D1Baseball Top 25 Rankings Chat: Preseason
Terrance: ACC seems stacked this year, perhaps more so than it's been in a while. What do you like about them most this year and do you think the league will be able to maintain this number through the season?
Aaron Fitt: Yeah, I agree with you Terrance I think this is the strongest the ACC has been in a long time, from top to bottom. I see three legitimate top-end contenders in Louisville, Miami and FSU, then a really strong next tier in Duke, NC State, Wake Forest and Georgia Tech (which you could line up in any order, really), then another really good tier of regional-caliber teams in UNC, UVa, Clemson and Boston College. That's 11 deep of regional-caliber clubs, and I think Virginia Tech is a very frisky 12th team, behind a rotation that should be very competitive and a nice group of emerging sophomores in the lineup. Obviously the ACC isn't going to get 11 or 12 regional teams, but nine or 10 feels very possible to me, and it will be fascinating to see how it shakes out.
Guest: What are your thoughts about N.C. State pitching?
Aaron Fitt: Nick Swiney is one of my big picks to click this year I think he's going to have a huge year. It's a 90-94 lefty with a changeup and breaking ball that both flash plus, and he came on strong down the stretch last year. With him and Reid Johnston, you've got two quality veteran starters, and Chris Villamon is a freshman who is ready to start on weekends right away he's going to have a great career at NC State. I also really like the veteran presence at the back of the bullpen with Feeney, Klyman and Cotter leading the way, though Cotter could also be a starting candidate. I think it's a pretty deep, varied staff that can offer a lot of different looks.
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