NC State Wolfpack baseball | |
---|---|
2024 NC State Wolfpack baseball team | |
Founded | 1903 |
University | NC State |
Head coach | Elliott Avent (28th season) |
Conference | ACC Atlantic Division |
Location | Raleigh, North Carolina |
Home stadium | Doak Field (Capacity: 3,000) |
Nickname | Wolfpack |
Colors | Red and white [1] |
College World Series appearances | |
1968, 2013, 2021, 2024 | |
NCAA regional champions | |
2003, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2021, 2024 | |
NCAA Tournament appearances | |
1968, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024 | |
Conference tournament champions | |
1973, 1974, 1975, 1992 | |
Regular season conference champions | |
1968, 1975, 1981, 1986 |
The NC State Wolfpack baseball team is the varsity intercollegiate baseball program of North Carolina State University, based in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. The team has been a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference since the conference's founding in the 1954 season. The program's home venue is Doak Field, which opened in 1966. Elliott Avent has been the head coach of the team since prior to the 1997 season. As of the end of the 2024 season, the Wolfpack have appeared in four College World Series and 34 NCAA tournaments. They have won four ACC tournament Championships and four ACC Regular season Championships. As of the 2021 Major League Baseball season, 47 former Wolfpack players have played in Major League Baseball.
The baseball program played its first official game against Guilford College in 1894. [2] The program began varsity play in 1903, playing at Riddick Stadium, and in 1907 won its first State Championship. [3] The program competed in each season until 1914, when the program was discontinued for three seasons (1914–1916) before being revived prior to the 1917 season. [3]
The team's nickname was the "Farmers" until autumn 1921, when an alumnus complained that the behavior of some of the school's football players was "as unruly as a pack of wolves." Subsequently, newspapers began referring to the school's athletic teams as the "Wolfpack." [4]
The program's current venue, Doak Field, opened in 1966. [5]
NC State made its first College World Series appearance in 1968, in the second season of head coach Sammy Esposito's tenure. In the World Series, the team lost in the semifinals to eventual champion USC. [6] Since the NCAA tournament's format was changed in 1999 to include the Super Regional round, NC State has appeared in five Super Regionals, losing to Miami in 2003, Georgia in 2008, and Florida in 2012, beating Rice in 2013, and Arkansas in 2021. [7] [8] [9]
The Wolfpack have hosted five NCAA Regionals, one at Wilson, North Carolina's Fleming Stadium (in 2003) and four at Doak Field (in 2008, 2012, 2013, 2016). [9] [10]
NC State was put into the Ruston Regional as a 2 seed where they cruised right on through not losing a single game. They then moved on to face the #1 team in the country, the Arkansas Razorbacks. Arkansas destroyed NC State game one 21-2. The Wolfpack then bounced back to win the next two (each by one run).
The Wolfpack went into Omaha faced off against the 9 seeded Stanford Cardinal. NC State breezed by Stanford, winning 10-4. They moved on to face the 4 seeded Vanderbilt Commodores. The Wolfpack went in facing the top pitcher in the country, Jack Leiter. NC State would only score off a home run by Terrell Tatum. That proved to be all they needed as they won 1-0, despite Leiter striking out 15 batters in 8 innings. They then faced the Dores again in the next matchup where they lost 3-1. However, before they could play the elimination game, many of the NC State players contracted the COVID-19 virus. They did not have enough players to field a team of baseball players, so they had to forfeit the game. That ended their magical postseason run and hopes of winning the program's first ever national title.
Prior to 1966, the team played at Riddick Stadium, which was also home to the NC State football program. [11] [12]
The Wolfpack's home venue is Doak Field, which opened in 1966 and has a capacity of 3,000 spectators. The field is named for Charles Doak, who was the program's head coach from 1924 to 1939. [5]
The program's most successful head coach was Sammy Esposito. Esposito coached teams to four ACC regular season championships, three ACC tournament championships, and one College World Series appearance in his 21-year tenure.
