Backing The Pack - All Posts

Quincy McKinney No Longer with the Program

2013-05-21T20:25:16Z

N.C. State tackle Quincy McKinney is no longer listed on the team's official roster. McKinney, a sophomore, was the heir apparent to Rob Crisp at left tackle, where McKinney was listed as second string on the depth chart.

The 6-3, 309-pound product of Carver High in Columbus, GA, was a three-star recruit out of high school and a top 50 tackle prospect nationally according to Scout. Unlike the recent departure of graduate transfer Anthony Talbert, who wanted more playing time for his senior season, McKinney's leaving does not appear to be motivated by playing time. Moving on for more playing time does not make sense because he likely would have been a starter just as soon with the Pack as any other FBS squad since he would have to sit out a year as a transfer.

He disappeared from the roster shortly after spring grades would have become known to the coaching staff; unfortunately, grades are likely the culprit for his disappearance from the team.

McKinney's loss is a big one from a depth standpoint, as the Pack lost four seniors that had starting experience from last year's offensive line and now have one less option that they were counting on going forward.

Omega Sets the Rotation for the ACC Tournament

2013-05-21T18:15:47Z

N.C. State fans would love nothing more than to see their beloved nine face North Carolina Saturday in primetime with a well-rested Carlos Rodon ready to shut down the lefty-laden Heels lineup and lead the Pack to the conference championship game. Though it is possible to make it to the championship game with a 2-1 record in pool play, the Pack's best chance for a meaningful game against the Heels is to take care of their other pool opponents first. Go 1-1 or 0-2 against Clemson and Miami while holding Rodon back and Saturday's game is likely rendered meaningless.

The reality is that there are no easy outs in the ACC tournament. North Carolina is ranked #2 in the NCAA's official RPI rankings; Clemson is 12^th and Miami is 20^th. Given the difficulty of the pool, Elliot Avent should treat the tournament as if it were single elimination. Win today and worry about tomorrow tomorrow, and that means Rodon should toe the rubber against Clemson in Wednesday's opener at 7 p.m.

Rodon went 6-1 against league foes, suffering his only setback at the hands (claws?) of the Tigers back on March 8^th in what was a particularly painful day at the park for the Pack. That's also the game where Trea Turner went down with an ankle injury. Rodon getting redemption would be a nice storyline, but the main reason he should go in this game is because runs will be incredibly difficult to come by against a Tiger team with a 2.97 ERA. If Daniel Gossett (9-3, 2.20 ERA) or Matthew Crownover (7-2, 2.05) toes the rubber, Rodon is really the Pack's only hope of matching up.

Miami also has a stout staff (3.27 team ERA) led by first team all-ACC selection Bryan Radziewski (8-2, 1.64), a junior lefty who almost certainly will face the Heels Thursday when the Pack's other pool mates open the series. Since the Canes are likely to spend their ace in the opener, and because Miami struggles to score runs--the U finished second to last in the league in runs and tied for last in home runs--Friday's game two would appear to be the perfect opportunity for senior Ethan Ogburn to pick up a big win for the Pack. Ogburn has been up and down all season but mostly down in conference play, where he has a 6.00 ERA, but he opened the 2012 ACC tournament with six and 2/3 innings of solid work for the Pack...against Miami. He scattered five hits, walked a batter, struck out five, and yielded just a pair of runs in that Pack win. He can do it again.

So, Rodon earns redemption against the Tigers, Ogburn pitches like the guy he was last year against the Canes, and the Pack suddenly has a championship on the line against the Tarheels. Who's going to start next? That's when the deep Pack pen comes into play. Logan Jernigan has been getting the ball over the plate of late and has the stuff to get through the Heels order once, and then it is attack of the lefties. Avent will have Grant Sasser (3-0, 1.27, 7 saves), Travis Orwig (3-0, 1.50, 1), D.J. Thomas (2-0, 2.70), Will Gilbert (0-0, 3.18), and talented but erratic freshman Brad Stone (2-2, 6.23, 10 K/9) to hopefully pick apart a lineup that will start at least six lefties, including the Heels' two best hitters in Colin Moran (1.108 OPS!) and Cody Stubbs (1.026).

