UP NEXT

NC State continues its eight-game homestand when it welcomes The Citadel to Doak Field at Dail Park. This weekend's series will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday night and will stream live on ACC Network Extra.

The NC State baseball team welcomes The Citadel to The Doak this weekend for a three-game nonconference series. This weekend's series will run Friday through Sunday with first pitch times scheduled for 6 p.m., 4 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively.

All three games will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra. A free audio stream will be available on the Varsity Network App for all three games with Tony Haynes on the call. All three games will also be available on WKNC 88.1.

NC State (26-14, 8-12 ACC) holds a 31-11 advantage in the all-time series against The Citadel (19-19, 4-8 SoCon).

PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
Friday RHP Logan Whitaker (NCSU) vs. RHP Sam Swygert (The Citadel)
Saturday RHP Matt Willadsen (NCSU) vs. TBA
Sunday RHP Sam Highfill (NCSU) vs. RHP Cameron Reeves (The Citadel)

THE MATCHUP: SERIES AGAINST THE CITADEL
NC State enters this weekend's series against the Bulldogs with a 31-11 advantage in the all-time series. More notes from the series against The Citadel are listed below:

NC State and The Citadel last met on March 2, 2008, when the Wolfpack held off the Bulldogs late for a 4-3 victory at Riley Park in Charleston, South Carolina. The Pack scored the game's first four runs. Eryk McConnell earned the pitching victory, while Jimmy Gillheeney notched the save.
NC State has won five straight games against The Citadel dating back to 2004. The Bulldogs' most recent win in the series came in a 5-2 victory in Raleigh on March 17, 2004.
Wolfpack head coach Elliott Avent is 17-5 against the Bulldogs as NC State's head coach.
NC State and The Citadel have met twice in NCAA Regionals. The Wolfpack defeated the Bulldogs 16-3 on May 24, 1975 in Columbia, South Carolina. The Citadel avenged its postseason defeat 15 years later with an 11-3 win over the Pack at Miami's Mark Light Field on May 25, 1990. The Citadel advanced to the College World Series in 1990, defeating Miami 4-1 in the Atlantic Regional Championship Game.

SCOUTING THE CITADEL
The Citadel (19-19, 4-8 SoCon) enters this weekend's series after posting an 11-3 victory at Charleston Southern on Tuesday night. The Bulldogs rank seventh in the SoCon baseball standings with a 4-8 league record. Overall, The Citadel ranks first in the league by allowing just 9.52 hits per game to opposing lineups. Cameron Reeves leads the Bulldogs on the mound with a 2.51 ERA and a 6-3 record in nine appearances/starts this season. Offensively, Travis Lott leads the team in batting average (.346), walks (23), home runs (three) and slugging percentage (.496).

https://gopack.com/news/2023/4/27/baseball-pack9-welcomes-the-citadel-to-the-doak-this-weekend.aspx

This is going to be a wet series. Good chance some of these games aren't played. Saturday looks like the best shot at maybe a double header.

Two wins and a rain out would probably be great for our pitching, with a Tuesday game and then important road series starting a day early on Thursday. Will be interesting who throws and when given the quick turnaround.

Glasswolf said:

---

This is going to be a wet series. Good chance some of these games aren't played. Saturday looks like the best shot at maybe a double header.

---

that would be fine. this will do nothing but hurt our RPI

Play 1 game on Saturday and be done with it.

Game Day in Raleigh.

⏰ 6 p.m.
📍 #TheDoak
🆚 The Citadel
📺 https://t.co/C1YW8GCBg3 (ACCNX)
📻 Tony Haynes on @WKNC881
🎧 https://t.co/yjmgalMads
📊 https://t.co/CD2VEwhj6m pic.twitter.com/WcX9cT9MSN

— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 28, 2023

UPDATE: Tonight's game against @CitadelBaseball has been delayed to a 7 p.m. first pitch. Further updates will be provided as they become available.

UPDATE: Please disregard the previous update. Tonight's game against @CitadelBaseball will REMAIN at 6 p.m. Gates are now open at The Doak.

UPDATE: Please disregard the previous update. Tonight's game against @CitadelBaseball will REMAIN at 6 p.m. Gates are now open at The Doak.#Pack9

— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 28, 2023

Tonight's starting lineup against The Citadel ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/KvOTGMvjbG

— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 28, 2023

Game 1️⃣ against The Citadel coming up soon.#Pack9 pic.twitter.com/oC99vHPjdt

— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 28, 2023

Weather delay. State up 1-0 in Bot of 2ND I believe.

Pack extends its lead to 7-2 with a pair of runs in the sixth!

Lawson back out to the mound in the seventh.

E6 | NCSU 7, Citadel 2

— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 29, 2023

Cannon Peebles will finish with 0 official ABs, 4 BBs and a HBP.

Can't be too often that's happened.

Tom OBriens Smile said:

---

Cannon Peebles will finish with 0 official ABs, 4 BBs and a HBP.

Can't be too often that's happened.

---

Hope he doesn't need another AB

Wolfpsck wins 7-4

Not a pretty win, but a win nonetheless. Hope to see better hitting tomorrow.

Alex Gee said:

---

I mean… I guess we just got a win, but that was some of the strangest bullpen management I've seen in a while. Fritton technically gets a save.

I'm guessing we are trying to work him into a closer role going forward. Just strange.

---

I was doing family stuff so I could only check in off and on but I just assumed Lawson was mowin'em down so we just left him in. I was finally able to catch the last inning and a half. Looked like Kalae took his eyes off the ball again right at the catch and transfer in the 9th. If he just squeezes that ball, I doubt Citadel scores any runs. Errors, man.

I don't hate the idea of Dom closing, he's just gotta throw strikes.

