NCAA Baseball Tournament – Raleigh Regional
NCAA BASEBALL TOURNAMENT – RALEIGH REGIONAL — Same time, next year, different venue for NC State and South Carolina. Last year, the Gamecocks had the seed and used their deeper pitching staff to knock State to the loser’s bracket. The Wolfpack couldn’t recover, falling to Campbell and ending their season. Meanwhile, the Gamecocks reached the supers, where they fell to eventual runner-up Florida.
This year, State’s got some more hitting on its side, but South Carolina’s still got an edge in pitching. Alek Makarewicz spent last year with East Carolina before moving west to Raleigh, and the third baseman has made a big difference.
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The Gamecocks boast the best pitching in the regional, but the defense really let down in Hoover. South Carolina could have won the SEC tournament if not for a tournament-record 12 errors. If they don’t clean that up, they’ll open the door for James Madison. The Dukes are in the field for the first time since 2011 and bring plenty of speed to Raleigh. After loading up on talented opponents, a team that won at Arkansas isn’t going to be scared here.
Players to Watch
Much of this regional will come down to how South Carolina uses Garrett Gainey. Gainey can either start or relief, and the Gamecocks mostly use him to eat innings. He and Chris Veach usually go two innings per appearance, and both can hold an opposing lineup at bay when needed.
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James Madison will try to counter with its powerful outfielders. Fenwick Trimble and Brendan O’Donnell combined for 30 home runs on the season, and both excel at getting on base as well as driving in runs. Mike Mancini is also a threat, leading the Dukes with 29 stolen bases on the season.
That speed could face a stern test in NC State catcher Jacob Cozart. Cozart is both one of the Wolfpack’s best hitters and one of the best defensive players in the ACC. There’s a reason that State caught more opponents trying to steal than anyone in the ACC.
The Favorite
State isn’t going to wow teams with its power one through nine. The Wolfpack win because they don’t make mistakes in the field and they put the ball in play. State recorded the fewest strikeouts of anyone in the ACC, and it’s clear that they’ll make anyone make plays in the field to beat them.
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But the pitching just isn’t very good. Ryan Marohn is a solid ace, but beyond him, things drop off significantly. State’s 6.30 ERA ranked in the bottom half of the ACC, and it’s not clear that the Wolfpack can win a contest of arms. Similarly to league rival Virginia, State has to outslug teams.
Potential Surprise
South Carolina is almost the exact opposite of State. Where the Wolfpack struck out fewer than anyone in the ACC, the Gamecocks struck out more than anyone in the country. When you strike out 594 times, you need to have the power to make up for it, and South Carolina really doesn’t.
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Bryant has an experienced pitcher in Luke Delongchamp, but the Bulldogs don’t have enough in their lineup to make a real run. Madison actually looks like the choice as long as the Dukes don’t run themselves out of innings.
With the pitching unlikely to hold up for State, this regional’s wide open for a surprise. Someone gets through every year that shocks everybody, and it might well be James Madison.
