Everything NC State head coach Elliott Avent said previewing the Raleigh Regional

Following the announcement of the NCAA Division I baseball Tournament bracket, NC State head coach Elliott Avent met with the local media to preview the Raleigh Regional. Here’s what he had to say.

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On how NC State will approach the rest of the NCAA Tournament field

“I don’t know anything about the field. We’ll go back and figure that out now. But, this time of year, you work all year, you go through all the things and it’s a great reward for the players, first of all. Then, it’s a reward for our loyal fans that come out through it all. We got a loyal, loyal fanbase. (We) always have.

On the team’s selection show party

“This is kind of neat, isn’t it, to do it here? This was (J.T. Jarrett’s) idea to do it here. I don’t get out much — I always do it in the locker room or, you know, maybe, Sammy’s or Amedeo’s or whatever. I don’t get out much. So, to come here and see this — it’s unbelievable. And this Sports & Social — wow, what a place. I can imagine what it was like with the Hurricanes game. If I had known this place existed, I might’ve watched the Canes game (here).

On NC State’s resilient finish to the season

“It says a lot. It says everything, to be honest. It’s a grind now. I’ve done this for a long time, and anytime you get to this place, it was a grind. We’ve had guys that have played injured all year and never said a word. They wouldn’t even tell me. I ask them, and they just say nothing. And then we’ve had some devastating injuries. You know, (Logan) Whitaker missing about five or six starts, Sam (Highfill) battling stuff, Garrett Pennington and (Alec) Makarewicz. And, obviously, losing your top reliever in Shane Van Dam and three-hole hitter in Josh Hogue. Those were devastating injuries, and they happened late in the year, which can sometimes derail you. But it didn’t for this club, so it says everything about this ball club. I can’t tell you how proud we are.”

On the benefits of hosting a regional

“I think hosting’s big. I think it says a lot. And to be a (No.) 10 seed — it shows you how very close you are to being a national seed. And we’ve never been a national seed. One year, we thought we were going to be, but we weren’t. So, I think this is the second-highest seed we’ve been — I think we were a (No.) 9 (seed) one year. So, it says a lot. But if you watch this board — we watched the whole thing on this big screen here — and see the teams that are in here, you realize how dangerous every team is in this tournament. It’s a great tournament. It’s a great field. And we’re looking forward to getting started.

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On what this time of year is like for the team

“It’s a reward. It just shows players that if they just keep — you know, this is tough. Nowadays, more so than ever, players have a lot of options with NIL and (the) transfer portal. When you’re younger, the grass always looks greener, right? When get older, you realize there’s a lot of brown grass out there as well. And you got to navigate through the ups and downs of life and the ups and downs of your career and the season. But nowadays, with everything being at their disposal, they have a lot of choices. It’s even harder to get to this point, I think, because if the season isn’t going well for you, you can certainly get some thoughts in your head. And it’s probably harder to build a team today than, I would say, ever in college sports.

“So, (I’m) just really proud of the players in the locker room. It’s not only the locker room — it’s the dugout, obviously, but then they go home, and it’s the apartment complexes and where they live that have a lot to do with deciding how you want to stick with things through the thick and thin. I’m really proud of this group.”

On how NC State’s experienced players help their teammates

“I’ve probably said it three or four times this year — everybody knows what Garrett Pennington did on one side of the field, and A-Mac (Makarewicz) on the other side of the field. But what Makarewicz and Pennington did more than anything is gave us professionalism. They gave us maturity. They’re a big part of the reason that locker room stayed the way it was and kept people together. And I can’t say enough about those two guys.”

On if Makarewicz has become a better hitter this year

“I’d say, I think the numbers prove that. And you grow as a hitter. That’s what you do — you grow as a player. As long as you stay positive and work at your game and don’t fight against the game and let the game get to you, then you’re going to grow if you work at it. And that’s what he’s done. He’s a really, really good hitter.”

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On if Avent made it a point to wear camouflage at the team’s selection show party

“That was another great idea by J.T. Jarrett. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree — his dad’s got a lot of ideas, and so does he. He’s been a big addition to our staff.

“I wanted to do something for Memorial Day. I just think this is such a special day that we all go the lake, we all go to the beach, we’re all cooking out, we’re all having fun. And yet, I think we really fail to sit here and pause for a second and think about what this day means and why we have this day. I sent out a Tweet about that this morning. And I asked J.T. yesterday, ‘What’s something we can do special? And J.T. said, ‘Wear the military hats.’ I thought that was a great idea, and then I wore my military shirt. I’m just so appreciative of what everybody does to give us a chance to go out and do what we do. And I don’t think we reflect on it enough and do it service.”

On if Avent expects Ray Tanner to attend the Raleigh Regional

“He’ll be here. Yes, it will be (nice to see him again). He hired me on his first staff. I owe a lot to that man. And, obviously, what a great career he’s had not only as a baseball coach, but an athletic director. (He’s) a truly good friend, and we go a long way for a long time. It’ll be good to see him.”

On if NC State will return the favor of being hospitable to South Carolina as regional hosts

“I don’t know about that. But it’ll be good to see Ray. Like I said, (he’s) a good friend. We go way back. He gave me an opportunity a long time ago, and I’ve never forgotten that.

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