. Meanwhile Munn is holding opponents to a .256 batting average and gives Central Connecticut more starting pitching than the average mid major.