After dropping Game 2 of the College World Series to UCLA, N.C. State (50-15, 19-10 ACC) will face its biggest rival and No. 1 overall seed UNC-Chapel Hill (58-11, 21-7 ACC) Thursday night at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb.
The contest will be the fifth between these two teams this season, and the winner will move on to face the Bruins in the semifinal series that will determine who moves on to the championship. The loser will be heading back to North Carolina.
The Wolfpack is 2-2 against the Tar Heels this season, with both wins earned by sophomore pitcher Carlos Rodon (10-2, 3.04 ERA).
The first game in Raleigh resulted in a 7-1 Tar Heel victory, but the Pack turned it around in the second matchup and rallied behind Rodon to notch a 7-3 win.
The teams clashed once again in Durham during the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament with Rodon once again on the mound. That game–an instant classic in ACC baseball playoff history–lasted 18 innings before the Heels once again emerged victorious, 2-1.
State and UNC-CH met again on the national stage in the opening game of the College World Series. In that game, Rodon pitched a near-masterpiece, shutting out the Heels for the first eight innings as the Pack’s bats came alive. The final score: 8-1, N.C. State.
UNC-CH will send junior pitcher Hobbs Johnson (4-1, 2.62 ERA) to the mound in the make-or-break contest Thursday night. Johnson started on the hill in Durham against State and lasted five innings, giving up one run on six hits and two walks. The Tar Heel southpaw also struck out nine Pack batters.
State will send freshman pitcher Brad Stone (3-2, 5.28 ERA) to the mound. Stone is 1-0 with no runs surrendered in 10.1 innings this postseason, having only allowed 10 hits and one walk while striking out six.
The Pack should have plenty of help from its bats as State has many players that have performed exceptionally well against its in-state rival.
Sophomore shortstop Trea Turner is 9-for-34 with three RBIs, three runs, five walks and 10 stolen bases in eight games against UNC-CH, while senior center fielder Brett Williams–the only player on the current roster to hit a home run against the Heels–sits 9-for-33 with seven runs and two RBIs in seven games.
State will also rely on sophomore catcher Brett Austin to remain solid behind the plate. Austin has caught all 107 innings for the Pack since the ACC Tournament and 577 of 607 frames in 2013. Austin is 7-for-35 with two runs, four RBIs and four walks in eight games against the Heels.
The game will begin at 8 p.m. EST and can be seen on ESPN. Radio coverage is available on 88.1 WKNC-FM.
