Opponent Preview: James Madison
Meet the Dukes: Survivors of the Raleigh Regional losers’ bracket
Who’s the Pack playing?
– Opponent: James Madison
– Mascot: Dukes
– School Location: Harrisonburg, VA
– Conference: Sun Belt
– 2024 Record: 36-24 (17-13, T-4th)
– 2024 RPI Rank: 50
– 2023 Record: 31-25 (15-13, T-7th)
– 2023 RPI Rank: 100
– 2022 Record: 27-26 (12-11, 5th)
– 2022 RPI Rank: 112
When? Where? How do I watch?
– Location: Doak Field at Dail Park (Raleigh, NC)
– Game Time: Sun, June 2 @ 6:00pm
– TV: ESPN+
– Live Stats: NCAA.com
Team Overview:
James Madison played well in the competitive Sun Belt Conference, securing an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, partly due to a late-season collapse by Troy. They helped their cause by winning a series against Troy and reached the semifinals before losing to Georgia Southern.
Their resume, with an 11-17 record in Q1 and Q2 games, isn’t the strongest but indicates a solid team. The offense is their strength, featuring three players with OPS over 1.000 and two more over .900, and five players with double-digit home runs. They are aggressive on the bases with over 100 stolen bases and more than 50 sac bunts.
The pitching staff is neither a strong suit nor a liability. They lack high-end arms but compensate with depth; nine pitchers have pitched over 33.0 innings this year. They often use an “opener” strategy, quickly switching pitchers after the starter faces the lineup once. This approach has worked, as evidenced by their NCAA Regional participation.
In the Raleigh Regional, JMU performed admirably. They were one strike away from defeating 2-seed South Carolina in the opening round but lost 7-8 in extra innings. They then defeated Bryant 8-1 and eliminated South Carolina with a 2-0 win, thanks to two Mike Mancini home runs and 6.2 scoreless innings from Donovan Burke.
While JMU lacks the bullpen depth of teams like South Carolina, they are a resilient team with key players. They used only two pitchers in their Sunday elimination game, positioning their pitching staff well for the game against the Wolfpack.
(Probable) Pitching Matchup:
– Sunday: RHP Logan Whitaker (SR) — TBD
Key Players (stats prior to Sunday’s game):
Offense:
– CF Fenwich Trimble (JR): .376/.458/.645, 9.9 BB%, 8.1 K%, 16-18 SB. 1st Team All-Sun Belt in 2024 and 2nd Team in 2023. 4-for-8 with 3 2B, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB in Raleigh Regional.
– RF Brendan O’Donnell (rSR): .316/.405/.656, 8.8 BB%, 23.3 K%, 12-16 SB. Grad transfer from Rider and 2022 All-MAAC selection. 50 HR over the last three years. 4-for-7 with R, 2 RBI, 1-2 SB in Regional play.
– C Jason Schiavone (JR): .271/.387/.623, 14.0 BB%, 24.8 K%, 8-11 SB. Full-time starter with power surge (18 HR) and strong arm (23-of-42 base stealers thrown out).
– 2B Mike Mancini (SO): .323/.418/.535, 12.4 BB%, 19.7 K%, 29-34 SB. 17-game hitting streak ended in win over Bryant. Only 1 error in last 30 games.
– **DH Ryan Dooley (JR):** .311/.410/.473, 13.2 BB%, 10.6 K%, 14-18 SB. 1st Team All-CAA in 2022. 3-for-7 with 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB in Regional play.
Pitching:
– RHP Todd Mozoki (JR): 5-1, 6.66 ERA, 50.0 IP, 9.7 BB%, 17.6 K%. Mainly an opener. In Regional opener, 2.1 IP, 1 ER on 32 pitches with control issues.
– **LHP Max Kuhle (SO):** 5-4, 1 SV, 4.13 ERA, 61.0 IP, 11.7 BB%, 25.4 K%. Key arm yet to appear in Regional play. Last outing: 3.2 scoreless IP against Louisiana in Sun Belt Tournament.
– RHP Joe Vogatsky (SR): 3-2, 9 SV, 3.63 ERA, 44.2 IP, 9.2 BB%, 24.0 K%. Drafted by Blue Jays but returned for final year. Pitched in both Regional games, taking loss against South Carolina and securing an out against Bryant.
Quick Facts:
– JMU played in the 1983 College World Series, losing to Stanford and Texas.
– Two JMU alumni are in MLB in 2024: RHP Kevin Kelly (Tampa Bay) and RHP Nick Robertson (St. Louis).
– JMU also participated in the 2008 Raleigh Regional, losing to NC State and South Carolina.
Key to a Win for State:
With JMU’s pitching being stretched from the losers’ bracket, NC State should work counts and put pressure on their arms.
Prediction:
NC State prevails, heading to their second Super Regional in four seasons.
Outcome: State wins, 8-4.
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