The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/112604
tracking the PACK Getting To Know: Tarran Senay ��� Baseball Senior Tarran Senay played an integral role in propelling the Wolfpack into the NCAA Super Regionals last year, and he hopes to help the team go even further this spring. Last season, Senay became part of NC State baseball lore in helping the Wolfpack rally from a 7-3 eighth-inning deficit to top Vanderbilt 9-7 and advance to the Super Regional in Gainesville, Fla. Senay entered the game in the seventh inning, and promptly hit a three-run homer in the top of the eighth at Dail Park in Raleigh, and then added a two-run, bases-loaded single in the ninth to give NCSU an 8-7 lead and eventual victory. NC State fell twice to Florida in the next round, but finished the season with an impressive 43-20 mark and 19-11 in the ACC. Senay finished with six home runs, 32 RBI and 15 doubles in 53 games. Senay is off to a good start through six games this season, hitting .300 with two home runs, seven RBI and seven runs scored for the 5-1 Wolfpack. Senay expects to play left field, first base and occasionally designated hitter this season. The South Park, Pa., native recently took the time to catch up with The Wolfpacker. Quick Questions What���s your favorite place to go eat in South Park, Pa.? The Clubhouse. I like to order fried fish and the mini tacos. Favorite baseball player growing up? Ken Griffey Jr. Who would you like to see in concert? Drake. What athlete at NC State do you enjoy watching? Richard Howell because of how hard he plays on the [basketball] court. He���s intimidating. Favorite class at NC State? Digital media. Any special meaning about wearing No. 32? My original favorite number was 30, but my football number was 32, and that was my second choice. And also for Josh Hamilton [of the Los Angeles Angels]. What is a memorable comment from coach Elliott Avent? He has said two things: ���Respect the game and it will respect you back,��� or ���Want the guy next to you to succeed better than yourself.��� What is your favorite road ACC park? I like Clemson. What was your welcome to the NC StateUNC rivalry moment? Just the intensity my freshman year. One of our pitchers got into it with the UNC fans. I think it was Rob Chamra. As a lefty hitter, what is it like to face star lefty pitcher Carlos Rodon in intra-squad situations? It���s pretty tough. I���ve done it a couple of times in the fall or spring, and I don���t like it. Senay hit .300 with two home runs, seven RBI and seven runs scored during NC State���s 5-1 start this season. photo courtesy nc state media relations Are you excited about the season starting? ���The weather hasn���t been cooperating at times, but we just want to get out there and play and see what we can do. Everybody is excited and maybe a little too amped up. That happens at the beginning of the season.��� Is the performance against Vanderbilt your favorite Wolfpack memory? ���For sure. That was my favorite baseball memory of my whole life. That was pretty special.��� How would you describe your game? ���I have power potential and potential to hit it out of the yard to left field or right field. I can drive in runs and try to have good at-bats every time. In the field, I try to have as much hustle as I can. I try to keep people off the bags and get every ball that I can.��� Which of your junior year statistics do you want to improve upon? ���Strikeouts, I definitely want to cut those in half [from 50 to 25]. That will ultimately raise my average, which is the second thing I want to change. Overall, I just want to put the ball in play more.��� What are your individual goals and team goals this year? ���As a team, we want to win the national championship, but before that, we have the ACC playoffs and ACC championship, and then the NCAA Regionals. Our ultimate goal is the national championship. ���Individually, I just want to contribute as much as I can to help this team win.��� How are you progressing toward your degree in technology education and engineering and design? ���I have to go another year and will graduate next May [in 2014]. I want to graduate and get a degree, and then find a successful job that I like doing. I like working with computers, Photoshop and digital media is my main goal. Of course, I want to play baseball before doing that, so hopefully, I get that opportunity.��� How do you look back on your decision to attend NC State after going in the 38th round of the 2009 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers? How was the recruiting process? ���Still to this day, I think it was the right decision to come to school for me. I���ve talked to a lot of people and friends about minor league baseball, and they say it���s tough. It���s a lonely world out there. College baseball has offered me something that pro ball wouldn���t have. That was the right decision, and getting most of my degree done was a big part of it. ���I just wanted to get out of the snow and cold, so that was a big part of it [to attend NC State]. I just like Raleigh and surrounding areas. It reminded me of home. It felt like a great school and it is.��� Who inspires you? ���Definitely my dad, Scott Senay. He���s inspired me from day one of my career and throughout my life. He inspires me to do anything, whether school, sports or how to treat people. He���s a great guy and has taught me everything to know about life.��� ��� Jacey Zembal 20��� ������ the wolfpacker 12,14,16,18,20,22.Tracking The Pack.indd 20 2/26/13 3:44 PM