NC State Will Host Baseball Regional

It has just been announced that NC State will host a baseball regional.

Wolfpack Club and current season-ticket holders can purchase advance tickets from the time of the announcement until 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. Tickets go on sale to the general public at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

All orders after 5 p.m. Tuesday evening are subject to availability and will be treated as general public sales.

The entire 64-team field will be announced Monday afternoon during a televised selection show, including the three teams that will play in Raleigh.

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17 Responses to NC State Will Host Baseball Regional

  1. Dr. BadgerPack 05/25/2008 at 6:43 PM #

    I’m slightly surprised, but not really. I thought 1 win against FSU and a respectible performance in the ACC tourney would get it done. Though we went 1-2, we were in both losses. That wide strike zone against Miami (which helped hold them to a season low 5 hits) was a major boon.

    For those interested, selection show coverage is on ESPN at 12:30 and ESPNU at 1:00 tomorrow.

  2. highstick 05/25/2008 at 6:58 PM #

    I’m sure Lee will claim it was because of our “facilities”!

  3. Dr. BadgerPack 05/25/2008 at 7:01 PM #

    ^Well no crap. Lee has to get a modicum of credit there. You can’t host period without minimum standards, which had yet to be met before the improvements.

    Too bad part of the renovations weren’t 450 foot fences to negate the plethora of 20+ homerun hitters the other 3 teams will bring to the regional.

  4. gopack968 05/25/2008 at 7:11 PM #

    ^Agreed. This is good news for the program and a chance to show off a beautiful facility.

    Go Pack!

    SFN: You think that facility is ‘beautiful’?

  5. Dr. BadgerPack 05/25/2008 at 7:41 PM #

    Hopefully this can be parlayed into better recruiting- especially on the offensive side. We’ve enjoyed a good reputation with, and ability to develop, pitching the last 6-7 years. The bats just haven’t followed, with notable exceptions like Bates and Morton. You just need many more of these types of hitters to excel in tournament play; yes, that’s me harping on lineup depth again.

    You hear announcers preach “small ball” and “manufacturing” all of the time. That’s a polite way of saying, “boy these guys couldn’t hit their way out of a paper bag.” With aluminum bats in college, you simply need the mashers. Watch in tournament play how many games are decided by extra base power and the homerun ball, and compare that to the number of 2-1, 3-2 ball games. The small ball will come into play when 1 run is needed to win or tie late– your dominant teams that regularly make Omaha don’t find themselves in that situation very often. We need hitters! Of course, everytime I watch a Diamondbacks game I see the best offensive recruit Avent ever had– Justin Upton. Unfortunately he never set foot on campus (can’t blame him, where he was drafted).

  6. SaccoV 05/25/2008 at 7:52 PM #

    Congratulations to Lee for those “facilities.” Thanks to the NCAA for thinking that 2 regionals in a 7-mile radius was somehow a good idea. Congratulations to our team for making it this far, again. See DBP, even when I want to be complimentary, it’s hard, knowing that the light at the end of the tunnel is a train coming my way. Regardless of my own myopic view of this season, NC State has a chance to win their regional and get to the Super Regional, probably somewhere very, very tough.

    DBP–I think you’re 100% right on the lineup. Our pitchers have been a source of stability over many seasons, even before Tom Holliday arrived. I would love to see a small-ball lineup on those first Fridays (to disrupt the opponent’s opening evening starter) and then the power lineup for Saturday and Sunday. I don’t think that EA has maximized the potential of his lineup because he doesn’t take full advantage of the weapons he has. Either way, I’m a schmo baseball fan and he’s a tenured coach. Good luck to the Pack, and I hope we draw some small-ball artists for this regional.

  7. blpack 05/25/2008 at 8:26 PM #

    This is great for the program and for Raleigh. Now a precedent has been set. Maybe with improved recruiting and getting around 40 wins State can make this a habit. It is easier to make a super regional if you can host the first round. Hopefully State will play good ball and get it done. Here’s to the Pack!

  8. statemech 05/25/2008 at 9:02 PM #

    this feels like a double-edged sword from my perspective. on the one hand i get to go watch our team for another weekend playing some great baseball, plus we have a good shot at making a super regional. on the other hand this is one thing to add to the case that Fowler is doing a good job, which is not the case, but in the end makes it that much harder for anyone to stand up to him

  9. highstick 05/25/2008 at 9:46 PM #

    Exactly my point, statemech! I give credit when credit is due, but don’t think that’s the case here and it does make “things more difficult”. However, I’m glad they got the regional and will pull for them to win it all!

  10. redfred2 05/25/2008 at 10:30 PM #

    This makes Lee look good among his own peer group, and that’s really all he and his sidekick Oblinger care about. It’s not about how well the coaches, coach, or how well the players, play, it’s how NC State comes off looking at some committee meeting out in who knows where. They are only in it to impress others in like positions. They’re basically the university equivalent of Junior Leaguers.

    SFN: More accurate words have rarely been spoken.

  11. Astral Rain 05/25/2008 at 11:05 PM #

    A Super Regional for State is a very good year, and if you get to one, you have a chance for something magical.

  12. vtpackfan 05/26/2008 at 8:00 AM #

    Hopefully Gilheeny will be back in the mix, don’t know what the circumstances are there but I hope all is well with him. With his presence in the bullpen helping the Surkamp & Shunnick efforts, you have to optimistic about our chances of putting ourselves in a good position.

    I think Avent has done everything possible with this team to get them this far. One has to surmount that the addition of Coach Holliday has given Elliot’s program new lift.

  13. vtpackfan 05/26/2008 at 8:11 AM #

    Also, in regards from how this may potentially build the stature of the program hosting a regional, I’d say think again. Look, it takes making the trip to Ohmaha to become a real factor, and it takes multiple trips in order to get the big boys to want to suit up with you.

    There is hope in the very near future. A righty out of West Pennsylvania who has the make up to be a week end starter as a frosh that’s committed. A RHP from South Florida who could be dominant very soon, and a great 5 tools IN/OF from Fuquay that could step right in on day one to fill in a void left by this big senior class leaving.

    All are going to be drafted in the earlier rounds so it would be nearly miraculous if they all make it to NCSU. Go Pack.

  14. Dr. BadgerPack 05/26/2008 at 9:02 AM #

    Aaron Fitt at Baseball America has his projected field up. ECU, Charlotte and James Madison are his projected three in the Raleigh regional.

    http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/college/?p=423

    Not a cakewalk, but not too freaking bad, either.

  15. StateFans 05/26/2008 at 9:56 AM #

    It would be very nice for Avent to have the opportunity to avenge last season’s embarassment to UNC-Charlotte in the NCAA.

    Just think…we could ‘even’ our NCAA series with UNC-Charlotte in Avent’s 12th year quest for his first CWS! Awesome.

  16. Dr. BadgerPack 05/26/2008 at 10:05 AM #

    My memory might be fuzzy, but wasn’t the “embarassment” against Charlotte at the hands of the nation’s ERA leader? (rhetorical) The guy did go 3-1 for the Red Sox A affiliate as well.

    That’s an unfortunate part about openers- you draw the ace. That’s also why, duh, a #1 seed is so important to grab.

    I find it virtually incomprehensible that for all the complaining about the big 4 sports not hitting the post season that when one does, the focus is negative and some even want failure so as to not help Fowler.

    Bash the team when the screw up a “cake” regional. 🙂 Unless of course, a Texas or Michigan meanders out here (unlikely).

  17. Dr. BadgerPack 05/26/2008 at 10:52 AM #

    ^Note, by “failure” I mean it seems some would rather not host the regional- NOT (I hope!!) that those would like to see the team lose.

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