Appalachian State University continues its grueling early-season schedule this weekend when it travels to Raleigh, N.C. for a three-game series against No. 6 NC State. Games are set for 3 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday at NC State's Doak Field. The first two games of the series can be seen live on ESPN3.

Appalachian State has dropped its first four games of the 2014 campaign with all four defeats coming at the hands of Southeastern Conference opponents — three last weekend at No. 25 Arkansas and a 5-3 loss on Wednesday at Tennessee.

The road doesn't get any easier for the Mountaineers, as their next four contests come against nationally ranked Atlantic Coast Conference powers coming off College World Series appearances in 2013, beginning with this weekend's three-game set at NC State and ending with next Tuesday's mid-week matchup at No. 17 North Carolina.

NC State posted a 50-16 record last season en route to its first College World Series berth since 1968. However, NC State's historic campaign began with Appalachian State jumping out to a 5-0 lead and cruising to a 6-3 opening-day win over the Wolfpack on Feb. 15 at Doak Field. Appalachian homered three times in four innings against NC State all-American Carlos Rodon and handed Rodon the first loss of his collegiate career.

The Mountaineers wound up "sweeping" a weather-shortened series against NC State, as the final two games of the three-game set were wiped out by winter weather in the Triangle.

After beginning this season in similar fashion to last with Rodon and the Wolfpack falling to Canisius, 3-0, on opening day, NC State has reeled off three-straight wins and brings a 3-1 mark into this weekend's series. Since being shut out in the opener, the Wolfpack has scored double-digit runs in each of its three victories, and is hitting .306 as a team this season while limiting its opponents to a .183 average.

NC State's high-powered offense is led by all-America shortstop Trea Turner. Turner is batting .500 (8-for-16) through four games but, more importantly, the speedy leadoff hitter is a perfect 5-for-5 on stolen-base attempts and has scored five runs.

Appalachian State's offense has also been led by its shortstop, as Dillon Dobson leads the club with a .353 average (6-for-17) on the young season. Dobson has hit safely in all four games and boasts a lofty .706 slugging percentage with a double, triple and home run among his six hits. He also leads the team with five RBI and four runs scored.

Friday's pitching matchup will be a rematch of last year's opening-day showdown between Rodon and Appalachian ace Jamie Nunn. Nunn outdueled Rodon in last year's contest, limiting NC State to just one earned run on three hits over six innings of work. Like Rodon, Nunn was beaten in this season's opener, as Arkansas topped the right-handed junior and the rest of the travel-weary Mountaineers, 12-2, last Friday.