One of the most tried and true phrases for success in baseball is to be strong up the middle and have good pitching depth.

NC State is excited on both of those fronts thanks to the return of junior switch-hitting catcher Patrick Bailey, sophomore Tyler McDonough playing at second base (and possibly some center field) and freshman shortstop Jose Torres arriving. The center field position might need some time to work itself out, but redshirt junior Jonny Butler could solidify the spot.

“That is a baseball philosophy,” NCSU head coach Elliott Avent said. “You have to be good behind the plate, and we have one of the top catchers in the country.

“You have to be good on the mound and at short and second. They handle everything and are the quarterbacks along with the catcher. You need a guy that can run it down in center field.

“I think we are good up the middle.”

Bailey is the centerpiece of the squad and a consensus preseason All-American. He hit .288 with 10 home runs and 60 runs batted in last season.

“I’m trying to work on, one, leadership and trying to get guys better,” Bailey said.

McDonough had an impressive freshman campaign. He was third on the team with a .320 batting average, to go with five home runs and 47 RBI, and he went 10 of 12 stealing bases. He’s willing to do whatever is needed for the Wolfpack to win.

“I’ll play wherever the team needs me,” McDonough said. “I’m comfortable wherever, but right now I’m at second.”

Torres, who was drafted in the 24th round by the Milwaukee Brewers, is being hailed as someone who could easily be playing minor league baseball instead of making his way from Baltimore to Raleigh.

“At the end of the day, I think I made the right decision,” Torres said. “I talked to my parents, and we had a lot talk on what was best for me at the time. At the time, it was for me to come to school and get a jumpstart on my education.”

Torres will be trying to fill the void of shortstop Will Wilson, who was a first-round MLB draft pick. Washington Nationals star Trea Turner is another former Wolfpack standout at the position, and he has talked to Torres about college baseball.

“Of course, I’m a Trea Turner fan,” Torres said. “I’ve learned about his consistency and the professionalism that he brings on a daily basis. I got the chance to talk to him before I came here [following the MLB Draft].”

Avent also announced Wednesday that junior lefty Nick Swiney would start the season opener at 3 p.m. Friday against James Madison, followed by freshman right-hander Matt Willadsen on Saturday and freshman lefty Chris Villaman on Sunday. Avent enters the game with 1,099 career wins, and he is the eighth-winningest active head coach in Division I baseball.

“Pitching is the name of this game,” Avent said. “You are never going to pitch enough.

“The game hasn’t changed in 100 years — you got to play good defense, you have to be opportunistic when you have a chance to score runs. I like the makeup of this team.”

Swiney went 7-1 last year with a 4.61 earned-run average. He made three starts and appeared in 26 games, limiting opponents to a .194 batting average. Swiney led the squad with 95 strikeouts in just 56 2/3 innings.

Willadsen, who attended nearby Holly Springs (N.C.) High, had a 1.20 ERA during his career at former Wolfpack star Carlos Rodon’s alma mater. Villaman, who went to Ledford High in Thomasville, N.C., threw two perfect games and five no-hitters while in high school. He had a 0.68 ERA his senior year, and was also accomplished at the plate.

Throwing to Bailey should help the two freshmen pitchers adjust to college baseball.

“It’s fun, and I really enjoy it,” said Bailey on learning the new pitchers. “It depends on the pitcher, but some guys you have to pat on the butt, and some guys you have to fire them up a little bit.”

NC State was picked to finish third in the Atlantic Division and is one of eight teams ranked nationally by Baseball America. The Wolfpack checked in at No. 17 in the country by that publication, and that marked 18 consecutive years the program has started or finished the season ranked.

“Lineup-wise, I think we should be pretty consistent one-through-nine,” Bailey said. “We got a lot of depth and that is probably the big thing for us. We have so many pitchers and so many position players that can play different positions. Just a lot of versatility.”

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