clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

NC State baseball keeps delivering wins, improving postseason stock

Dave Weaver-USA TODAY Sports

Since we last checked in on the college baseball tournament bubble, NC State has picked up a couple of top-100 wins and moved up a half dozen spots in the RPI. It's hard to figure how much winning the series in Winston-Salem helps the Wolfpack--and State can pick up a sweep on Monday night--but at minimum the team is staying square with the rest of the bubble.

Other fringe teams, like Memphis, Maryland, Notre Dame, and Tulane have also had productive weekends and won series. Memphis' series victory came at the expense of UCF, which also finds itself on the bubble. Notre Dame might be the biggest winner of the group after sweeping North Carolina (which helped us pass the Heels in the standings; thanks dudes!).

The Irish are holding onto fourth place in the ACC, one game ahead of the Wolfpack and not much farther ahead of a slew of other conference foes. The middle portion of the ACC is so closely bunched together that the ACC tourney tiebreaker rules look likely to get a serious workout.

State can't finish any higher than fourth, but getting there is unlikely since the Pack closes out the year with the league's best team, while Notre Dame finishes with Atlantic Division cellar dweller Boston College.

But the Pack doesn't need to worry about that so much as just winning a couple more league games to solidify a spot in the ACC tournament. Two more wins would necessarily include at least one win over Louisville and would guarantee a winning conference record. I think that would flip NC State into the field of 64, with probably another win or two in the ACC tourney needed to feel safe.