NC State baseball moves on, ready for new season with new team

The last time the nation saw NC State baseball on the field, the “Pack13,” the only 13 players cleared to play due to COVID-19, nearly clinched a spot in the College World Series championship series against Vanderbilt before losing, 3-1.

Set to play a do-or-die game with the Commodores the final day, the NCAA, in the middle of the night, kicked NC State out of Omaha and the College World Series.

On Friday, Feb. 18, a new season starts for Wolfpack baseball with Evansville coming to Raleigh for a three-game set , and head coach Elliott Avent insists the summer of 2021 in the past.

“Never talk about it,” Avent said. “It’s never discussed. It’s not discussed by our players. It’s not discussed by me. We never carry over one year to the next. … Each season is a different season; each team is a different team.

“But do I think about it? Constantly. It’ll never get too far away from me, and I’ll never forget it, but it’s never discussed as we get ready for the season.”

Avent also made it clear that what happened at the College World Series to NC State is not a motivating factor for the upcoming spring.

“I don’t take motivation from anything that wronged me in the past,” he said. “I don’t believe in chips on my shoulder. I am not a guy that believes in that kind of stuff.”

A point can also be made that there is not much carryover from last year’s squad to this one.

Only two regulars in the lineup and three primary pitchers are back from the 2021 team, but Avent replaced them with a group that he says is “very talented.” Avent is excited to see what they can do on the field.

“I always love opening up,” Avent said. “I always love getting started. I love practice. I love to get started with new guys. There’s a pleasure in coaching guys that have been with your program a long time, like last year. There’s also a pleasure to coaching young guys that you develop into a team hopefully that you’re going to have for a couple of years.

“Guys want to play. That’s what we all love to do. When you were a kid, you loved to play. I guarantee your little kids, Christmas can’t come fast enough for them, and for parents, y’all would like to slow it down a little bit. That’s the way it is with baseball. Players can’t wait till opening day. I’d like to slow it down a little bit and be a little more prepared.”

It’s possible that NC State will open up with a freshman at catcher (Jacob Cozart) and shortstop (Payton Green) and a new center fielder, which Avent acknowledged is “not exactly how you draw it up.”

The Pack had to do that in the 2012 season. A year later, that group was playing in the College World Series.

“If you got good players, they figure it out,” Avent noted. “They just have to figure it out a little quicker because the season kind of rolls.”

Avent is also helped by the return of a pair of seniors in second baseman J.T. Jarrett and outfielder Devonte Brown. Avent noted that although both went undrafted, they had an opportunity to move on from NC State baseball after last season.

“They could have signed, too,” Avent said. “They could have both left this program. With all your players leaving, all your friends leaving, it’s easy to leave as well. They made a commitment to stay here, and their leadership has been unbelievable.”

Avent was not willing to tip his hand on pitching, although he was pleased with the development of two returning starters in juniors Sam Highfill and Matt Willadsen.

“I think both of those guys see themselves pitching in the big leagues one day, and they are setting a track forward in everything they do,” Avent said

As for who is the running to join them in the weekend rotation?

“Everybody,” Avent quickly answered.

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