Ball Around

This episode goes into the potential positional battles for the fall camps of Baseball and Softball. It'll also go into how NC State has been involved in the history of athletics with Team USA to celebrate 250!

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Creators and Guests

Host

Logan Brumley

What is In The Den?

"In The Den" with host Logan Brumley covers everything from the NC State Wolfpack's NCAA, intramural and club sports. "In The Den" is a podcast from WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1/HD-2 at NC State University.

00:00
Logan Brumley
Hello and welcome to WKNC's official sports radio show podcast in the den. Today we're going to be going over just two topics. One of them is going to be kind of an umbrella of just seeing how you know, some position battles to watch out for with baseball and softball especially as the transfer portal begins to close. There's the MLB draft about to come up. There's recruitment classes that have already been certified. So there's a lot of turnover for both of these teams that we're going to be exploring today. And my other little mini segment Last year, last July 4th I did an episode just in general talking about some former NC State alumni who gone on to represent Team USA and you know, generally the Olympics, but it could also be like the World cup.

00:50
Logan Brumley
And we're going to be doing the same thing today because I got a couple more athletes who should definitely have some honorable mentions. So get your headphones on, let's get straight into it. Alright, so I'm going to start off just with baseball softball. Ladies first with the softball. So NC State did not really have an eventful transfer portal period. Nobody really left, nobody really came in. And the graduating class had a good amount of backup pitchers and some outfield players and most notably our catcher which is going to be like the first kind of position that I go over today. We had Carmen Montesi, she has the best shot key in her starting catcher spot. But she did kind of start to slide out of that starting position later in the season.

01:43
Logan Brumley
She kind of struggled with hidden having a like 156 at bat or bat average. And so this is kind of like an honorable mention position battle. I think there is an opportunity for some of the incoming recruits because this is like one of the biggest recruit classes I think NC State has had with softball. I think just in sheer quantity that this class just hassle. Yeah, they have a top 20 recruiting class this year which I don't really remember the last time we had a class quite like that. I don't, you know, it's not really like there's a lot of recording of softball information at that big of a level until just recently with you know, pro softball becoming a big thing. The Women's College Award series, kind of a tandem. But two blue chip catchers are coming in.

02:40
Logan Brumley
Emma Newsome who is the highest rated like just in general softball prospect coming out of Virginia and Maddie Smith who is also a pretty notable catcher, but she's coming from Texas. Emma Newsom I think is a little higher in the recruitment Rankings, so maybe she could have a shot starting off. I could see it being a rotation until someone kind of certifies that spot. But there's going to be a lot going on at the catcher position in the, you know, fall camps. And I have to say the same thing for the Pigeon Def. I think Win Gore is still here. Morgan Towie still here. But outside of that, who do we really got after Riley Wyman graduated and they weren't really able to get anyone in the draft or not? The draft transfer portal.

03:38
Logan Brumley
Tali, she started a little less than Wyman, so you know she's gonna be the ace. Win Gore, she had a really solid career with 385 ERA, 6, 4 record, which I think she's the only one on the roster with a winning record. Fat chick me on that. But after that, there's a lot of senior deaf that hasn't really had a lot of great experience. Katie Becker, I think is just someone who's been a career transfer person, but she's sticking out here for her last season, so there could be something there. Kendall Wake has been someone who's been around a lot as well, but just hasn't really gotten any reps. I think my most likely candidate is going to be Kayla Feckler.

04:24
Logan Brumley
She's a junior and she has like about 3 ERA and 11 innings pitch, which isn't great, but that's a full start and some change. There's also a good amount of recruits coming in. Kelsey Donaldson from Missouri and Thea Stanton from Ohio. They're both like the. Both, you know, the best pitching prospects in their respective states. I think there's definitely a question though. Is this going to be a permanent thing? Is this going to be like, you know, the springboard transfer school that we've become for like football? Is softball going to be kind of like a football thing where we just kind of lose all these good people? And that's something I'm really worried about this season because I mean, I know they're good enough a lot of like that really great infield is going to go.

05:14
Logan Brumley
But just for now, I mean, just watch out for a lot of the names in a pitch in depth because there is just a lot of opportunities, a lot of different ways this could shape out. And I think early in the season we're going to be seeing a lot of arms coming in and taking reps, you know, just kind of like usual. But just to kind of really see what do we have for a weekend rotation because tally's okay. We're hoping she takes a big step in pitching next year. Same thing for Wingore, just kind of like hold down the fort. Who else can we have? And we do have some outfield fluctuation as well. Maya Townsend and Marbury both graduate. Taryn Massey is utility player. I think she could have a more permanent spot in the outfield.