It's not like an offense as strong as UNC's can't hit lefties at all, but those lefty-lefty matchups are the Pack's best bet of springing the upset. What do Chris Diaz, Daniel Polka, Rodon, David Rosenberger, Kelly Secrest, and Brandon Waddelll have in common? They are all left handed, and those six southpaws handed the Heels six of their eight losses on the season. Of course Rodon is the Pack's best lefty, but the Heels saw him less than a month ago, so throwing the entire arsenal of lefty bullpen arms at Carolina seems like the best course of action now, especially since I don't think the Pack get by red-hot Clemson without their ace. You could even make the argument that the Tigers are a better team than the Heels right now. Carolina is not the same club without Skye Bolt and enters the postseason having won just four of their last eight games.

Earlier in the season I offered Avent a little unsolicited lineup advice; he followed it (which I'm sure was purely coincidental, but still) and the Pack swept Georgia Tech in Atlanta for the first time since dirt was invented. Avent didn't quite get the order right, but he got all of the right names in there. Now follow this handy layout for the tournament and the Pack will be playing on Sunday. And guess what: Rodon might just be able to give the Pack a little something on Sunday after three days' rest.

***UPDATED***

And seconds after I hit post: this:

Welp.

Brandon Mitchell Plays All Sports

2013-05-21T11:25:32Z

NC State added Brandon Mitchell to the quarterback mix on Monday, giving the Pack a much-needed option beyond Pete Thomas and Manny Stocker, who apparently have done everything to not convince the coaching staff that they are capable of running the new offense.

It seems a fair bet that Mitchell will end up winning the job because he will no doubt unlock his inner Heisman Trophy talents now that he has made the move to Raleigh. Yeah let's go with that. But given that we know he caught 17 passes last year, he provides some extra depth in that area as well--if nobody is open, he can just throw the ball to himself for a first down. There's no stopping that.

He also played basketball at Arkansas. Maybe he can help out Mark Gottfried next spring. Basically there's no limit to what and where Brandon Mitchell can help NC State. I bet he's a good pitcher too. He will end up playing 13 varsity sports before leaving.

Woodson Back on the Market

2013-05-20T19:06:13Z

Dominic Woodson is back on the market. The massive Huntington Prep senior chose Baylor over N.C. State back in October but asked out of his letter of intent after the Bears' Isaiah Austin and Corey Jefferson opted to return to school rather than explore professional opportunities. Baylor coach Scott Drew honored Woodson's wishes.

At 6-9 and over 300 pounds, Woodson would certainly add size to a Wolfpack team that lacks anything resembling a returning post presence after the departures of Richard Howell and C.J. Leslie. However, Woodson, a consensus top-100 recruit, has identified Memphis and Marshall as his most likely destinations.

With scholarships at the ready and a clear need for interior depth, one would imagine Mark Gottfried will at least kick the tires on re-recruiting the four-star athlete. Gottfried already has commitments from interior players BeeJay Anya, Kyle Washington, and Lennard Freeman, but Anya, who needs to improve his conditioning, and Freeman, who is considered something of a project, are not expected to jump in and play 30+ minutes every game.

The opportunity is here for Woodson if he is still interested and the staff is still interested in him. If there is no interest from the N.C. State side, Gottfried must feel confident about landing the services of a transfer or a 2014 big man like Kevon Looney or Leron Black.

Baylor has lost two players, Deuce Bello and A.J. Rose, to transfer already this offseason while adding Denver transfer Royce O'Neale.

Tourney Times Set; Turner, Rodon Honored

2013-05-20T15:43:25Z

The ACC tournament schedule and regular season awards have been released. Fourth-seeded N.C. State, which saw shortstop Trea Turner and starting pitcher Carlos Rodon receive first team all-conference selections, will open the tournament against the fifth-seeded Clemson Tigers Wednesday at 7 p.m.

The Pack have an off day Thursday before facing Miami Friday at 11 a.m.; they conclude pool play Saturday at 7 p.m. against North Carolina. The championship is slated for Sunday at 1 p.m.

Turner, a sophomore, led the Pack in conference games with a .367 batting average, .438 on-base percentage, and .511 slugging percentage. He scored 22 runs in 22 games and was second on the club in runs scored in league play despite missing seven games due to an ankle sprain.

Rodon was 6-1 with 90 strikeouts in 64 innings against league foes. He leads the nation in total strikeouts with 137. The sophomore lefty did have a somewhat unsightly 4.36 ERA in conference play and was thus a bit of a surprise as a first-team selection.

