When its star closer was lost, N.C. State appeared to have a serious problem, but the rest of the bullpen stepped up, and the Wolfpack will play this week for a spot in the College World Series.

The Tar Heels are staying home for the Super Regionals, but the Wolfpack is hitting the road.

Tudor:Neither rain nor storm Sunday at Doak Field could deter N.C. State from another weekend of NCAA tournament baseball.

N.C. State edged South Carolina 2-1 Sunday night, sweeping the NCAA Raleigh Regional in three games. It was the Pack's first regional win since 2003.

The top-seeded Wolfpack fought past the Gamecocks 5-4 in the NCAA Raleigh Regional at Doak Field in what both coaches -- State's Elliott Avent and South Carolina's Ray Tanner -- called, simply put, a great college baseball game.

Pond's double gives N.C. State a matchup today with ex-coach Ray Tanner and South Carolina.

Today's 2 p.m. matchup between South Carolina and Charlotte will be the first NCAA tournament baseball game on the NCSU campus.

College baseball takes over the Triangle today, with eight of the 64 teams in the NCAA tournament playing in Raleigh and Cary. When it's over Sunday, or possibly Monday, only two teams will advance.

Freshmen to pitch regional openers.

Only one State team -- coach Sam Esposito's 1968 club composed chiefly of North Carolina talent -- made it to the College World Series, where it finished third.

N.C. State will have to play the NCAA baseball tournament without sophomore left-hander Jimmy Gillheeney, the Pack's closer.

Shortstop Tommy Foschi played last year in the ACC tournament and in the NCAA regional. But between the two, he helped bury a man who was as much a best friend and confidante as a father.

For the first time in the NCAA baseball tournament's history, N.C. State has the luxury of opening NCAA play at home, at Doak Field, as the No. 1 seed in the Raleigh Regional.

North Carolina and N.C. State on Sunday were chosen to be two of the 16 host sites, signaling the growth and depth of college baseball in the Triangle.

The Wolfpack fell behind early and its rally fell short as the Hurricanes held on for a 5-2 win in the third round of pool play at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.

Coaches track the "pitch count" by the game and use as a major factor in determining how long a hurler stays in.

After a sloppy loss in the opening round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, the N.C. State baseball team came out firing on all cylinders Thursday night.

N.C. State gave up five runs in the eighth inning, and the infield committed three errors in the ninth as Georgia Tech came from behind for a 10-9 victory on Wednesday.

It takes a sound, analytical mind to decipher all the inner workings of the ACC Baseball Championship, which begins today at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville, Fla.

Buster Posey did it all for Florida State's baseball team on Friday night.