FSU baseball (16-3, 3-0 ACC) has won four consecutive games and 13 of its last 14 games, including a three-game road sweep to open ACC play against No. 12 Wake Forest.
The Noles put a halt to some of the narratives forming early in the season by blasting the high-powered arms of the Demon Deacons. However, things won’t get any easier when the host the No. 10 NC State Wolfpack (17-4, 2-1 ACC) this weekend in a three-game series.
The Wolfpack is one of the more complete teams nationally. They hit .341 overall, hit for power, steal bases, play good defense, and have some excellent pitchers.
They usually score early and often against opponents, outscoring opponents 71-22 over the first three innings. However, they have shown some vulnerability late in games. FSU has been playing well lately, scoring runs in bunches, playing solid defense, and the starting pitching on the weekends has been elite.
3 Keys To Series Victory Over the Wolfpack
- Win Game one
- The top of the lineup will have to swing it as they did against Wake Forest
- Starting Pitching
FSU is undefeated at home this season (11-0) and winning game one to set the tone for the series will be imperative. FSU seems to be a momentum team and getting that first game out of the way takes the pressure off a bit, especially knowing Trey Beard will be on the mound in game two.
The FSU offense has been much better over the past few games after that disastrous outing against Florida. The top of the lineup has to produce, avoid tons of strikeouts, and put the ball in play, especially with runners on the pond.
The key to FSU’s success this year looks like it’ll be the starting pitching. If they can consistently get quality starts from Wes Mendes, Trey Beard, and Bryson Moore? They’ll be a tough out for anyone, especially if the offense shows up with some consistency.
Some of the FSU hitters the Noles were counting on seem to be finding their stride at the right time. Eli Putnam, Brayden Dowd, Cal Fisher, Noah Sheffield, and John Stuetzer wil be key in this series. The games between FSU and NC State are usually good contests. The first pitch will be at 6 p.m. and will air on the ACCNX Channel.