AROUND THE HORN: Previewing the 2022 Baseball Season

NC State begins its 2022 season Friday for the first game in its three-game series against Evansville. Coming off its third College World Series appearance in program history, the Wolfpack enters the year as a consensus Top 25 team, ranked as high as No. 7 in the nation.

Here’s what members of the Inside Pack Sports staff have to say about the upcoming season.

With all the ups and downs that accompanied it, how would you best describe the 2021 baseball season?

James Henderson: Incomplete.  When I think of that 2021 season, it’s still, “What if?”

Daniel Wilson: Polarizing. Obviously, the sluggish start with a COVID pause seemed to spell doom for the Wolfpack, but the offense suddenly clicked, and the pitching staff became incredibly dependable as NC State reached incredible heights. The ACC Championship was a captivating pitcher’s duel despite the Pack falling short of getting the hardware, but the team’s road to its third College World Series appearance ever made up for it. Then, there’s the matter of the Pack’s exit from Omaha. Overall, 2021 had the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.

Ethan Barry: Fun. I'm not sure one word is possible, and it's unforgettable how it ended, but before that was probably the most enjoyable NC State season I've ever watched. The Pack was legitimately the best team in the country down the stretch, probably starting at the end of April.

Jake Caccavaro: I'd describe the 2021 season as a success. Won a regional, beat the #1 team in the country in the super regional, and made the final four of the CWS. No need to dwell on the negatives. It was a successful season.

Who do you expect to make an immediate impact in the starting lineup, especially after the numerous departures from the program?

James Henderson: LuJames “Gino” Groover. I love what he brought to the table at Charlotte, and he’s versatile enough to help at multiple positions.

The concern with this team is hitting, and he does it really, really well.

Daniel Wilson: My choice may be a bit underrated, but I expect Noah Soles to come into his own this season. The Butler-McDonough-Brown outfield was arguably one of the best trios in the country last year, so it’s understandable why Soles didn’t see considerable action, but now with two of those three gone, this should be the year he slides into the center field position that he’s seemingly been destined for since his arrival. The Wolfpack hopes the former Ledford HS standout will be able to showcase the talent the Arizona Diamondbacks expected from him when they selected him in the 2019 MLB Draft. 

Ethan Barry: Tommy White is the safest bet. He is coming into NC State as arguably the most accomplished bat that the Pack has ever gotten on campus. I expect him to start right away and be a middle of the order bat for three years. I think you can find concerns with all of the newcomers, including White, but White has the highest floor because of how good his bat is and the knocks against him are easy to hide.

Jake Caccavaro: Jacob Cozart, Tommy White, Payton Green, Chase Nixon, Carson Kelly, and Josh Hood should all make immediate contributions. There honestly might even be a few more - I'm expecting a lot of freshmen and transfers to get significant playing time early on as Avent tries to figure out his lineups and rotation.

Sam Highfill drew a lot of attention in the College World Series for his performances on the mound and at the plate against Vanderbilt. Should he be utilized regularly as a two-way player, or should he be solely used as a pitcher?

James Henderson: No, he’s a pitcher.  There isn’t a need to over-think it with Highfill. 

Daniel Wilson: Ultimately, it depends on if Highfill wants to play that kind of role, and all indications point toward him staying on the mound. That said, I’m personally a fan of two-way players, and if anyone seems to be best equipped on this NC State team to fill that role if worst comes to worst, it’s Highfill. In case of emergency, call on the Apex Arm, but the outlook on him playing the field on a day-to-day basis doesn’t look too promising.

Ethan Barry: Stick with him as a pitcher. I'm not sure where the upside is as a hitter, but State needs him on the mound in June. There's not a pitcher across the country I'd rather have in a big game than Highfill. The Pack has to keep him healthy this year, and letting him hit jeopardizes that.

Jake Caccavaro: Sam Highfill is a pitcher. That's it. He should only be used as such.

After starting the year as the Friday night starter, Evan Justice became the de facto closer for the Wolfpack in 2021. With him now in the minors, who should fill that role as NC State's back-end bullpen arm?

James Henderson: Chris Villaman should be the closer for this team.  We saw he performed well along side Justice last year, and it’s a critical position to be elite at.  

Two starting spots are locked down, and I think it will be easier to find a third starter than to replace Villaman with a high-level closer.

