N.C. State pitching coach Tom Holliday was chatting with a friend recently when it was casually mentioned that the Wolfpack was third in the nation in earned run average, behind North Carolina and California-Irvine.

"Holy cow," Holliday said. "Is that right? Third?"

Yes, third. A year after finishing 53rd among NCAA Division I teams with a 4.02 ERA, the Wolfpack began this week ranked third at 3.24 and lowered it to 3.20 by giving up just five earned runs in its previous two games.

"And we aren't the only ones having a good year pitching," Holliday said. "There's a reason the ACC is the country's best league."

The Tar Heels have a 2.27 ERA ("That's really taking care of business," Holliday said), and Virginia was ranked fifth this week at 3.33. Duke (3.57) was 13th, Florida State (3.72) 19th and Miami (3.80) 24th.

Holliday, 55, joined Elliott Avent's staff last season as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator. This season, he added the duties of pitching coach.

"I haven't been to the mound a single time all year," Avent said. "I leave everything that has to do with our pitching to Tom.

"I've had pitching coaches who were good in teaching the mechanics or good with dealing with the mental side of pitching. Tom's the whole package."

Holliday, who came to NCSU from the University of Texas, said he isn't a "barker" and loathes those who stand in the dugout shouting, "Throw strikes!" Good pitching, he said, is about throwing "quality strikes." It's about having at least two pitches that can be relied on at any time in the count.

Nor, Holliday said, does he berate his players in meetings the day after they have pitched.

"He treats us like professionals, like men, and that builds trust," said Alex Sogard, a sophomore left-hander and transfer from Oregon State.

Holliday, the father of Colorado Rockies star Matt Holliday, has spent more than 30 years in college baseball and was the coach at Oklahoma State from 1997 to 2003. He has been a part of 14 teams that reached the College World Series, including two that won titles.

"We know that he knows what it takes to get to Omaha and win championships," said Clayton Shunick, a junior right-hander.

Shunick, lean at 6 feet 1 and 170 pounds, was a part-time starter last season when he was 6-3 with a 6.15 ERA. In nine starts this season, he's 6-4 with a 2.18 ERA, notching 76 strikeouts in 70 innings. He's the ace.

Holliday worked with Shunick on his arm angle, on his delivery and on getting his elbow up. They worked on improving his breaking ball and changeup, and on honing his split-finger pitch.

"His split is major league," Holliday said. "No one has hit it on the nose this year."

Shunick has been the Pack's starter on Fridays for ACC series and will be on the mound today as State (33-15, 15-8 ACC) plays the first of three games at Maryland (28-24, 8-19). Freshman Jake Buchanan (1-1, 2.51) will start Saturday, and Sogard (3-1, 2.70) will go Sunday.

Buchanan replaces Eric Surkamp, a junior lefty who made the All-ACC second team last season but has had his ups and downs during this campaign. Senior right-hander Eryk McConnell was the Sunday starter, but his struggles caused Holliday to turn to Sogard.

Holliday said Surkamp (4-2, 4.81) has a small flaw with his release point that causes wildness but also may be fighting "junior-itis" -- too many thoughts about being eligible for the Major League Baseball draft after the season and trying to impress pro scouts.

Buchanan, Holliday said, is a "bulldog" who has earned his first start after a few strong relief outings. Sogard did the same.

Holliday, who calls every pitch, said he believes in saving his pitchers' arms early in the season, enforcing a 50-pitch limit.

"We want to get to the College World Series," he said, "and we want to win championships."