Current head coach Elliot Avent is the program's leader in total career victories at NC State, with 951 as of April 25, 2022. Avent became the program's winningest coach on May 9, 2010, in a 21–0 NC State win over Towson. The win was Avent's 514th, putting him past Sammy Esposito on the program's career wins list. [13] [14]
Coach Avent is also the program's longest tenured head coach, with 22 seasons in the position. Vic Sorrell and Sammy Esposito each served as head coach for 21 seasons. [3]
Yearly recordWolfpack Baseball Yearly record
Individual awardsNational awards
Richard W. "Dick" Case Award
Conference awardsACC Baseball Player of the Year
ACC Baseball Coach of the Year
ACC Baseball Rookie of the Year
ACC Baseball Pitcher of the Year
Notable playersBelow is a list of notable players of the program and the seasons in which they played for the Wolfpack. [19]
Current MLB RosterFormer Wolfpack players on current MLB rosters as of August 14, 2023. [20]
Major League Baseball Draft2012In the 2012 Major League Baseball Draft, two NC State players were selected. Junior shortstop Chris Diaz was selected in the 11th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates, and senior outfielder Ryan Mathews was selected in the 27th round by the Oakland Athletics. [21] [22] Both players signed contracts with their respective organizations. [23] [24] 2014In the 2014 Major League Baseball Draft, two NC State players were selected in the first round. Junior pitcher Carlos Rodon was selected 3rd overall in the 1st round by the Chicago White Sox, and shortstop Trea Turner was selected 13th overall by the San Diego Padres. [25] See alsoRelated Research ArticlesDonald Ray Tanner Jr. is an American college athletics administrator and former baseball coach who is the athletic director at the University of South Carolina, a position he took on July 13, 2012, after 16 seasons as head coach of the university's baseball program. Tobacco Road is a term used in college sports, mainly basketball, for the four rival universities of North Carolina that play in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The term refers to the area's history as a major tobacco producer. The Tobacco Road teams represent the following universities: Riddick Stadium was a college football stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina, and home to the North Carolina State University Wolfpack football team. When the stadium was first opened, it was referred to as New Athletic Park. Later it was named Riddick Field and then Riddick Stadium, after W. C. Riddick, N.C. State football coach during the 1898 and 1899 seasons. The Wolfpack baseball team also played its home games in the stadium prior to moving to Doak Field. Doak Field is a baseball venue in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. It opened in 1966 and is home to the NC State Wolfpack college baseball team of the NCAA's Division I Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). It is named for Charles Doak, who was the head coach of the NC State baseball team from 1924 to 1939. The stadium is located on NC State's West Campus, behind Lee and Sullivan residence halls. The diamond is in the north/northwest corner of its block, which is bounded by Thurman Drive ; Dail Park and the residence halls ; Sullivan Drive ; and Varsity Drive. Its seating capacity is 2,500 spectators, with an overflow capacity of 3,000. The largest crowd at Doak Field since its 2004 renovation was 3,109 on April 28, 2007, in a series finale between NC State and its rival UNC. Doak Field hosted the Atlantic Coast Conference baseball tournament in both 1974 and in 1980. NC State won the championship in 1974, while Clemson won in 1980. The NC State Wolfpack is the nickname of the athletic teams representing North Carolina State University. The Wolfpack competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) for all sports since the 1953–54 season. The athletic teams of the Wolfpack compete in 22 intercollegiate varsity sports. NC State is a founding member of the ACC and has won eleven national championships: five NCAA championships, two AIAW championships, and four titles under other sanctioning bodies. Most NC State fans and athletes recognize the rivalry with the North Carolina Tar Heels as their biggest. The NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. NC State is one of the seven founding members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Prior to joining the ACC in 1954, the Wolfpack were members of the Southern Conference, where they won seven conference championships. As a member of the ACC, the Wolfpack has won eleven conference championships, as well as two national championships in 1974 and 1983. The NC State Wolfpack football team represents North Carolina State University in the sport of American football. The Wolfpack competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Prior to joining the ACC in 1953, the Wolfpack were a member of the Southern Conference. As a founding member of the ACC, the Wolfpack has won seven conference championships and participated in 34 bowl games, of which the team has won 17. NC State is coached by Dave Doeren. Monte Corwin Towe is an American basketball coach and retired basketball player. He was a starting point guard on the 1973–74 North Carolina State Wolfpack men's basketball team which won the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship. At five feet seven inches, Towe is also one of the