Senior first baseman Tarran Senay was also honored, garnering a second-team nod after hitting .297/.333/.415 with a team-high 24 RBI in league play.

Senior Grant Clyde was the victim of a snubbing. He hit .326/.402/.483 with 11 doubles in league play--that's a far better slash line than Senay--and Clyde also played a tougher defensive position. Brett Austin and Bryan Adametz were also worthy of consideration among Pack regulars.

On the mound, senior Chris Overman was overlooked despite not allowing a run in nine relief appearances. The righty allowed just eight base runners in 14 innings and recorded three saves.

N.C. State Softball's Record-Breaking Season Concludes in Tennessee

2013-05-20T13:28:44Z

The N.C. State softball program had a season of firsts- -including a first trip to a regional championship game- -but ultimately staff ace Emily Weiman wore down and fifth-ranked Tennessee got to her on Sunday. The Lady Vols scored two in the first inning and two more in the second en route to a 7-0 shutout over the ACC champions. Tennessee didn't allow a run in the regional and will host Alabama next weekend in the super regional round.

Weiman pitched brilliantly over the first two games of the regional, shutting out James Madison in the opening round and holding Tennessee scoreless for 10 and 2/3 innings in the winner's bracket game before the Lady Vols broke through for the 1-0 win. Had the Pack put a run on the board at any point in the first 10 innings, they may still be playing. Instead, they needed three more wins from Weiman instead of just one.

After losing the heartbreaker, the Pack rebounded to defeat JMU again, this time 6-4, but it was clear that the advantage was shifting to the hitters as the innings mounted for Weiman. The sophomore righty surrendered eight hits in the second meeting after tossing a three-hit shutout Friday, and it couldn't have helped that a rain delay kept the team at the ballpark into the wee hours of the night Saturday before the game was ultimately postponed and finished the next morning.

In the fourth meeting with Tennessee of the season and the second of the weekend, the Lady Vols solved Weiman with eight hits and seven earned runs in just three and 2/3 innings. After throwing the first 28 and a 1/3 innings of the tournament for the Pack, she simply ran out of gas.

Weiman's school-record 33 wins should place her somewhere among the top five in the country once the tournament concludes, but she was also one of just a handful of pitchers to surpass the 300-inning mark. Of the 16 teams that advanced to the super regionals, only three relied on just one pitcher: Michigan with Sara Driesenga, Louisiana Lafayette with Jordan Wallace, and Nebraska with Tatum Edwards. All of those series were concluded in just three games.

For N.C. State to take the next step next year, the need is clear: the Pack must develop a competent second pitcher to share the load with Weiman. That pitcher may come from recruiting or from a transfer, or it may come in the form of rising sophomore Chelsea Stanfield, who mopped up with three and a 1/3 scoreless innings Sunday against Tennessee but had a high 5.06 ERA for the season.

The Pack will also need to replace seniors Caitlin Dent (.285, 14 home runs, 50 RBI), Bethany Wells (.255, 8, 23), and Katie Mansilla (appeared in 44 games, mostly as a pinch runner), and after the record-setting championship season, head coach Shawn Rychcik shouldn't have much problem luring talent to Raleigh.

The Pack pounded 88 home runs this year, besting the school record by 22, though Renada Davis's bat was unusually quiet during the regional. She hit a school-record 26 long balls on the season but none over the weekend. The program also set new records for runs, doubles, RBI, and on-base percentage as it improved from 22 to 35 wins.

The ACC showed well during the regional round, with Florida State going 3-1 to advance as the two-seed from South Alabama's regional. The Seminoles face #4 national seed Texas next. Virginia Tech took Kentucky to the wire in Lexington but bowed out after a 3-2 weekend. Despite winning the ACC championship, N.C. State had the tougher road to the super regional than its league counterparts. The Jaguars were the #13 seed for the tournament and the Wildcats were seeded 12^th. Tennessee was the #7 seed. Thanks, NCAA. At least the Pack played better than its rival; North Carolina managed just one win in Oregon's regional.

Workhorse Weiman, N.C. State Fall to Tennessee in Regional

2013-05-19T06:52:41Z

When Tennessee came to bat in the bottom of the 11^thinning of a 0-0 game, N.C. State starter Emily Weiman was not only still on the hill, she was working on an overall stretch of 38 innings that saw her allow just one run. Unfortunately, the Lady Vols finally got to the sophomore righty with two outs in the frame, pushing the Pack to the loser's bracket of the Knoxville regional and giving Weiman plenty more work to do if the Pack is to advance.

