Some Notes Rob McLamb...
NC State slugs past Duke
NC State used a six-run outburst in the top of the fifth inning followed by a pair of runs in the next frame to eventually ease past Duke, 14-5, in a scrimmage game that lasted 12 innings Friday evening at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Josh Hood and Payton Green each had two-RBI triples and Chase Nixon crushed a pinch-hit homer over the wall in right to highlight the Wolfpack attack at the plate.
The game was played longer than the needed nine innings to get both teams some extra work as the season remains months away.
Some Random Thoughts
DURM
I did not get the final attendance number but there was a solid crowd (I tweeted some photos) in Durham. The Wolfpackers of the area deserve a ton of credit. They are out there supporting their squad. It was an October scrimmage game on a Friday night with the baseball season about four months away and a big football game the following day, but the fans did their bit.
It was a wonderful fall evening in beautiful downtown Durham, North Carolina -- just like it always is.
State Hood
The Pack did serious damage at the dish in the top of the fifth, scoring six runs to reverse a three-run deficit. Noah Soles and J.T. Jarrett were among those who got key hits.
Josh Hood, a transfer from Penn, cleared the bases with a triple that drove in the fifth and sixth runs of the frame.
I am very high on Hood. I project him to be one of NC State's better players in 2022 and I think he has First Team All-ACC potential. Keep an eye on Josh Hood.
Green Monster
Another player I like, and apparently Major League scouts agree, is Payton Green. The freshman eschewed an offer to play professionally for Boston after he was selected in the 15th round by the Red Sox in the most recent draft.
The Green Hope alum also tripled home two runs. His blast to the wall in the sixth inning put the game out of reach as it gave the Wolfpack a five-run lead. Green, like Cozart, is 6-3 and has the build to take on more muscle. He got the start Friday at shortstop and wears the No. 8, which obviously has deep meaning in NC State's baseball program. He is another player that could find his way to All-ACC status by the end of the season.
Catching Recognition
Jacob Cozart, a freshman from High Point, NC (Wesleyan Christian Academy), threw out two baserunners attempting to steal second base in the first inning.
Cozart is 6-3 and, while his weight was not listed on the game notes, he looks like a sturdy fellow already. When you see an impressively built catcher that bats from the left side, the first inclination is to compare him to Hall of Famer Ted Simmons. That type of pressure can wait, but it is relatively clear that a few months in the weight room and he will look like someone Wolfpack fans can count on seeing in the lineup in the spring and beyond.
With one out and runners on first and second base in the top of the fifth inning, Cozart doubled to left-center and drove in the Wolfpack's first run of the game.
A Growing Payne
The last time Garrett Payne was seen on the mound was in Omaha. While that was his only start and just his seventh appearance, Payne performed well and looked like a pitcher that may make the transition to weekend starting in 2022.
Payne was handed the ball Friday against Duke and pitched well. In three innings, he allowed no runs and two hits. If I had to make an educated guess right now, I'd say Payne gets handed the ball on Saturdays or Sundays. Time will tell.
In Summary
Overall, NC State will be a young team in 2022. It is months away from the start of the campaign, but don't be surprised if the Pack starts slow as it finds its footing and establishes an identity. The wild swings of 2021 are not the norm, so expect State to start better and not finish the regular season as blazing hot as last season.
Will the Wolfpack make a return to Omaha? That is a question best left for next spring. As it is now, don't be surprised to see the best version of this team in May and June of 2022. They should continue to get better.
NC State slugs past Duke
NC State used a six-run outburst in the top of the fifth inning followed by a pair of runs in the next frame to eventually ease past Duke, 14-5, in a scrimmage game that lasted 12 innings Friday evening at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Josh Hood and Payton Green each had two-RBI triples and Chase Nixon crushed a pinch-hit homer over the wall in right to highlight the Wolfpack attack at the plate.
The game was played longer than the needed nine innings to get both teams some extra work as the season remains months away.
Some Random Thoughts
DURM
I did not get the final attendance number but there was a solid crowd (I tweeted some photos) in Durham. The Wolfpackers of the area deserve a ton of credit. They are out there supporting their squad. It was an October scrimmage game on a Friday night with the baseball season about four months away and a big football game the following day, but the fans did their bit.
It was a wonderful fall evening in beautiful downtown Durham, North Carolina -- just like it always is.
State Hood
The Pack did serious damage at the dish in the top of the fifth, scoring six runs to reverse a three-run deficit. Noah Soles and J.T. Jarrett were among those who got key hits.
Josh Hood, a transfer from Penn, cleared the bases with a triple that drove in the fifth and sixth runs of the frame.
I am very high on Hood. I project him to be one of NC State's better players in 2022 and I think he has First Team All-ACC potential. Keep an eye on Josh Hood.
Green Monster
Another player I like, and apparently Major League scouts agree, is Payton Green. The freshman eschewed an offer to play professionally for Boston after he was selected in the 15th round by the Red Sox in the most recent draft.
The Green Hope alum also tripled home two runs. His blast to the wall in the sixth inning put the game out of reach as it gave the Wolfpack a five-run lead. Green, like Cozart, is 6-3 and has the build to take on more muscle. He got the start Friday at shortstop and wears the No. 8, which obviously has deep meaning in NC State's baseball program. He is another player that could find his way to All-ACC status by the end of the season.
Catching Recognition
Jacob Cozart, a freshman from High Point, NC (Wesleyan Christian Academy), threw out two baserunners attempting to steal second base in the first inning.
Cozart is 6-3 and, while his weight was not listed on the game notes, he looks like a sturdy fellow already. When you see an impressively built catcher that bats from the left side, the first inclination is to compare him to Hall of Famer Ted Simmons. That type of pressure can wait, but it is relatively clear that a few months in the weight room and he will look like someone Wolfpack fans can count on seeing in the lineup in the spring and beyond.
With one out and runners on first and second base in the top of the fifth inning, Cozart doubled to left-center and drove in the Wolfpack's first run of the game.
A Growing Payne
The last time Garrett Payne was seen on the mound was in Omaha. While that was his only start and just his seventh appearance, Payne performed well and looked like a pitcher that may make the transition to weekend starting in 2022.
Payne was handed the ball Friday against Duke and pitched well. In three innings, he allowed no runs and two hits. If I had to make an educated guess right now, I'd say Payne gets handed the ball on Saturdays or Sundays. Time will tell.
In Summary
Overall, NC State will be a young team in 2022. It is months away from the start of the campaign, but don't be surprised if the Pack starts slow as it finds its footing and establishes an identity. The wild swings of 2021 are not the norm, so expect State to start better and not finish the regular season as blazing hot as last season.
Will the Wolfpack make a return to Omaha? That is a question best left for next spring. As it is now, don't be surprised to see the best version of this team in May and June of 2022. They should continue to get better.
