The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/141892
winning its next 15 games, 21 of its next 22, and 26 of its next 30 through the ACC Championship to head into the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed and regional host. The hot streak was hardly a cakewalk. In that 30-game stretch, 11 were decided by two runs or fewer. State went 10-1 in those contests, including a 7-1 mark in one-run games. NC State came from behind in 14 of the 26 victories. "The last 30 games of the regular season were all like postseason games for us," Avent said. "We had to win those games, and it prepared us well." The final game of that 30-game stretch was the now-legendary 18-inning marathon against North Carolina in the ACC Cham- seed. In order to host a super regional and not have to travel to Oregon, NC State needed someone to upset the Ducks in the NCAA Eugene Regional. That someone was Rice, and be careful what you wish for. The Owls proved to be one of the most formidable opponents the Wolfpack faced in the postseason. NC State swept the super regional by scores of 4-3 and 5-4, the latter in 17 innings, and both games were nail-biters. The opener was a battle between Rodon and Rice ace Austin Kubitza. At less than his best, Rodon nursed a one-run lead into the top of the ninth before the Owls rallied for a run to tie the score at 3-3. Jake Fincher's two-out single off Rice closer Zech Lemond in the bottom of the ninth "The last 30 games of the regular season were all like postseason games for us. We had to win those games, and it prepared us well." ■ Head coach Elliott Avent NC State defeated Rice 5-4 in 17 innings on June 9 to win the super regional and clinch a berth in the College World Series. photo by ken martin injuries to key players. The season hit its nadir March 23-24 with a three-game ACC series sweep at the hands of Virginia in Charlottesville, a sweep that left NC State 16-9 overall and 3-6 in the conference, and out of the national rankings altogether. "That was certainly the low point," Avent said. "At that point, we weren't worried so much about the rankings and Omaha as much as just righting the ship and trying to dig out of the hole that we'd dug for ourselves." After winning two of its next three games, NC State stood at 18-10 overall and 4-7 in the conference. From there, the Wolfpack took off like its hair was on fire, pionship. The Tar Heels won 2-1, but that game is remembered more for the incredible pitching on both sides (the two teams were a combined 16 for 123 at the plate) than the final outcome. Sophomore Carlos Rodon, in particular, was sensational, allowing just one unearned run on one hit in 10 innings while striking out 14. Rodon, who went 10-3 with a 2.99 ERA for the season, was 2-1 with a 1.17 ERA in four starts versus UNC in 2013. If Rodon was the team MVP, the bullpen was the collective unsung hero. State relievers won 31 games, saved 19 and posted a 2.57 ERA while limiting opponents to a .210 batting average. Ten different relievers recorded wins, six saved games and four logged at least 20 innings with an ERA less than 3.00. The senior tandem of lefthander Grant Sasser and right-hander Chris Overman combined for a 4-1 record, a 0.76 ERA and 14 saves in 54 relief appearances covering 71 innings. In the end, the combination of Rodon, the bullpen and some very timely hitting carried the Wolfpack through a rigorous postseason, which began with a threegame sweep through the NCAA Raleigh Regional. Rodon's two-hit shutout in the second game of the regional, a 1-0 victory over William & Mary, was the pivotal game. Heading into the NCAA Tournament, NC State was denied a national seed by the NCAA Selection Committee. A national seed would have assured the Pack a host site for a super regional. Instead, State was paired with Oregon, the No. 8 national gave NC State a thrilling walk-off victory. The Wolfpack rallied in the ninth inning again the next night, a three-run comeback this time, to tie the game at 4-4 and send it into extra innings. Fincher and Tarran Senay had RBI hits in the ninth, and a third run scored on an error. Overman and Ethan Ogburn combined to shut Rice down on three hits over the final eight innings. The winning run came in the top of the 17th on a double by Brett Williams combined with a Rice error in right field. "To play two games like Carolina for 18 innings two weeks before and then Rice for 17 innings, with so much on the line in both games, that says so much about the character of our club," Avent said. "Rice was underrated. They were so good and played so well. Their pitching was outstanding." The highlight of the College World Series for NC State came in the opener, an 8-1 romp over North Carolina. Rodon pitched a complete game, allowing a run on four hits with eight strikeouts and a walk. Senay drove in a run with a single in the first inning, his third game-winning postseason RBI in the last two years, and State chased UNC starter and ACC Pitcher of the Year Kent Emanuel with four runs in the third inning. Rodon cruised from there. Eventual national champion UCLA stymied and frustrated the Wolfpack 2-1 in the second round, scoring runs on a bloop single and a wild pitch. Three State pitchers combined on a five-hitter, but fundamental mistakes on offense cost the Pack two runs July 2013 ■ 129 128-130.Team of the Year.indd 129 7/1/13 10:14 AM