Weiman did go right back to work, toeing the rubber for the elimination game with James Madison and throwing four more frames before the game was halted due to rain. The Pack and Dukes will pick it up with the score knotted at 4-4 Sunday morning at 11:30.

Despite the emotional loss to the Lady Vols, the Pack responded by finally getting their bats going against JMU with a four-spot in the top of the fourth. It must have seemed like a million-run inning after State managed just two runs over its first 20 innings of the regional. The lead was short-lived, however, as the Dukes answered with three in the bottom of the fourth to equalize the elimination game before it was halted by rain. I don't know if the sloppy weather contributed to the Dukes' big inning or if Weiman is actually merely a human being. Regardless, I hope she gets a good night's sleep because she will be going another 17 innings tomorrow if N.C. State is going to advance past the regional round for the first time in program history.

Tennessee starter Ellen Renfroe also went the distance in the extra-inning affair, striking out 13 in her 11-inning shutout. The Pack managed just four hits but also walked four times and reached base on a hit by pitch. The Lady Vols kicked it around a bit as well, making three errors, but the Pack left 11 ladies on base, including leaving the bags drunk after loading them with one out in the fourth.

The bottom of the 11^th started innocently enough with Weiman collecting two quick outs on a ground ball and a pop up, but then Cheyanne Tarango singled to right field to extend the inning. Rainey Gaffin followed with a deep fly ball to centerfield that caromed off the top of the wall. Caitlin Dent aggressively went after it but could not get there; unfortunately, her aggressive line left her too close to the wall and the ball bounded away from her, allowing Tarrango to score all the way from first base with the game's lone run.

The winner of the delayed elimination game will face Tennessee at 1:30 p.m. and will need to knock off the hosts twice in order to advance.

Pack Batter Blue Devils but Settle for Second

2013-05-19T06:04:36Z

As Akula noted earlier, N.C. State did its part, sweeping a three-game set at Duke to close the regular season, but Clemson did not cooperate. The Pack pounded Duke 9-1 on the strength of a 15-hit attack but had to settle for second place in the Atlantic Division after the Tigers fell to Florida State. The Noles took the division by the slimmest of margins, finishing ½ a game ahead of the Pack.

Über-hot Bryan Adametz had three more hits and set his career high in RBI by the third inning with a pair of two-run singles. The Pack left fielder has hit in 12 straight, raising his average to .317. Only Trea Turner (.383) and Jake Fincher (.326) have posted higher marks. Turner had three hits in the regular season finale and Fincher, who reached base in all but two regular season games, added a double and a single to the hit parade.

Grant Clyde pushed his average over .300 (.302) with a 2-for-4 afternoon and scored a career best three runs, but despite all of the offense it was the Pack pitching that may prove to be the lasting storyline. Five pitchers combined to scatter seven hits and limit the Blue Devils to one run, and that quintet was led by a strong outing from Logan Jernigan. The sophomore righty worked four and one third innings, yielding three hits and two walks while fanning flailing Duke batters six times.

Jernigan was supposed to be a weekend starter for the Pack but failed to seize the role due to a bout of wildness that saw him walk an average of a batter an inning early in the season. In his last handful of outings, he has cut the walks in half while continuing his hard to hit ways. Opponents are hitting just .182 off of Jernigan, and he has a miniscule 0.84 ERA despite the control issues.

The Pack will go into the ACC tournament swinging hot sticks--they plated 16 total runs in their last two games--and perhaps they also finally have an answer to the question of who can step up and provide solid starting pitching behind ace Carlos Rodon. The Pack have had two problems this year, the first of which, a lack of team power, is not likely to change overnight. San Diego's Kris Bryant has out-homered the Pack by himself so far this season, 30-25. But the second issue, the lack of starting pitching depth, may have been at least partially resolved by Jernigan's recent resurgence.

Of course nitpicking the Pack's shortcomings seems a bit unfair after a regular season that saw the club match its record for ACC wins while also winning 40 games prior to postseason play for the first time under Elliot Avent. The team will undoubtedly host a regional and likely finish the season ranked in the top 10 nationally. And, had Trea Turner not turned an ankle in the opening game of the Clemson series, precipitating a stretch that saw the Pack go just 3-5 in their next eight league games, Avent's club may well have run away with the division.