The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1389905
JULY/AUGUST 2021 ■ 43 A Title Run There was nothing fluky about what NC State did in Arkansas. Ask Stanford and Vanderbilt. Facing Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year Bren- dan Beck of the Cardinal — a potential top-five-round pick in the MLB Draft — in the College World Series opener, NC State jumped out to a 6-0 lead and won 10-4. That landed the Pack in the winner's bracket against CWS favorite Vanderbilt and its ace Jack Leiter. The son of former MLB star Al Leiter is considered the top pitch- ing prospect for July's draft, and against NC State, he was dealing. Both Avent and Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin remarked afterwards how Leit- er's 15-strikeout performance over eight in- nings ranked among the best they had seen. But NC State had an answer, and his name was Sam Highfill. The freshman is the son of NC State grads, and his grandfather attended the school, too. "I remember going to NC State baseball games when I was 6, 8, 10 years old, and wishing I was able to be out there with them," Highfill recalled. Highfill and Leiter matched zeroes on the scoreboard until the fifth, when Tatum sold out on a fastball and crushed a homer for what proved to be the lone run in a 1-0 win for the Wolfpack. Highfill and Justice combined to hold the Commodores to two hits while hand- ing Vandy its first shutout of the year. "I hate using the word 'tip your cap' to anyone, but that kid did a nice job," Corbin said about Highfill. "He pitched so well." An Abrupt Ending The growing legend of Highfill would continue, when he and the so-called Pack13, the group of 13 players available in the semifinals rematch against Vanderbilt, val- iantly competed against the Commodores' other ace, Kumar Rocker, considered the second-best pitching prospect for the draft. Hours before the game, NC State faced a decision after four positive COVID-19 test results: forfeit and try to play Saturday or give it a go with the 13 vaccinated play- ers. Like they did all year, the Pack rallied around what it had and went to bat. Highfill, playing first base and getting his first plate appearances all season, delivered three hits against Rocker. Avent used two pitch- ers with a combined 22 innings pitched, includ- ing true freshman Garrett Payne, who was mak- ing his first career start, and fielded a lineup that included just five of the normal nine. Yet in each of the last three innings, in- cluding the bottom of the ninth, NC State had the potential winning run at the plate. Despite outhitting Vandy 8-6, the Pack came up short 3-1 in part due to two unearned runs. The inspiring effort would be the last for NC State on a baseball diamond in 2021. More positive test results — four among the vaccinated players — meant the team that looked like it was the best in Omaha would not get to compete for the national champi- onship. The NCAA ended the Wolfpack's season because of the COVID outbreak on the team, announcing the decision with a tweet at 2:10 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 26. Amidst the heartbreak and anger, NC State fans rallied to let the baseball team know its appreciation for the journey they took Wolfpack Nation on. Enough fans to fill up Doak Field in Raleigh packed the stadium waiting for the team's return. After 9 p.m. on Saturday evening, the players that were cleared and Avent walked into Doak to greet the fans one last time. The longtime coach took the bullhorn. "Three things will never be forgotten," Avent began. "The class and the dignity of how this team handled that decision. The second thing that'll never be forgotten is to- night. Coming back on the bus to this scene will be etched in our minds forever. "And the third thing … that'll never be for- gotten is the 2021 Wolfpack team that won the national championship that was never played." A Legendary Team NC State, from all accounts, was Omaha's adopted team. Wolfpack director of athletics Boo Corrigan joked that beating Arkansas — who knocked out home-state Nebraska in the regional — and having the red and white colors of the Cornhuskers, made it easy to choose the Pack for its rooting interest. Many in the media played up the angle of NC State's rising from the bottom of the ACC to being in a favorable position to win a national championship as the feel-good story in Omaha. That overshadows the fact that Avent had assembled a talented roster that once it found its rhythm was better than almost every other team in the country. Butler, Justice and sophomore center fielder Tyler McDonough were named to the D1 Baseball All-America team — tying the Pack for the most selections in the nation. Jus- tice was also named an All-American by Per- fect Game, and Butler by Baseball America, the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings and the National Colle- giate Baseball Writers' Association. Murr was a Gold Glove winner by ABCA/Rawlings, and McDonough was se- lected to its All-Region squad. Butler, Tatum and Torres were named first-team All-ACC, while McDonough and Murr were on the second squad. Justice and starting pitcher Reid Johnston made the third team, giving NC State a league-high seven players honored. Those selected for accolades do not even include some of the postseason heroes like Highfill, freshman pitcher Chris Villaman and junior right fielder Devonte Brown, whose grand slam broke open a previously tied con- test in the decisive game in the Ruston Region. Torres, McDonough and sophomore catcher Luca Tresh are all on MLB.com's list of the top 250 prospects for July's draft, and it's highly probable that many others from this year's team will hear their names called at some point. Nine lineup players started at least 50 of the 56 games played. Five pitchers ac- counted for 78.7 percent of the innings thrown on the team, with each pitching at least 59⅔ innings while everyone else on the squad had less than 20. Those 14 players displayed enough talent and drive to be the national champions. ■ Freshman shortstop Jose Torres was the hero of the Super Regional, after smashing a home run in the top of the ninth inning that broke a 2-2 tie with Arkansas and punched the Pack's ticket to Omaha. PHOTO BY MARK KUHLMANN/COURTESY NCAA PHOTOS