It's another non-conference tune-up in the midweek, this time in Raleigh. The Hawks look to keep the momentum going entering a CAA series and 1st place showdown against Charleston.


https://uncwsports.com/news/2021/5/11/ba...state.aspx

Baseball Preview: at NC State


RALEIGH, N.C. – UNCW rounds out its home-and-home series with NC State this evening at Doak Field with a 6 p.m. start.

The Seahawks are on a five-game winning streak following their weekend sweep of James Madison and carry a 26-16 record into tonight's road game. The Wolfpack (22-14), meanwhile, returns to action for the first time since topping Wake Forest, 15-8, on May 2.

The Wolfpack won the first game between the two programs, 5-3, at Brooks Field back in late March.

Tuesday's game will be aired on the ACC Network. Mike Vaccaro, the Voice of the Seahawks, will have the visiting team call locally in Wilmington and WMFD and online at ESPNWilmington.com.

UNCW returns to Brooks Field this weekend as it closes out its home schedule with a Colonial Athletic Association showdown with first-place College of Charleston. The series opens Friday at 6 p.m.

We came up small against a lefty again. Hawks need to regroup and come out fired up.

Gotta shake this one off, as this weekend will, fairly obviously, be the biggest series of the year. The South Division is on the line. Time to take down the Cougars.

(05-12-2021 07:06 AM)Seahawk Nation 08 Wrote:  Gotta shake this one off, as this weekend will, fairly obviously, be the biggest series of the year. The South Division is on the line. Time to take down the Cougars.

Yep, there isn't an at-large bid in our future. Conference tournament win is our only shot at the NCAA tournament. Have to get in, and then get the best possible seeding so we can take use our home field advantage.

The good thing about this game is we were able to pitch some guys that have not been on the mound in quite a while. They needed the work.

(05-12-2021 07:48 AM)82hawk Wrote:  

(05-12-2021 07:06 AM)Seahawk Nation 08 Wrote:  Gotta shake this one off, as this weekend will, fairly obviously, be the biggest series of the year. The South Division is on the line. Time to take down the Cougars.

Yep, there isn't an at-large bid in our future. Conference tournament win is our only shot at the NCAA tournament. Have to get in, and then get the best possible seeding so we can take use our home field advantage.

We are clearly not getting an at-large bid this year. With that in mind, our conference play hasn't been stellar either. We're doing just enough to stay in contention so far. So, I'm assuming that IF we win the CAA... a lower seed in a regional seems likely.

(05-12-2021 09:11 AM)B_Hawk06 Wrote:  

(05-12-2021 07:48 AM)82hawk Wrote:  

(05-12-2021 07:06 AM)Seahawk Nation 08 Wrote:  Gotta shake this one off, as this weekend will, fairly obviously, be the biggest series of the year. The South Division is on the line. Time to take down the Cougars.

Yep, there isn't an at-large bid in our future. Conference tournament win is our only shot at the NCAA tournament. Have to get in, and then get the best possible seeding so we can take use our home field advantage.

We are clearly not getting an at-large bid this year. With that in mind, our conference play hasn't been stellar either. We're doing just enough to stay in contention so far. So, I'm assuming that IF we win the CAA... a lower seed in a regional seems likely.

Yep. Honestly best thing for the conference would be for someone else to win, and NU get a at large. But that's no guarantee either

(05-12-2021 09:18 AM)Seahawkhoops Wrote:  

(05-12-2021 09:11 AM)B_Hawk06 Wrote:  

(05-12-2021 07:48 AM)82hawk Wrote:  

(05-12-2021 07:06 AM)Seahawk Nation 08 Wrote:  Gotta shake this one off, as this weekend will, fairly obviously, be the biggest series of the year. The South Division is on the line. Time to take down the Cougars.

Yep, there isn't an at-large bid in our future. Conference tournament win is our only shot at the NCAA tournament. Have to get in, and then get the best possible seeding so we can take use our home field advantage.

We are clearly not getting an at-large bid this year. With that in mind, our conference play hasn't been stellar either. We're doing just enough to stay in contention so far. So, I'm assuming that IF we win the CAA... a lower seed in a regional seems likely.

Yep. Honestly best thing for the conference would be for someone else to win, and NU get a at large. But that's no guarantee either

I hope we do our part to get Northeastern an at large opportunity

(05-12-2021 09:11 AM)B_Hawk06 Wrote:  

(05-12-2021 07:48 AM)82hawk Wrote:  

(05-12-2021 07:06 AM)Seahawk Nation 08 Wrote:  Gotta shake this one off, as this weekend will, fairly obviously, be the biggest series of the year. The South Division is on the line. Time to take down the Cougars.

Yep, there isn't an at-large bid in our future. Conference tournament win is our only shot at the NCAA tournament. Have to get in, and then get the best possible seeding so we can take use our home field advantage.

We are clearly not getting an at-large bid this year. With that in mind, our conference play hasn't been stellar either. We're doing just enough to stay in contention so far. So, I'm assuming that IF we win the CAA... a lower seed in a regional seems likely.

I think Hood pinpointed the key to our less than stellar conference play and found a third shut down starter in Smith. Too bad the change wasn't made sooner, but better late then never. We've gone 5-1 in conference since then. We'll see what happens against CofC to close out conference play(unless we end up swapping Charlotte for JMU).

Even if we make the NCAA's, we haven't exactly played well against top level competition this year with the exception of one W against EZU.

(05-12-2021 05:06 PM)82hawk Wrote:  

(05-12-2021 09:11 AM)B_Hawk06 Wrote:  

(05-12-2021 07:48 AM)82hawk Wrote:  

(05-12-2021 07:06 AM)Seahawk Nation 08 Wrote:  Gotta shake this one off, as this weekend will, fairly obviously, be the biggest series of the year. The South Division is on the line. Time to take down the Cougars.

Yep, there isn't an at-large bid in our future. Conference tournament win is our only shot at the NCAA tournament. Have to get in, and then get the best possible seeding so we can take use our home field advantage.

We are clearly not getting an at-large bid this year. With that in mind, our conference play hasn't been stellar either. We're doing just enough to stay in contention so far. So, I'm assuming that IF we win the CAA... a lower seed in a regional seems likely.

I think Hood pinpointed the key to our less than stellar conference play and found a third shut down starter in Smith. Too bad the change wasn't made sooner, but better late then never. We've gone 5-1 in conference since then. We'll see what happens against CofC to close out conference play(unless we end up swapping Charlotte for JMU).

Even if we make the NCAA's, we haven't exactly played well against top level competition this year with the exception of one W against EZU.

They have actually gone 6 -3 since moving Smith to a starter. His first series as a starter was the @ Elon series which we lost 2 of 3.
Point still taken though, it was a solid move. While that’s helped the big difference has been on the plate approach. Small ball and timely hitting has been huge


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I agree with a lot of what's being noted here. Coach Hood's adjustments have been very solid, and the fact that Smith has been going deeper and deeper into games with each successive start is impressive. It's not easy at all to go from throwing 20-30 pitch outings out of the pen to being a guy capable of throwing 90-100 pitches.

I wouldn't count on an at-large bid for the CAA even if NU loses in the final, only because of the unpredictability of the committee's approach to at-large bids in general, plus any other potential weird circumstances that could come about due to COVID. Either way, win and get in is of course the focus. That's all we and NU can try to do.