ten shortest players in NBA history. The NC State Wolfpack women's basketball team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Division I women's basketball. Elliott Avent is a baseball coach, who is the current head baseball coach of the NC State Wolfpack. He attended North Carolina State University, but he did not play for the baseball program. In his 25th season of coaching the Wolfpack, Avent has compiled both the most wins and most losses of any head baseball coach in NC State history. The Duke Blue Devils baseball team is the varsity intercollegiate baseball program of Duke University, based in Durham, North Carolina, United States. The team has been a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference since the conference's founding in the 1954 season. The program's home venue is the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened in 1995. Chris Pollard has been the head coach of the team since the 2013 season. As of the end of the 2019 season, the Blue Devils have appeared in three College World Series and 10 NCAA tournaments. They have won three ACC Championships. As of the start of the 2021 Major League Baseball season, 36 former Blue Devils players have played in Major League Baseball. The 2012–13 NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team represented North Carolina State University in the 2012–13 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team's head coach was Mark Gottfried in his second season. The team played their home games at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They finished the season 24–11, 11–7 in ACC play to finish in a tie for fourth place. They advanced to the semifinals of the ACC tournament where they lost to Miami (FL). They received an at-large bid to the 2013 NCAA tournament where they lost in the second round to Temple. The 2013 NC State Wolfpack baseball team represented North Carolina State University in the 2013 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Wolfpack was coached by Elliott Avent, in his seventeenth season, and played their home games at Doak Field. The 2015 NC State Wolfpack baseball team represented North Carolina State University during the 2015 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Wolfpack played their home games at Doak Field as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They were led by head coach Elliott Avent, in his 19th season at NC State. The 2018 NC State Wolfpack baseball team represented North Carolina State University during the 2018 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Wolfpack played their home games at Doak Field as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They were led by head coach Elliott Avent, his 22nd season at NC State. The Wolfpack finished the season 2nd in the ACC's Atlantic Division with a record of 42–18, 19–11 in conference play. They qualified for the 2018 Atlantic Coast Conference baseball tournament, and were eliminated in pool play. They were invited to host the Raleigh Regional in the 2018 NCAA Division I baseball tournament. They lost in the regional final to Auburn. The 2019 NC State Wolfpack baseball team represented North Carolina State University during the 2019 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Wolfpack played their home games at Doak Field as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They were led by head coach Elliott Avent, his 23rd season at NC State. The Wolfpack finished the season 2nd in the ACC's Atlantic Division with a record of 42–19, 18–12 in conference play. They qualified as the three seed for the 2019 Atlantic Coast Conference baseball tournament, winning group C, and were eliminated in the semi-finals by Georgia Tech. They were invited to the Greenville Regional in the 2019 NCAA Division I baseball tournament where they were eliminated by East Carolina. The 2020 NC State Wolfpack baseball team represented North Carolina State University during the 2020 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Wolfpack played their home games at Doak Field as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They were led by head coach Elliott Avent, his 24th season at NC State. On March 12, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NC State and the ACC announced the season will be suspended until further notice. On March 17, 2020, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced all spring sports would be cancelled for the remainder of the season. Tziarra Lanae King is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) club Seattle Reign. She played college soccer for the NC State Wolfpack and was drafted by the Utah Royals in 2020. The 2021 NC State Wolfpack baseball team represented North Carolina State University during the 2021 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Wolfpack played their home games at Doak Field as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They were led by head coach Elliott Avent, who was in his 25th season at NC State. The 2020 NC State Wolfpack women's soccer team represented NC State University during the 2020 NCAA Division I women's soccer season. The Wolfpack were led by head coach Tim Santoro, in his ninth season. They played home games at Dail Soccer Field. This was the team's 37th season playing organized women's college soccer and their 34th playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference. References
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