Pack hosts Radford

NC State takes a break from ACC play to host Radford for a three-game set over the weekend.

RALEIGH – NC State baseball (26-13) will step out of conference play this weekend when it welcomes Radford (13-27) to Doak Field at Dail Park for a three-game series.

The teams will play Friday and Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. All three games will be broadcast on ACCNX and there will be an audio stream on WKNC 88.1 and the Varsity Network App.

STARTING PITCHERS

Friday – RHP Logan Whitaker (NCSU) vs. RHP Gene McGough (RAD)

Saturday – RHP Matt Willadsen (NCSU) vs. TBA (RAD)

Sunday – TBA (NCSU) vs. LHP Zach Davidson (RAD)

HOME SWEET HOME

This weekend will be a continuation of a seven-game home stand for the Wolfpack. After its series with the Highlanders, NC State will host North Carolina in a three-game set May 6-8.

Ten of NC State’s final 14 games of the regular season will be held at Doak Field at Dail Park. The Pack will remain close to home though for its four road games, as it will play a midweek game at UNCW May 10 and a three-game series at Duke May 13-15.

LAST TIME OUT

NC State defeated East Carolina, 12-3, on Tuesday night in midweek action to complete the home-and-home series sweep over the Pirates.

The Wolfpack tallied 13 hits in the contest, highlighted by three-hit outings from Devonte Brown and Tommy White and a grand slam by Josh Hood, who turned in a career-high five runs batted in.

Additionally, the bullpen of Baker Nelson, Justin Lawson and Chris Villaman combined to allow just one earned run in the final five innings of the contest. Nelson tallied a career-high five strikeouts to improve to 2-1 on the mound this season.

SERIES HISTORY

Friday will mark the 15th time that NC State and Radford have met in program history, as the Pack leads the all-time series, 12-2.

The teams last met on May 3-5, 2019, in Raleigh for a three-game nonconference set, and NC State swept the series with 6-3, 9-3 and 6-3 wins, respectively.

NC State has won nine of the last 10 meetings with Radford dating back to 1992, including each of the last seven.

REWRITING THE RECORD BOOKS

Freshman Tommy White has had a sensational season at the plate with 19 home runs and 56 runs batted in. On April 20 he broke the NC State freshman home run record with his 14th of the year, and on Tuesday against East Carolina he tallied his 56th RBI to break the program’s freshman RBI record.

He currently owns the NC State single season and ACC freshman records for most home runs in the BBCOR era (since 2011) and is six off from the all-time NC State record and three off from the all-time ACC freshman record. Additionally, he is seven away from the NCAA freshman home run record.

The NC State single season home run record holders are Tracy Woodson (1984) and Turtle Zaun (1988) with 25. The all-time ACC freshman home run record holder is Florida State’s Matt Diaz (22 in 1998). The all-time NCAA freshman home run record holder is Georgia Southern’s Todd Greene (26 in 1990).

VILLAMAN NAMED TO STOPPER OF THE YEAR MIDSEASON WATCH LIST

Southpaw Chris Villaman was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List earlier this week.

He is one of 18 players who were featured on the Preseason Watch List earlier this year, as the award is given annually to the top relief pitcher in college baseball.

Villaman has made a team-leading seven appearances and has tallied seven saves, which rank second in the ACC and 31st in the NCAA. He has additionally collected three wins in the closer role and fanned 54 batters this season.

ON DECK

May 6 • vs. North Carolina • 6:30 PM

May 7 • vs. North Carolina • 2 PM

May 8 • vs. North Carolina • 1 PM