NC State baseball will host East Carolina on April 28 at 6 p.m. after a successful road trip, aiming for a season sweep following a 10-3 victory two weeks ago. The game coincides with ALS Awareness Night, featuring jerseys honoring Wolfpack legend Chris Combs. Julien Peissel is scheduled to start for NC State, coached by Elliott Avent, who is two wins away from 1,100 career victories at the same school. Freshman Rett Johnson, currently leading the ACC with a .433 batting average, aims to secure the top spot in the program's hitting history. The Wolfpack has a favorable record when scoring first and hitting home runs this season.

By the Numbers
  • NC State is 24-5 when hitting at least one home run this season.
  • Rett Johnson has a 17-game hitting streak and leads the ACC in batting average at .433.
Yes, But

While NC State has shown strong performance indicators, including statistically significant outcomes when scoring first or hitting home runs, they have only a 3-11 record when failing to hit a home run, indicating a reliance on power hitting for success.

State of Play
  • Julien Peissel is making just his second start this season.
  • Elliott Avent is on the brink of becoming the fourth ACC coach with 1,100 wins at a single school.
What's Next

Following the matchup with ECU, NC State will focus on continuing its strong performances in the ACC with hopes of maintaining momentum as the season progresses.

Bottom Line

NC State’s success against ECU could define their season trajectory, especially if they continue their trend of high batting averages and early scoring, reinforcing the importance of home runs in their strategy.