The Czech Republic’s Vojtech Mensik and his North Carolina State Wolfpack teammates are one win away from the NCAA Division I College World Series final. To advance to the three-game final series, which is scheduled to begin on Monday, June 28, the Wolfpack will need to defeat the Vanderbilt Commodores, who they have already defeated once in the tournament.
Under the College World Series’ double-elimination format, the Wolfpack (2-0) have two chances to knock Vanderbilt (2-1) out of the tournament. Should the Commodores win tonight’s game (20:00 CEST), the two teams will meet again on Saturday for the right to advance to the championship series.
The two teams met for the first time in Omaha last Monday, with the Wolfpack getting past the favored Commodores and top MLB pitching prospect Jack Leiter 1-0 (box score). Pitching in front of 23,000 spectators, Leiter was worth the price of admission, striking out 15 batters and allowing just four hits in his eight innings of work. One of the four hits was a Terrell Tatum solo homer, however, and that made the difference as Wolfpack starter Sam Highfill and closer Evan Justice combined to allow just two hits in the shutout.
Mensik, a native of Brno, Czech Republic, went 1-for-3 in the contest, striking out once. He is a combined 3-for-8 in the tournament, with one run scored and two RBI.
Vanderbilt narrowly avoided elimination on Wednesday. Trailing by one run and facing two outs and empty bases in the bottom of the ninth, the Commodores rallied to defeat the Stanford Cardinal 6-5.
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