Returning to Omaha for the first time since 2021, NC State faces the challenge of navigating through SEC opponents to advance to the championship series next weekend. Following victories over South Carolina in the Raleigh Regional and a two-out-of-three series win against Georgia in the Super Regionals, the Wolfpack finds itself in a bracket surrounded by three other SEC teams: No. 2 Kentucky, No. 4 Texas A&M, and Florida.

As the No. 10 national seed, NC State is scheduled to kick off its Omaha journey against Kentucky in a game set for Saturday at 2 p.m. at Charles Schwab Field. This upcoming matchup will mark the eighth meeting between NC State and Kentucky. The Wildcats claimed victory in the last two encounters during the 2017 Lexington Regional, halting NC State’s season.

Kentucky, currently undefeated in the NCAA Tournament and known for its unique playing style, emphasizes speed over power, contrasting with teams focused on hitting home runs. Their strategy revolves around exploiting opponents’ defenses with their aggression on the base paths. This season, Kentucky has executed an impressive 118 stolen bases out of 149 attempts, showcasing their proficiency in small-ball tactics. Emilien Pitre leads with 25 stolen bases, followed by Ryan Waldschmidt with 24 and Devin Burkes with 19.

Similar to how NC State pressured Georgia’s defense in the Super Regional opener, Kentucky aims to capitalize on their opponents’ errors. If given the opportunity, the Wildcats can swiftly capitalize on mistakes. NC State’s focus lies in containing Kentucky’s offensive momentum to minimize the risk of conceding ground to their opponents.

“Yeah, they’re a very talented team, very athletic, a ton of good players, a ton of good pitchers,” said NC State right-hander  Sam Highfill, who is expected to earn the start against Kentucky. “You just have to play fundamental baseball. If they’re going to try and give you outs, then you have to be able to take them and not compound mistakes because that’s what those offenses live on. We just have to do our best to make the fundamental plays.”

The Wolfpack’s success in the postseason has been attributed to fundamental play. NC State has committed just two errors, both occurring in the game against Duke in the ACC Tournament. Apart from that instance, the team has maintained a solid defense, prioritizing error-free performances to prevent self-inflicted setbacks.

This same objective of playing error-free baseball persists in the upcoming game against Kentucky.

“We can’t really try to do too much,” NC State graduate third baseman Alec Makarewicz said. “Make the routine plays, and just go out there and play the game.”

NC State aims to stick to the basics as they advance in the season, relying on the strategies that have been effective throughout the year. Coach Elliott Avent emphasized that now is not the time to start strategizing specifically against opponents’ tactics.

By this stage of the season, teams should already be well-prepared; there is no room for last-minute preparations.

“You can’t prepare,” Avent said.  “If you have to prepare for what a team does right now, you’re not going to be ready. You prepare for that in the fall and January, February, and all year long. If you’re not prepared for the style of baseball that Kentucky plays now, you’re not going to get prepared this week. So I think we catch the baseball. I think we’re pretty good defensively. I think we hold runners pretty good. I think we’ve got some experience. We may not be ready, but we’ll find out.”

Broadcast Information

Television:

• Network: ESPN
• Start Time: 2 p.m. Eastern Time / 1 p.m. Central Time
• Broadcast Team: Karl Ravech (play-by-play), Eduardo Perez (analyst), Ben McDonald (analyst), Dani Wexelman (reporter)

Radio:

• Station: 88.1 & 99.9 FM
• Broadcast Team: Andrew Sanders (play-by-play)