06:09
Logan Brumley
And Sarah Johnson, who I think was a prior transfer. Let me. I don't know entirely for sure. Let me check. Yeah, okay. Yeah, she was that juco transfer from Gaston College, but she had a decent season so she's going to be back in the outfield. I have Taryn Massey, who did have some reps in outfield during the season, but was mostly a kind of a used in a lot of different positions. She's probably going to have a more permanent spot in the outfield. That's where most of her reps are last year. The only issue is that outside of those two, we don't really have too many outfielders outside of a handful of transfers, including on a blue chip and Ryan Roberts from Texas. There's Mikayla Watson and Molly Southall.

07:06
Logan Brumley
So again, catcher, pitcher, outfield, all of those positions, there's gonna be a lot of attention on those just because we don't really know who's going to be permanent starters in those areas. And I think it's going to take a while for NC State to figure out. I'm hoping that this doesn't really hurt their opportunities to be a successful team next year. You know, they're taking step after step. I'm hoping next year they can be, you know, top 10 team in the ACC, maybe even a little bit higher in that regards. But, you know, we'll see. We'll see how the roster looks like in the fall. And you know, best of luck to Left Witch and this Wolfpack softball team that has historically not been great with success. Now I'll do the same for baseball real quick.

08:10
Logan Brumley
So baseball is kind of a weird category because you can be invited to the MLB Combine and not officially, you know, declare for the draft. I mean, as of recording, about six players have been invited to MLB Combine and participated. However, that doesn't mean that they're going to officially go in or not. I think that's something that we're going to learn a bit more about in the future. And I definitely think that, you know, that'll be a future episode where I talk about the draft and how that. How a lot of what I'm about to say is going to be practicalized. But right now we're going to go with the hypothetical that every player who has entered the MLB draft and has gone into the draft combine will be drafted, which leaves a very empty infield.

09:07
Logan Brumley
Chris Mckeugh, first baseman Luke Nixon at second base and Sherman Johnson the second at third are all likely to go and some of the death is starting to go away as well with Dalton Bargo, the Tennessee transfer set to graduate as well. Brandon Novi is someone who I mentioned a few times but doesn't look like he's going to be a more of a like he's been at DH for a long while and I think that's probably where he's going to stay unless some of these other players I'm about to mention just do not show up. So the only like player that I think is definitely going to stay in the infield is Mikey Ryan. He's been a great player for the team and I think he's kind of have that shortstop position on lockdown.

10:03
Logan Brumley
We have a transfer from right state Hunter Warren who has been playing second base. I do think that he will probably just slide right into there. He has a.344 baton average in two seasons with about how many home runs? Nine home runs and 86. He's not a bad player. I think it would definitely sure you could definitely argue that there's going to be an adjustment but for Redshirt Junior I think he'll be able to slide right into second especially if Luke Nixon goes now the corner infields is the big question because there's some young prospects who've had very little like wide season span reps but are players who I think can eventually find their way into starting positions next year, especially since the transfer port was not very big on infield recruits.

11:04
Logan Brumley
Wyatt Pifer I have listed as a player who could potentially go into first base. You know he started several games there and he has a solid batting average of.268 and 26 at bats. He has a 1.1k to walk ratio so there's definitely I think a spot for him on the starting roster at least to get more reps. I have a third base Quinn Bentley is someone who could potentially go even though he's only had six at bats. There's another that's where I think Inovi could file in. I think Christian Serrano who's had a very he hasn't had like too many res fan someone who was how he recruited a shortstop dirt base prospect.

11:57
Logan Brumley
So I think there could be some opportunities for him to get reps I think of all these holes, I think third base is the one that has the most turnover opportunities and this one that's going to get the most attention in the off season. You know, I mean, maybe this infield isn't really as bad as it seems, but there's definitely going to be a question about like infield depth and, you know, are the people who are next in line actually ready for the next in line and that's, you know, what the early season is for, is figuring that stuff out. But, you know, only time will tell how things will look in the outfield. Taihe second round pick, I think he's definitely gone now. An interesting one is Devin Mitchell, who was another JUCO transfer, I believe, who had entered the transfer portal.

12:57
Logan Brumley
But it doesn't look like even after a month of being in the transfer portal hasn't really found a new home yet. And today is today as of recording, which is Monday, June 30th is the deadline. I think there's definitely some worries about what's going to happen to him. I think there's gonna be like a scholarship issue if you don't find a new transfer home. Especially since he hasn't officially withdrawn yet. But he has been playing summer baseball in Burlington, so that's going to be a huge question mark on the team. Brandon Frassman is graduating. That's third base gone. The only thing that's like a walk is Rhett Johnson at left field. Second team all American freshman. He's just been really great for the team. I think he kind of came out of nowhere and became a very productive player.

