To open up the 2010 NCBA Season we traveled up to Raleigh, NC to play NC State. Our first series in Division I proved to be a tough one and unfortunately we dropped all three games. Defensive errors and quiet bats were the main contributing factors to the first three game losing streak since our inaugural weekend last year against East Carolina.

    In the first of three games, Ryan Chadwick was given the start and it didn’t take long for the Wolfpack to strike. Jumping out to a quick lead was all NC State needed and they didn’t look back after game one. To Chadwick’s credit many of the 12 runs the Wolfpack scored were unearned due to some costly errors. On a positive note, Nick Bernardo picked right up where he left off as the teams leading average hitter, going .500 on the weekend. Will Sheehan, transitioning from catcher to first base showed great improvement and tremendous baseball savvy while scooping some throws from the infielders and fielding sky-high popups. In the end however we dropped the first game 12-1.

    The second game proved that we are capable of competing with Division I clubs. After 4 innings the score was tied 3-3. However, again due to costly errors, Jason Morrow surrendered four unearned runs and the Wolfpack pulled it out by a score of 7-4. Morrow also fell right back into his grove from last year, tossing some deadly forkballs to the NC State hitters. Overall the bats were kept quiet, only producing four hits in the second game.

    Sunday’s 9-inning game looked to be another close game until a dropped third out in the outfield let four Wolfpack runners to score. The error cleared the loaded bases and the runner, who ended up on third eventually came in to score as well. Later in the sixth inning, with the score 9-4 new relief pitcher, Ryan Carlson was given the ball. After hitting his first batter and watching a ball roll through the gap at short the score quickly got out of hand and we ended up dropping the third game 17-4.

    Coming into the weekend we were unsure of what to expect from our new Division I competition. It was made very clear in the second game that we can and will compete with the better teams in our division. However, until we play East Carolina at home this weekend, it is back to the drawing board to figure out how to eliminate the small, mental errors that contributed to our failure this weekend.