The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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46 ■ THE WOLFPACKER Before the COVID-19 pandemic doomed the 2020 season, the 6-0, 171-pounder was just starting to play his best baseball. In 17 games, he hit .333 (20 for 60) with three homers and 13 RBI. This came after going just 2 for 13 in his first four contests. He had a three-hit, three-RBI game at Virginia in his first-ever ACC action, a series in which Torres noted was "the most fun I ever had." Torres' journey in the sport began in his native Dominican Republic, a baseball- crazy island known for producing some of the game's biggest stars. His family moved to Miami when he was 2 years old, and it was there he began to dream about a career in professional baseball. "I remember growing up in Miami, we had a lot of guys going pro and I compared my skill set to them," Tor- res recalled. "I thought when I was older, I could be just as good as them or better. From a young age, I knew I had the talent to go very far. "Once I hit high school, I started to notice how good I was and that I could go really far." His Little League coach once told him that a lot of things came natural for him. Getting noticed by colleges and pro scouts took a little time, however. He moved from Miami to Baltimore in 2012, giving up playing in year-round warm weather surrounded by palm trees to having to compete in the snow at times. Prior to his junior year in high school, he was able to latch onto a traveling team that went for a tournament in Florida. NC State assistant coach Chris Hart was there, too. "Coach Hart saw me play like one inning," Torres said. "He didn't see me do anything be- cause he got there late. So the next day he drove an hour to see me play, and that game I went 4 for 4 and made a couple of plays." Word spread quickly on Torres. He nar- rowed his college decision to UNC and NC State after visiting those two schools on back-to-back days. "Once I visited NC State, I knew this is where I wanted to be," Torres noted. "It felt like home." But it was not a certainty he would make it to college. Soon, pro scouts were coming to his games and making inquiring phone calls. "Anybody that would tell you they weren't nervous, at least at first, it's a lie," Torres said of the sight of seeing pro scouts in attendance at his games. "Of course I was nervous at first. You want to perform every single time. "It was nerve-wracking, especially at the beginning." The MLB Draft was full of anticipa- tion. The phone call came while Torres was attending his girlfriend's graduation and yes, despite the ongoing ceremony, he took it. "When I first got the call, I was smiling ear to ear," Torres admitted. "A lot of things were going through my mind, but at the end of the day I knew I had NC State." Torres expects that he would have picked NC State regardless, but a chance to be on campus for a summer school session truly sealed his decision. It helped that he felt a strong bond with NC State's 25-year head coach Elliott Avent. "I could speak all day about Coach Avent," Torres said. "He's the best. There is nobody like him, for sure." Already draft-eligible again, Torres will have another decision to make in the sum- mer. MLB.com rates him as the No. 80 prospect in the draft, which places him as a probable top-three round choice. "Torres is the rare college shortstop whom scouts are convinced will play the position in the big leagues," MLB.com noted. That's not surprising. One of his prized possessions is the Little League Gold Glove he won. "I can still remember to this day when I won it," Torres noted. "As a kid when you win something, that is exciting because you feel like you are the best at it, and you put your work in and deserve it. You tend to cherish it more when you get older." Admittedly a patient and generally calm person, Torres has little focus on the MLB Draft. He's been there and done that. Torres, who is on the preseason watch list for the Golden Spikes Award — the most prestigious award in college baseball that goes to the country's top player — is thinking College World Series before MLB World Series. "My mindset, right now, is to win games and help my team win an ACC champion- ship, get to Omaha and win Omaha," Torres said. ■ THE NATURAL Gifted Shortstop Jose Torres Has Pro Potential BY MATT CARTER C State shortstop Jose Torres cannot remember his life without baseball. His earliest childhood memories feature a bat and glove. Soon, the ultimate dream of playing professionally could be a reality. But first, Torres sees unfinished business for the Wolfpack. Technically, Torres is still a "freshman" — but last year was his true rookie cam- paign. He was a highly touted addition, turning down a chance to go pro after be- ing selected in the 24th round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. N " From a young age, I knew I had the talent to go very far. Torres