Hopefully Sam is ready to stretch it out longer than 60 pitches. Didn't think he'd go Sunday after going 4 Tuesday.

Isn't the weather supposed to be bad the rest of the weekend?

Alex Gee said:

---

I mean… I guess we just got a win, but that was some of the strangest bullpen management I've seen in a while. Fritton technically gets a save.

I'm guessing we are trying to work him into a closer role going forward. Just strange.

---

Would assume that means starting next week you will see Highfill as a starter.

That said, not surprising. Bullpen and arm rotation all season has kinda been awful. Crap job building up confidence of arms that we needed and relying on high leverage arms early in games that were already over or that didn't matter. Hopefully they get it right down the home stretch

CLTWolf said:

---

Alex Gee said:

---

I mean… I guess we just got a win, but that was some of the strangest bullpen management I've seen in a while. Fritton technically gets a save.

I'm guessing we are trying to work him into a closer role going forward. Just strange.

---

I was doing family stuff so I could only check in off and on but I just assumed Lawson was mowin'em down so we just left him in. I was finally able to catch the last inning and a half. Looked like Kalae took his eyes off the ball again right at the catch and transfer in the 9th. If he just squeezes that ball, I doubt Citadel scores any runs. Errors, man.

I don't hate the idea of Dom closing, he's just gotta throw strikes.

Hopefully Sam is ready to stretch it out longer than 60 pitches. Didn't think he'd go Sunday after going 4 Tuesday.

Isn't the weather supposed to be bad the rest of the weekend?

---

Good enough tomorrow and then back bad on Sunday I think

Kalae gives us the lead with a two-RBI double!#Pack9 | @kalae_harrison pic.twitter.com/KN7FKAE1TW

— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 29, 2023

Pack strikes first behind Cozart's solo homer.#Pack9 | 📺: ACCNX pic.twitter.com/HXZ5i5Dutm

— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 28, 2023

Game Day No. 2 this weekend at The Doak ⬇️

⏰ 4 p.m.
🎉 Gates open at 2 p.m. for DoakFest
📍 #TheDoak
🆚 The Citadel
📺 https://t.co/3A9838AsZR (ACCNX)
📻 Tony Haynes on @WKNC881
🎧 https://t.co/yjmgalMads
📊 https://t.co/CD2VEwhj6m pic.twitter.com/jM35R3yrSc

— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 29, 2023

Looking for 2 tickets for today's game if anyone isn't going!

Didn't get to watch after the delay, so watched the rest this morning. I don't have a problem with the pitching. Lawson was on his game and had already thrown enough pitches that you probably couldn't bring him back this weekend. I'm certain they were hoping he'd get the last few outs, and he didn't get the help he should've. If they want Fritton to be the closer, which is what Andrew indicated (and he normally doesn't just say things for giggles), bringing him in to finish it out makes sense because he would still be available to pitch again this weekend in another closing situation. A 70 minute delay is tough on pitching, but I thought we did pretty good dealing with it. If we can win the games we need to get into the post season, I actually think our pitching is set up well for that, because we have a group of guys that have shown they can go 5-6+ innings. While we lack a shutdown reliever, we have a number of guys that can start and win you games, or pitch a lot of innings in long relief.

Alex Gee said:

---

CLTWolf said:

---

Alex Gee said:

---

I mean… I guess we just got a win, but that was some of the strangest bullpen management I've seen in a while. Fritton technically gets a save.

I'm guessing we are trying to work him into a closer role going forward. Just strange.

---

I was doing family stuff so I could only check in off and on but I just assumed Lawson was mowin'em down so we just left him in. I was finally able to catch the last inning and a half. Looked like Kalae took his eyes off the ball again right at the catch and transfer in the 9th. If he just squeezes that ball, I doubt Citadel scores any runs. Errors, man.

I don't hate the idea of Dom closing, he's just gotta throw strikes.

Hopefully Sam is ready to stretch it out longer than 60 pitches. Didn't think he'd go Sunday after going 4 Tuesday.

Isn't the weather supposed to be bad the rest of the weekend?

---

Let me clarify a bit cause it's been quoted a few times. I 100% see us using Fritton in the Evan Justice 2021 role going forward and think that's smart. Of the 4 guys we have that can start, he fits that mold the best IMO and we need Highfill starting games.

I was more so surprised that, even though he was cruising, we let Lawson go back out to start the 9th at 55 pitches and then had to get Dom hot quickly to save the day. No disrespect intended to the SOCON, but it's The Citadel. I figured he'd get 30-40 pitches to stay engaged and we'd let some other guys throw. Instead he threw the most pitches I've seen him throw off the top of my head.

---

It's the most he's thrown in an NC State uniform to this point although he did get into the 60s four times last year.

I guess for me, at this point in the season, I don't need to see other guys throw. If it were 17-2, sure. 10-2 even but Lawson needs all the confidence he can muster, IMO. I could see it on his face just how pissed he was last night coming out of that game. Lawson is done for the weekend now so there's a chance we'll see other guys I suppose.

The goal is to stack wins from here on out, just get it done, regardless of how.

I wonder why we aren't doing a double header with all the weather being forecast for tomorrow.

Most likely because we don't really want to play tomorrow with a game Tuesday then series with ND starting Thursday.

Closing time 🔨

A career-high six Ks for @__lawson22__ and the first-career save for @DominicFritton in Friday night’s victory. #Pack9 pic.twitter.com/Ijg8Kxt3I0

— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 29, 2023

Doing damage from the left side 💪

Cozart 🤝 @kalae_harrison pic.twitter.com/7Iv1FIDrkR

— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 29, 2023

ncsuchris said:

---

I wonder why we aren't doing a double header with all the weather being forecast for tomorrow.

---

RPI wise we don't even need/want to play the game today