Daniel Wilson: If history repeats itself, David Harrison seems to be the perfect fit. He’s had solid starting experience. He’s got top-notch heat on his fastball. He’s even a left-hander. Plus, it seems Clint Chrysler and Elliott Avent have the trust in him to work out of potentially dangerous situations. If I were to wager a second choice, I’d have no qualms with putting the game in the hands of Cooper King who had a strong freshman year last season.

Ethan Barry: I don't know the answer to that -- nor am I concerned about it. As Daniel said, Justice started the first four Fridays of the year before emerging as the closer. I think you give your top three guys the chance to start, and if they stick, then try to find a closer. Obviously, Villaman is the least proven of the three and can easily slide into the closer spot if he doesn't throw well as a starter.

Jake Caccavaro: I don't know who should be the Wolfpack's closer, but I'm also not a fan of shoehorning someone into that role. I like the way Avent used Justice toward the end of last year - someone who pitched in the most high-leverage situations, not necessarily just the ninth inning of a three-run-or-less game. I've also got no qualms with Avent just playing the matchups for the first month or two of the season and then seeing what might work.

Who has the best chance of being NC State's standout freshman?

James Henderson: Tommy White comes in with a big-time reputation, and I expect him to get every opportunity to impact at the plate.

Daniel Wilson: Jacob Cozart already looks like a prime successor to Luca Tresh and Patrick Bailey before him. In the Wolfpack’s scrimmage against Duke this fall, he threw out a pair of Blue Devil baserunners with solid form, and he also provided clutch hitting to catalyze State’s offense. Especially with Brett Austin returning to Raleigh as an assistant coach, expectations for Cozart’s swift development should be high.

Ethan Barry: Tommy White. It seems like a foregone conclusion that the Pack will start three freshmen (along with Payton Green and Jacob Cozart) so you can go with any of them. I just think White has the best bat and won't have to worry about defense like with Cozart and Green who will play catcher and shortstop, respectively.

Jake Caccavaro: I'm gonna go with Jacob Cozart. He's a lock for the starting catcher role, and he's from the same high school as Patrick Bailey. He most likely won't produce the way Bailey did, but I like him to be the most impactful freshman on the team.

With 2021 resulting in the Wolfpack reaching not only the ACC Championship game but also the College World Series, how far do you see NC State going in the postseason in 2022?

James Henderson: The No. 1 goal for me is winning a title.  It always is, and this team has the potential to do so.

Daniel Wilson: Bare minimum, I’ve got NC State hosting a Regional this season. Barring anything bizarre happening in the Queen City, I also believe the Pack should return to the ACC Championship game with a matchup with Florida State. It’s hard to feel too strongly about all of this, especially with all the pieces from a year ago gone, but with the fresh talent coming in to fill in the roles left behind, it feels equally as hard to discount the Wolfpack, either.

Ethan Barry: It's definitely dependent on matchups. Feels like the Pack is due to host a regional since they typically host every 2/3 years or so and haven't done so since 2018, I believe. Certainly that makes it easier. As long as State is relatively healthy on the mound (primarily Highfill, Willadsen, and Villaman) the Pack will have a chance in any regional or super regional. Can the defense get back to the level it was last year? That's a big question, too. There's been a bunch of turnover, too; are they going to maintain the chip on their shoulder for four months?

Jake Caccavaro: I think winning at least one game in a Regional is a reasonable expectation for the Pack this year. The team lost a lot of key players, and although it has some talented newcomers, I think it's best to temper expectations. Maybe I'm a bit more down on them than most, but I'm gonna need to see how all the new pieces look before I have any confidence in the team's ability to come close to replicating last year's success.

What does your opening weekend batting order and pitching rotation look like?

James Henderson:  You will have Highfill and Willadsen locked in as starters. As for the third, I assume it will be either Villaman or David Harrison. I'd go with Harrison, but I’m not sure what State will do.

Daniel Wilson: Barring any serious injury concerns, I expect the rotation to start similarly to how it finished last year. Though it’s likely Highfill will move into the Friday role, I think keeping him on Saturdays would also work well. Elliott Avent has used his de facto No.1 starter on Saturdays in the past — Brian Brown comes to mind in that role — so that gives extra credence to that mindset. I wouldn’t be surprised if guys like Cooper King, John Miralia, or Garrett Payne get starting opportunities in the midweek.

Ethan Barry: Chris Villaman, David Harrison, Garrett Payne on the mound. State has started slow with their high usage pitchers the last few years, and Highfill and Willadsen threw 90 innings last year, which is a ton. I think they do the same thing with those two guys this year.