State has dropped three straight since sweeping Clemson
Following a series sweep of Clemson in Raleigh, NC State sat alone atop the ACC standings. While it would have been great to secure another series sweep at Miami this past weekend, really the Wolfpack needed to secure at least one win to keep the momentum going in the conference standings. Instead, the Pack lost the first two games to the Hurricanes while the third was rained out. Pretty much not what State needed, and now the Pack is a half game back of FSU in the ACC.
We don’t need to rehash those first two games too much, but the recent trend of the Wolfpack falling behind early continued, and that’s been a major issue. NC State’s opponent has scored first in each of the last six games, 10 of the last 12 games, and 16 of the last 20 games. This is a major problem. The fact that State is 13-7 in that span is a minor miracle, but the Pack could do themselves a great favor by simply trying to score first. Hey, you know, just give it a shot. Maybe you’ll like it!
The big issue for State in the opener was simply running themselves out of innings. In full, the Pack ran into a full inning worth of outs, and that certainly never helps. It’s especially unhelpful in a game decided by two runs (Miami won 6-4). It’s also typically not helpful to allow a stolen base of home. Again, little things.
Game two was just an absolute beatdown at the hands of the Hurricanes, 10-3. To add insult to literal injury, State lost Chris McHugh in the game to a HBP he wore off the hand. It was the 11th time McHugh was hit by a pitch this year and seemingly the 11th time he’s been hit in the hand. Hopefully it’s nothing long term, but he wasn’t in the lineup Sunday which is not a good sign.
McHugh had notched multi-hit efforts in 7 of his last 8 games (18-for-32, 3 2B, HR, 6 R, 8 RBI, 3 BB, 5 HBP, 5 K), so his loss is a massive one for a Pack squad that hasn’t been able to come through the big hit over their last three games.
Speaking of, the start of State’s current three-game skid was pushed off by their Tuesday night opponent, UNCW. This time, though, the Wolfpack will head to Wilmington, hoping to get back on the right track. The Seahawks outsquawked the Hawks of Monmouth by a combined 20-5 over the last two games of their CAA series win this past weekend after getting blanked, 2-0, in the opener.
UNCW catcher Bryan Arendt has been on fire of late with multi-hit games in 7 of his last 11 games (17-for-42, 8 2B, 4 HR, 14 R, 12 RBI, 3 BB, 3 HBP, 6 K). Brock Wills likewise has been torching it with 8 multi-hit games over that same span (18-for-42, 1 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 16 R, 9 RBI, 8 BB, 2 HBP, 10 K). The team’s best all-around hitter, 1B Tanner Thach, is right behind them with 6 multi-hit games in that span (16-for-50, 3 2B, 3 HR, 11 R, 8 RBI, 2 BB, 2 HBP, 9 K).
The BIG news for Tuesday’s game is the anticipated return of NC State’s Shane Van Dam to the mound. The junior righty will make his first appearance on the mound in just over a year since he tore his UCL in a game against FSU last May 3rd. The subsequent Tommy John Surgery has kept him out since, but this is incredibly encouraging news for a Wolfpack squad which could use Van Dam’s talents down the stretch and into the postseason.
It’d be a shock to see Van Dam go anything more than an inning or 20 pitches (whichever comes first), and the first year out from TJS is a crapshoot, but dang if it won’t be nice to see the New Jersey native back out there.