The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/916614
80 ■ THE WOLFPACKER All three outfielders return. Junior Brett Kinneman batted .282 with 10 homers — second to Dunand's 18 dingers last sea- son — while playing left. McLain returns in center after spurning the Los Angeles Dodgers, who drafted him in the 14th round. McLain has hit .300 or better in each of the last two seasons and had a team-best 11 steals as a junior. Deatherage looks to rebound to his soph- omore-year form when he hit .317 with six homers and stole a team-leading 14 bases. He slumped last season to a .218 average with three home runs, but still swiped eight bags in 11 attempts. Deatherage's potential still enabled him to be selected in the 29th round by the Pirates, yet he also decided to return. Avent is also excited about the potential of freshman Terrell Tatum, who could push the returning starters for playing time in the spring or perhaps find a spot in the lineup as a designated hitter. "I thought it was a good fall practice," Avent said. "We got a little banged up. It was actually probably one of the best falls I have remembered as far the team got really close together. "I thought the freshmen, the new guys, really bonded with the existing guys. The main reason for that is we brought in great people and our leadership is outstanding." That leadership is anchored by an older group that Avent sees setting a good ex- ample for the rest of the squad. "They chose to come back and finish their degree at NC State," Avent noted. "I think it shows an unbelievable respect that these guys have come back to col- lege to finish their degrees. Their love for the school and love for baseball [helped decide] that they go out and play here at NC State. I think it shows a lot of integrity. "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." ■ Sophomore Will Wilson, who hit .300 with eight home runs and 48 RBI in 2017, will be making the move from second base to shortstop this spring. PHOTO BY LARRY BLANKENSHIP ■ By The Numbers 11 NCAA Tournament appearances in the last 13 seasons for NC State. 14 Freshmen on this year's Wolfpack team, in- cluding one redshirt in left-handed pitcher Connor Centala. 15 Starts needed this season by senior lefty Brian Brown to tie Terry Harvey's career school re- cord of 60. Three Players To Watch Junior outfielder Brett Kinneman After hitting .296 with six homers as a freshman, he followed that up with a .282 average and 10 bombs a season ago. With the loss of Joe Dunand, Kinneman is expected to lead the power supply in the lineup. Sixth-year senior pitcher Johnny Piedmonte Last season, NC State won 13 of its last 15 regu - lar-season games to ensure a postseason berth, and Piedmonte's insertion into the starting rotation was a major piece of that success. He finished the year 7-0 on the mound with a 2.77 earned run average in 15 games, the last nine of which were starts. He allowed only 49 hits in 61 2 ⁄3 innings. Sophomore infielder Will Wilson He hit .300 with eight homers and 48 RBI in 2017. Any improvement at the plate will result in the Pack having a huge weapon in the middle of its lineup. Just as crucial, defensively Wilson is moving to shortstop to replace the departed Joe Dunand.