The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1532241
MARCH/APRIL 2025 ■ 47 said. "It's about what you've heard about, and it's about what you've ex- perienced. Before we started spring practice, I was in Florida with [program alumni] Trea Turner, Brett Austin and Preston Palmeiro. I stayed up until 3 in the morning listening to them talking about their experiences and the time they spent together. "As a coach, there is nothing more rewarding than hearing that they were well-prepared to live their dreams, and that they had a great time getting there." The Early Years For nearly 125 years, students at NC State have created memories and chased dreams by playing baseball, the school's oldest sport, which was introduced in 1902. Many of those dreams have el- evated them to the major leagues, made possible by a handful of coaches who themselves were pioneers in the sport. A churning turnstile of part-time, short-term coaches, still developing the early foundation of college sports, brought the game to campus. The team played at the original Riddick Field and other on-campus sites that were little more than scruffy turf on a barely level field. State's first coach was George "King" Kelly, a journeyman player-manager who never made it above the minor leagues while playing for, among oth- ers, the Raleigh Senators/Cardinals of the North Carolina-Virginia League and the Greensboro Farmers. He turned over his duties at the school after one season to his senior captain, Cleveland Douglas Welch, who left after two years to run a cotton mill in Cramerton, N.C. Next came baseball lifer Malachi Kit- Dave Robertson became NC State's first professional athlete when he was signed by the New York Giants in 1912. Robertson led the National League in in home runs in both 1916 and '17. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS ■ NC State In Major League Baseball Name Yrs. From Games Primary Teams NC State Career Dave Robertson 9 1912-22 804 NYG, CHC, PIT 1910-12 Bill Evans 3 1916-19 28 PIT 1915 Dick Burrus 6 1919-28 560 PHI (Athletics), BOS (Braves) 1919 Joe DeBerry 2 1920-21 20 BAL 1917-20 George Murray 6 1922-33 110 BOS, NYY 1918-21 Fred Johnston 1 1924 4 BRO 1924 Buck Redfern 2 1928-29 107 CHW 1921-24 Dutch Holland 3 1932-34 102 BOS (Braves), CLE 1923-25 Bill Outen 1 1933 93 BRO 1927-28 Kemp Wicker 4 1936-41 40 BRO, NYY 1925-30 Jake Wade 8 1936-46 171 DET, CHW, NYY 1930-31 Johnny Lanning 11 1936-47 278 PIT, BOS (Braves) 1931-32 Stu Flythe 1 1936 17 PHI (Athletics) 1934-36 Jimmy Brown 8 1937-46 890 STL, PIT 1932 Dave Odom 1 1943 22 BOS (Braves) — Ben Steiner 3 1945-47 82 BOS, DET — Roger Craig 12 1955-66 368 BRO, LAD, NYM — Dick Smith 1 1969 21 WAS — Mike Caldwell 14 1971-84 237 MIL, SFG, SDP 1968-71 Tommy Smith 5 1973-77 121 CLE, SEA 1968-70 Tim Stoddard 13 1975-89 485 BAL, NYY, SDP 1972-74 Dan Plesac 18 1986-2003 1,064 MIL, TOR, PIT 1981-83 Louie Meadows 4 1986-90 102 HOU, PHI 1980-82 Tracy Woodson 5 1987-93 215 LAD, STL 1982-84 Doug Davis 2 1988-92 7 TEX, ANA 1982-1984 Greg Briley 6 1988-93 598 SEA, FLA 1986 Doug Strange 9 1989-98 707 TEX, SEA, CHC 1983-85 Jim McNamara 2 1992-93 34 SFG 1984-86 Jeff Hartsock 1 1992 4 CHC 1986-88 Jeff Pierce 1 1995 12 BOS 1990-91 Brian Bark 1 1995 3 BOS 1987-90 Corey Lee 1 1999 1 TEX 1994-96 Adam Everett 11 2001-11 880 HOU, DET, MIN 1996 Andy Barkett 1 2001 17 PIT 1992-95 Joey Devine 5 2005-11 30 ATL, OAK 2003-05 Colt Morton 2 2007-08 10 SDP 2001-03 Aaron Bates 1 2009 5 BOS 2005-06 Matt Mangini 1 2010 11 SEA 2005 Eric Surkamp 5 2011-16 52 SFG, OAK, LAD 2006 Andrew Brackman 1 2011 3 NYY 2007 Andrew Taylor 1 2012 3 ANA 2007 Jonathan Diaz 3 2013-15 35 TOR, BOS 2006 Jake Buchanan 4 2014-17 29 HOU, CIN, CHC 2008 Trea Turner 10 2015- 1,125 WSN, LAD, PHI 2012-14 Carlos Rodon 10 2015- 198 CHW, NYY, SFG 2012-14 Cory Mazzoni 3 2015-18 22 SDP, CHC 2010-11 Andrew Knizner 6 2019- 290 STL, TEX 2014-16 Joe Dunand 1 2022-22 3 FLA 2015-17 Evan Justice 2 2023- 10 COL 2018-21 Patrick Bailey 2 2023- 218 SFG 2018-20 Source: Baseball-Reference.com