The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/916614
JANUARY 2018 ■ 79 BY MATT CARTER B aseball can be a fickle sport. For instance, Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals is widely considered one of the best players in baseball. He was named the National League MVP in 2015 when he batted .330 and had a league-leading .460 on base per- centage. He also led the NL with 42 hom- ers and 118 runs scored. Then in 2016, Harper hit just .243 with 24 homers. Harper was back to MVP form this past year when he hit .319 with 29 homers despite missing a good chunk of the season due to a knee injury. That level of swings can extend to col- lege baseball, especially with "junioritis," which is when juniors can sometimes be caught keeping one eye on the looming MLB Draft when those players will have peak leverage in negotiations. Thus it is always hard for a baseball coach to know what he can expect on a yearly basis, but the Wolfpack's Elliott Avent can probably feel a little more certain about this spring than normal, thanks to an older, veteran core. Senior outfielders Josh McLain and Brock Deatherage spurned Major League Baseball to return to NC State after getting drafted in June, plus right-handed pitcher Johnny Piedmonte gained a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA. In addition, senior left-hander Brian Brown is back after being in the rotation for the last three years, while fifth-year se- nior Joe O'Donnell — when healthy — has been a reliable mainstay on the Pack pitch- ing staff. Redshirt junior Austin Staley also has been one of NC State's best relievers for two years, and senior infielder Stephen Pitarra is back for what will likely be his third season starting. That's seven players with at least four years in the program that have been invalu- able pieces on clubs that were within outs of advancing to the Super Regional the past three seasons. "When you talk about all the people we are bringing back, you won't find better people anywhere," Avent said. "That's go- ing to be important. "It's not just what they do for you on the field, but it's what they do for you in the locker room when you face adversity dur- ing the season." In an ideal world, Piedmonte and Brown will slide back into the weekend rotation. Piedmonte went 7-0 on the mound a year ago with a 2.77 earned run average while holding opposing batters to a .223 aver- age over 61 2 ⁄3 innings. Over three seasons, Brown has gone 18-9 in 46 games, 45 of which were starts. In 233 1 ⁄3 innings, Brown has allowed just 211 hits and collected a 3.16 ERA. The potential third spot in the rotation is up for grabs, especially after sophomore Dalton Fee- ney was lost for the sea- son with an injury. Avent said that sophomore Mi- chael Bienlien, who ap- peared in 18 games last year and made 10 starts, was "very, very good" in the fall. Bienlien surren- dered 55 hits in 58 in- nings as a rookie, but will look to improve on his 24 walks. Freshman David Harrison, a 6-5 lefty from Rocky Mount, N.C., also impressed Avent in the preseason. The bigger question, though, could come in the bullpen. "I believe it's almost impossible to win without a great bullpen," Avent said. "The bullpen is going to be something that is go- ing to be tested this year. … How good is the bullpen going to be? That's what we are going to need to solve early in the spring for us to be good." O'Donnell and Staley give the pen good starting points. The two combined for 12 of NCSU's 18 saves a year ago while striking out 103 in 99 innings. The lineup should be more settled, but a couple of promising freshmen are trying hard to make it a competition. At catcher, Avent is excited about the possibilities to replace Andy Cosgrove, who left via the MLB Draft after being picked in the 17th round by the Minnesota Twins. Freshman Patrick Bailey has quickly made a positive impression to compete with sophomore Brad Debo (who led the Pack with a .335 batting average last season), junior Jack Conley and redshirt freshman Brady Gulakowski. "It's a wide-open com- petition back there, but the good news is we are going to have a good catcher behind the plate," Avent said. "That's one of the strengths of our program through the years. … We'll be strong again behind the plate." In the infield, sophomore Will Wilson re- turns after hitting .300 with eight homers and 48 runs batted in, which was second on the team. He'll move from second to shortstop to replace Joe Dunand (a second-round pick of the Miami Marlins), while Pitarra moves from first back to second, where he started as a sophomore. Pitarra hit .265 a season ago. The corner infielders will remain a com- petition headed into the spring. ■ PREVIEW BASEBALL Junior outfielder Brett Kinneman batted .282 with 10 home runs — second on the team and the most among returning players — and 41 RBI last season. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN Noting The Pack • Although the Wolfpack had two current players choose to come back to NC State rather than sign a profes- sional contract, it still took quite a hit in the MLB Draft. Shortstop Joe Dunand (second round, Miami Marlins), third baseman Evan Mendoza (11th, St. Louis Cardinals), catcher Andy Cosgrove (17th, Minnesota Twins), reliever Tommy DeJuneas (26th, Cleveland Indians), reliever Cody Beckman (30th, Milwaukee Brewers) and reliever Tim Naughton (34th, Baltimore Orioles) all signed with the teams that drafted them. • Cosgrove was one of three NC State players on last year's squad to be selected for the All-ACC Academic Team. Joining him were Brian Brown, now a senior pitcher, and Brett Kinneman, a junior outfielder. • Last season, head coach Elliott Avent became one of five active coaches in the ACC and 15 nationally to reach 1,000 career victories. In 19 seasons at NC State, he has a school-record 717 wins. Newcomer To Watch Freshman outfielder Terrell Tatum It would take an impressive effort for any new- comer to crack the lineup, especially in the outfield, and apparently Tatum did exactly that in the fall. He comes to NC State after hitting .438 as a se- nior at Houston High in Collierville, Tenn. He also set a school record with 35 stolen bases and belted six homers en route to being named Class AAA All- State by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association. Tatum could find himself batting high in the order while playing outfield or designated hitter. ■ Key Games • At Clemson, March 16-18: The Pack gets thrown into the lions' den early in ACC play. Its second league series will be at Clemson, which went 42-21 a season ago and hosted a regional. • Vs. UNC, April 17: This is a rare non-conference game between the two archrivals, and it comes in a unique setting — Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Expect a packed crowd for the contest. • Vs. UNC, April 27-29: The annual rivalry will resume at Doak Field this season. Two years ago, the Pack took two of three when UNC came to Raleigh. "Our guys are going to have to get good quick, but I like our ball club, I like our effort, and I like the fact these guys made a commitment like Johnny Piedmonte and Brock Deatherage and Josh McLain to come back." ■ Head coach Elliott Avent