RALEIGH - For N.C. State, being a part of the NCAA baseball tournament has always meant packing up for trips to Starkville, Miss., or Lincoln, Neb., or cross-country to Palo Alto, Calif.

Two years ago, the Wolfpack was sent to Austin, Texas. Last season, it was Columbia, S.C.

"In years past, you get back from the [ACC] tournament and you're here for two days and you're flying somewhere or getting on a bus," outfielder Matt Payne said Monday.

But not this year. For the first time in the program's history, State has the luxury of opening NCAA play at home, at Doak Field, as the No. 1 seed in the Raleigh Regional.

As shortstop Tommy Foschi put it, "Hosting is pretty big."

The Pack (38-20) will face No. 4 seed James Madison (38-17) in its opening game at 7 p.m. Friday. The first game will match No. 2 seed South Carolina (38-21) against No. 3 Charlotte (43-14) at 2 p.m.

The State players and coaches gathered Monday at Sammy's Tap & Grill near campus to munch on sandwiches and watch the NCAA selection show on ESPN. The Pack learned Sunday that it would host an NCAA regional -- one of four ACC schools chosen for regional sites -- but there was the matter of seeing who else would be in Raleigh.

There was a low buzz and a few claps among the players when the three teams for the Raleigh Regional were announced.

James Madison. OK.

South Carolina. Hmmmm.

Charlotte. Oh, yeah.

Such seemed to be the reaction.

A year ago, the Pack traveled to South Carolina's Sarge Frye Field for the regional but never faced the Gamecocks and former Wolfpack coach Ray Tanner. It did play Charlotte -- twice. The 49ers won both times in the double-elimination regional to end the Pack's season.

"We lost two games to Charlotte, so we think we owe them a couple," Foschi said.

The Pack had the look of a distracted team last year in Columbia. Starting pitcher Andrew Brackman, later to be a first-round draft choice of the New York Yankees, had elbow problems and could not play. More so, Foschi was dealing with a personal tragedy -- the sudden death of his father just before the ACC tournament.

Foschi did play in the tournament. He returned to his home in California for his father's funeral, then came back for the regional. For the Pack, it was an emotional time.

"It was one of the most devastating things I've seen as a coach," NCSU coach Elliott Avent said.

A year later, Foschi is on a hitting tear and was named to the ACC all-tournament team. But the Pack may be missing another key pitcher in the regional.

Sophomore left-hander Jimmy Gillheeney, State's closer, was held out of the ACC tournament last week. Avent said he could not comment on the situation.

Avent said there was a chance Gillheeney, who has 10 saves and a 1.12 ERA, could be able to resolve his university issues this week and play. Gillheeney was with the team Monday for the selection show viewing but was not made available to the media.

"I'm pretty much out of the loop. I just know there is a possibility," Avent said. "We'll see what happens, anxiously hoping he'll be with us."

NCSU athletic director Lee Fowler said Monday that he could not comment on "student privacy issues."

Charlotte and JMU both are conference champions -- the 49ers winning the Atlantic 10 and the Dukes the Colonial Athletic Association. South Carolina will be making its ninth NCAA appearance under Tanner, who coached at State from 1988-1996.

Should the Pack win its regional, it would be headed to Athens, Ga., for a Super Regional hosted by the Georgia Bulldogs -- that is, if the Bulldogs advance.

"We're home," Avent said. "We feel good about the way we're playing. We like our ballclub.

"Now we have to go out and play well for three days."