14:02
Logan Brumley
Happy to see it and I guess we'll see more in the future of. Is this a fluke? Does he take that next step and become like the guy for state? Only time will tell. Andrew Wiggins has a lot of reps as well. He's filed in at left and right field especially, you know, later on in season he's had reps at dh. He's been an okay hitter for the team, but I do think he has a very strong chance of getting a starting role just because of seniority. Next man up thing. A lot of these are next man up, but there's a lot of men who could go up, especially a, I think a sophomore transfer, Maddox monsour, who has a.185 baton average, 10 RBI, seven stolen bases for Texas, which, you know, Texas is good baseball program. He just couldn't find a home there.

14:57
Logan Brumley
Maybe he could come in and take another starting spot in the outfield. I do really like what I've seen from the 2026 recruit, like our number one recruit, Gunner Alm. Maybe we could have a very young outfield who just has like a lot of hidden potential. I think that's what we're probably going to be looking at for this position. But right now Red Johnson's a lock, Wiggins is a probably, Mansoor and Alm are maybes and I don't think there's anyone else on the roster for the outfield as of right now. We'll see what Devin Mitchell does and whether he actually is able to find starting time because he struggled with that last year with NC State. I think that's why he's gone. But we'll see how it looks. I think everything we have here is locked though.

15:58
Logan Brumley
The big question for NC State as it always been for like the past year, is word of good pitchers Mehron and Dudan are likely to enter the draft. Their stock is pretty high right now and you know, with health concerns for both of them I believe getting in just while you're still haven't why you don't have another injury in your name to worry about is something that is pretty important for both of these prospects. I don't think we really have an ace on a team I do like I think we have like a three pitcher rotation. I just don't feel strong about it. Anderson Nance, that's a Friday starter, maybe Cooper Cognacillo who I don't really like too much but he's been okay for the team.

16:46
Logan Brumley
Heath Andrews is returning so that's another guy who's gotten a lot of starting reps who I think could definitely be useful for the team. And there's a lot of younger players who I think could find their way sneak away into a rotation. There's Truitt Manuel who's playing in the Cape Cod League. Luke Hemrich has gotten a lot of starts as a freshman for the team. Some incoming players like Otto Nust and Logan Clark who are both 2026 graduates and recruits are players who could potentially get reps. I think that with a pitching staff that is this meh, there's definitely going to be opportunity for younger players to find their way and to find reps on the team. And just with the transfers I don't really feel too strongly about the transfers outside of the fact that there are veteran arms who could be useful.

17:43
Logan Brumley
There's Jesse Gutierrez from San Jose State, 9 and 12 record 455 career ERA. Jet lacks another Wright State transfer with a 5.1 ERA in 28 starts, 184 record. So maybe there's room for them there. I have my week in rotation kind of looking like Nance Cock, Nacilo Hemrick, you know, don't many broke, don't fix it kind of thing. I think that we're definitely going to be relying on the bats again this season to be really great. But I do think that there's a lot of potential with this pitching staff to better than we all think just because of the lots of income and talent, especially with you know, sophomores who could get the reps, freshmen who could get the reps to transfers who most likely will.

18:37
Logan Brumley
Yeah, this can be a big question mark throughout fall camps and I think it's one I am most excited for because it could mean, you know, a return to I guess glory for the team or you know, kind of being out in Chris Hart's first year which I think just was set a bad precedence. But I think that's pretty much all I have to say on this manner. We can progress on to just, you know, some other notable NC State Olympic athletes. So how about that, you know, very seamless transition. Kenny Carr is a legendary men's basketball player for NC State and plays a power forward from 1974 to 1977. He was you know, part of that returning team from 1973 that was just hungry for another title.

19:33
Logan Brumley
And while he did have a quick impact and was a two time All American, he didn't really help contribute to team excess. But his individual success was so great that no, he averaged a double, almost a double for like his career when it comes to 20 points, nine rebounds, two assists, 51% true shooting. Not terrible. He was the sixth overall pick to the Lakers, also played for the Cavs, Pistons and Blazers. However, we're here for his Olympics. In 1976, Carr was invited to join the Olympic team and was part of their, I think their Olympic Run in 19. Yeah, 1976 Olympic Run where they had his teammate Adrian Duntley and champion of NCAA Scott May from unc. The only problem with this old information is that there isn't really a lot of data to track.

20:32
Logan Brumley
We do know that he scored about six points, three rebounds and he did have a little bit of a turnover issue with like a one to one turnover assist ratio. But he was a very helpful tributary for the team. I think he was most definitely, at least coming off the bench and contributing well there and helped the team get their eighth gold medal in Olympic History. So what is sort of a footnote? It's definitely a more honorable mention, especially here in the triangle where he's had his jersey retired and a gold medal, which is a pretty good career. Dario Rose is another player I have listed. I've talked about a couple other soccer players. This is one, I think that fell through the cracks.

