MCLAMB: NC State's Baseball Groove Continues
NC State swept Clemson. The Wolfpack catapulted itself into first place in the ACC standings. It is a little familiar.
Two seasons ago, Clemson strolled into Doak Field with brooms ready en route to an impressive sweep over NC State. After a start of 2-8 in ACC play (17-14 overall), it was clear that the Tigers were figuring it out on the diamond.
Clemson used that success to propel itself forward, and it led to an ACC postseason title. The ACC Baseball Championship, something the Tigers had not won in 13 years, handed the once-fledgling squad a regional host spot in the NCAA Baseball Championship.
At that point, similarities to the 2021 NC State squad, or this one, must end. The Tigers suffered a painful one-run loss to Tennessee in extra innings and were eliminated in the next outing with another one-run defeat at the hands of Charlotte.
The turnaround for Clemson in 2023 was akin to the Wolfpack experience two seasons earlier, and the genesis of NC State’s emergence has some elements that can remind folks of both of those teams.
With the Wolfpack, the biggest factor that is aiding its recent success might be the artificial, self-imposed cocoon that it functions within.
The lows of a five-game losing streak in February and several run-rule losses were not lows at all, but moments of reflection and chances for personal growth.
Statistics can buttress arguments, and there is plenty to consider, but baseball is also a sport of grooves. All baseball teams have the weird, palpable feeling that hovers over them daily. Remarkably, it is both mythical and real at the same time.
It is a joy to come to the park when the team is winning consistently, and it can be a brutal chore to show up when the going is tough or, worse, when there is little to nothing to play for.
NC State has a lot to play for.
With nine league games remaining, the Wolfpack is in first place in the conference and controls its destiny in search of the program’s first ACC regular season title since 1986.
But all that is just folks getting ahead of themselves. NC State has a midweek battle with UNCW and then a weekend series at Miami. Those are the only games of relevance inside the cocoon.
And that is the way it should be. Living in the cocoon got the Pack where it is, and perhaps it will get them the rest of the way.
For those following the team, it is hard not to be excited and speculative. At its best, baseball is like a daytime soap opera. Every game is a cliffhanger that ends with questions that cannot be answered until the next one, and the excited fan cannot wait to wake up the next morning.
NC State has a fantastic chance to do something special in 2025. Do not bother telling them that. They are not listening. The Wolfpack has work to do.
It would behoove those who root for NC State to pay attention to the next few weeks, however. These are the days of our lives.