The Spartans are 7-9 since last they saw NC State
For the second time this year, NC State will face off with UNC-Greensboro (here’s the preview to that one, in case you’re so inclined). That March 4th game went very much the Wolfpack’s way, a 10-0 drubbing (here’s the recap to that one, again for your perusal). Tonight’s game is a 6:00pm first pitch on the ACCNX (if you’ll be following along at home, here’s your link for live stats).
Since that first game with the Pack, UNCG is just 7-9 with three of those wins coming via a weekend series sweep of a struggling NC A&T squad. The Spartans did, however, start off Southern Conference play on the right side this past weekend, taking two of three games from VMI on the road.
UNCG’s lineup is hitting .245/.352/.383, 40 2B, 25 HR, 10.6 BB%, 27.6 K%, 50-56 SB, which is a vast improvement from the .209/.341/.271 line they toted with them the last time they faced off with the Pack, which included a 32.9 K% at the time. JR 2B Jeremy Wolf (.371/.436/.516, 9 2B, 1 HR, 7.1 BB%, 12.4 K%, 5-8 SB) has taken the lead role of leader of the pack lineup, while FR 1B Parker Wight (.278/.418/.546, 6 2B, 6 HR, 15.6 BB%, 26.2 K%, 3-4 SB) has cooled off. Former Pack9 member SR RF Trey Truitt (.309/.420/.407, 5 2B, 1 HR, 15.8 BB%, 21.8 K%, 7-7 SB) has also been hot of late. JR SS Jacob Budzik (.262/.368/.492, 9 2B, 2 HR, 7.9 BB%, 35.5 K%, 6-7 SB) is the only other lineup regular hitting over .228, which is obviously a problem.
Most notably, the offense has become more aggressive on the base paths, having attempted 41 stolen base attempts (with 38 successful stolen bases among them) over the last 16 games. This team likes to run, and I think they’re going to make it a bit of a personality trait when and where possible.
The pitching staff has been mostly the same, going from a 5.44 ERA with a 9.2 BB% and 26.3 K% heading into the first meeting between these teams to a 5.32 ERA with a 8.2 BB% and 23.3 K% now. SR RHP Sam Murchison (4-2, 3.40 ERA, 39.2 IP, 5.2 BB%, 23.7 K%) and JR RHP Jay Miller (1-3, 3.38 ERA, 37.1 IP, 6.6 BB%, 30.3 K%) are providing a 1-2 punch in the rotation that could carry this team far in SoCon play, especially if JR RHP Grant Aycock (1-3, 8.33 ERA, 27.0 IP, 8.1 BB%, 22.1 K%) can get back on track. Aycock had a pair of very good starts before VMI roughed him up last weekend.
UNCG’s bullpen has some good options, but will continue to lean heavily on SR RHP Danny Thompson (1-1, 4 SV, 2.96 ERA, 24.1 IP, 10.7 BB%, 35.9 K%) and SO LHP Noah Chapman (2-1, 1 SV, 5.30 ERA, 35.2 IP, 4.5 BB%, 25.3 K%). Chapman is the only lefty who has pitched more than 1.0 inning this year. SO RHP Mayson Dear (0-0, 2 SV, 6.20 ERA, 20.1 IP, 8.4 BB%, 26.3 K%) and SR RHP Rob Ready (1-2, 1 SV, 6.55 ERA, 22.0 IP, 9.4 BB%, 18.9 K%) are the other two heavily used bullpen arms. Ready has a 4.76 ERA as a reliever but a 10.38 ERA as a starter, so keeping him in the bullpen would do this team well, although I’m good if he starts this one for the Spartans.
This is a UNCG team that is 3-5 against ACC teams this year (wins over Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, and Pittsburgh) and should not be taken lightly. The lineup hit a bit of a dry spell but has scored 34 runs over their last four games. The SoCon has some heavy hitters this year (ETSU, Wofford, Mercer), and UNCG has to hit the road for two of those series, but this is a Spartans team that should compete at the top half of the 8-team conference, assuming the bottom half of the lineup can provide more production.