21:19
Logan Brumley
We had Tab Ramos and Pablo Mastroni in my last year episode, which I think is just called July 4th episode on the WKNC website. Dario Rose. Is another very notable player who contributed. He came from New York City and was a midfielder for a lot of the U number teams, U18, U20, U23 and eventually committed to NC State, becoming a very vital part of their Final four run in 1990, which I think is the first time that's happened. The second time being last year. He accumulated 93 goals and three assists in his career, which for a midfielder is pretty good for four years. With his younger experience being in U18, U20, U23 teams provide a valuable asset. He was invited to rejoin the roster in the 1992 Summer Olympics. This was like the first official Olympics.

22:18
Logan Brumley
It's kind of a fun fact where they started to switch over from having the official national teams play in the Olympics to having only U23 squads as a way of trying to make sure that the light of the FIFA World cup was not taken away by the Olympics. Even though I don't think the timing matches, I just think it was something that FIFA World cup just could not be dethroned and the Olympics had to adjust around that. But we don't really know much about the coverage. You know, 1992, soccer wasn't as huge in the United States, especially not in the men's category. And we really. They were just shadowed in general by the dream team of basketball. And there's probably another good reason I think that happened was they didn't get past their group.

23:13
Logan Brumley
Their only win was that first game against Kuwait where they notched three goals. They were down 1 0, but Rose had an equalizer coming out of the halftime and USA were able to dominate from there. Navrio didn't have much else. They had one tie, one loss. Who were to do like a loss to Italy in a tie against Poland? I think the eventual winner, Poland got second place and Italy was knocked out in the quarterfinals. But hey, honorable mention. He did score a goal. I think he's the only. Well, he's not the only, but he's definitely one of the few NC State alumni to score a Goal for Team usa. One who didn't but was a valuable contributor nonetheless was Tori Staples Bryant. She had an excellent career of the NC State coming out of Baltimore.

24:14
Logan Brumley
She came in as the latter end of their national championship runs when it was starting to show little cracks in the foundation but she definitely helped cover up. She became freshman player of the year and was an ACC phenomenon. After that freshman year she was invited to the women's national team. She shared time with NC State, helped him go to three tournaments in her four years there. And she was part of Team USA at the same time and was playing in the 1995 Women's World cup in Sweden. She was a final part of 1995 run for NC State. They had two overtime wins before making it to I think the quarterfinals. It was overtime win versus William and Mary, then a three overtime win against our rival Duke.

25:22
Logan Brumley
Starting as a defender for the women's national team she helped a defense that yeah did struggle against China. They tied through the three but after that they only really gave up two goals. One was I think just another kind of group thing where they were able to dominate against both Australia 41 and Denmark 20 to qualify for the knockout stage where they didn't give up a goal against Japan but they did give up one against Norway who were able to knock them off when nothing and then win the whole thing 2 0. I think it's Norway's. How many have they had? I think this is their only one. Yeah, this is their only World cup championship which hey better one to none, you know in soccer.

26:20
Logan Brumley
And then they didn't give up any against China beat them too well, they finished in third when she was there and she was in a reserves for the 1999 World cup because I don't see her officially whist on the roster but she had been a part of the team until 2020. No, 2003. But let's see. Do I have time for one more? Yeah, we'll do one more. His name is Lucas Koshaniski. I plan on doing an episode eventually where I talk about some former programs that NC States had particularly with rifle and lacrosse. And you know the rifle didn't have much success. I think it was like 65 years of nothing. However, Konzienski is a honorable mention for sure. He has team records for top scores in both small bore and air rifle.

27:15
Logan Brumley
As of you know the time he graduated I think around like 2020 which is crazy because he started. He didn't rifle until his freshman year in college. However he was able to qualify for the Rio Summer Olympics, but missed the finals qualifier. He did eventually manage to go back into the 2020 Olympics where individually he didn't really. I don't think he made the final round in the individual men's air rifle, but doubling up with West Virginia alumni and the native Mary Tucker, they were able to have more success in the qualifying round. He did have to dominate with the duo to kind of sneak into the finals. However, in the finals, both Tucker and Koshaniski took turns. They dominated competition and eventually were able to get silver. So hey, silver is better than nothing.

28:12
Logan Brumley
And for NC State it has been, you know, really good little staple on the team success. And that's kind of a general theme, I think. NT State, while they don't really get too many national contenders on the roster, they whenever they do, they really make it count, whether it's helping the team get gold, helping to just contribute to the team's statistical success. And that's just kind of something where NC State is one of those little talked about teams when it comes to representing our country. And I think the history is just so much more than what most people think. And that's why NC State is so great, you know. Anyways, I think that concludes today's episode. Hope you have a good day and go pack.