MCLAMB: Destiny Is Controlled And Not Yet Determined

There was just enough sun in the sky to brighten a campus that seemed to be in a multitasking mode of hosting several events at once. There was seemingly the perfect amount of breeze to regulate the temperature. Overall, it was a gorgeous afternoon at NC State. 

It was almost wrong that the sunshine and breeze lingered well after Clemson completed its sweep of the Wolfpack on Sunday. It was as though it should be dark and cold instead. Those wearing the red and white of the home team could be forgiven if they just wanted to go straight to bed and get to the workweek on Monday. 

While the cloud that hung over Doak was only metaphorical, it still could be felt. NC State falling at home to Clemson in three straight is a series loss that the Wolfpack did not expect -- and certainly one they did not need. 

While common in sports and life, hyperbole has little place in baseball. The game where even the most potent hitters will fail more often than they succeed has little reference points simply because the best and worst teams have slight separation. 

Imagine Dave Doeren getting to his fifth conference game before facing an unranked team. Or Kevin Keatts getting to his 11th game before the ACC opposition doesn't have a number before its name. Wes Moore, who often laments the talent he faces night in and night out, has never had to wait until his tenth game of the league's slate to meet an unranked school. 

That is basically what NC State faced in baseball this season. The first five weekend series against ACC schools were battles against ranked opponents. In other words, in a 30-game conference season, the Wolfpack would need to get to its 16th league game for an unranked adversary (it ended up being the 15th as a contest at Wake Forest was canceled). 

As the early weeks went by in ACC play, NC State -- while playing one of the more brutal ACC schedules it has ever faced -- just needed to put itself in a position where it had better than a puncher's chance in the second half of the season. In that turbulence, the Pack needed to keep the ship steady, be competitive, and discover its strengths and weaknesses as it navigated a course to prepare itself for the back half of the conference campaign and beyond. That part of the mission was accomplished. 

NC State knew it could be competitive while figuring out the few things it needed to shore up. The Wolfpack is not an elite fielding team with some relief pitching issues, but it is also a team with fight -- as last-inning wins against Virginia, Louisville, and Florida State can prove. 

The problem with the ACC is the gauntlet does not end when the games against ranked teams do. Other schools looked to loiter and discover themselves through the bitter portions of their respective schedules, and Clemson is one of them. They entered Raleigh as a team that could manufacture runs, primarily via the stolen base and solid station-to-station play. After smacking the ball around all weekend, they have added home runs to their repertoire. 

Clemson played with energy at Doak and did not beat itself with excessive mistakes. The Tigers used the weekend to continue its climb and have won three straight ACC series.

The remarkable thing is when the second half of the schedule began, NC State probably would have been tickled to death with simply winning each series. In that aspect, NC State, at 3-3 overall in the last two series, is only one game off from where it wanted to be. Had the Wolfpack held on Saturday against Clemson and won, NCSU would be 4-2 in the first two of the five remaining weekend sets versus ACC opposition. That is literally winning two of three. Sweeping Florida State gave the Pack leverage to slip in one series, but being swept means that advantage is now gone. 

As for some of the other teams in a similar position to Clemson that NC State has to view as competition for ACC and NCAA Championship spots, Notre Dame, North Carolina, and Pittsburgh all fall into that category. Suddenly, what seemed like it might be the respite portion of the schedule is now akin to a set of playoff series to qualify for the actual playoffs. 

But what the meaning of the remaining schedule can be or is at this point is all relative. Baseball is a sport where the hypothetical does not always become a reality. The bottom line for the Wolfpack is simple.

NC State is 25-14 overall, 8-12 in ACC play. The Wolfpack has three ACC series remaining (at Notre Dame, at North Carolina, and Pittsburgh) and six non-league games left (East Carolina, a weekend series with The Citadel, North Carolina A&T, and Richmond). That is 15 scheduled games. If NCSU can win its ACC series to the tune of averaging two of three while also winning five of six non-conference games, it would then be 36-18 overall, 14-15 in ACC play. That seems reasonable enough to make both the ACC and NCAA dances. 

Both blueprints exist this season, but the Wolfpack can still choose its path. If NC State fights to compete until the last out, they can do well. If they let an opponent bring more fire to the diamond, as Clemson did, there can be much more slippage. 

The best way to get there is without panic, excessive worrying, or speculation. Keep it simple—every game matters. Be willing to fight until the last out. Don't be flippant in the field, with pitches, or during at-bats. Understanding that a number before the team's name is meaningless is useful. When NC State takes it seriously and plays clean baseball, the Wolfpack will win more often than it loses. 

Nothing is decided yet for 2023 NC State baseball, but the next three weeks will be a sizable bulk of the tale. Either the doubters will be correct, or the Wolfpack will survive and advance into the postseason, where win-loss records are useless.